HOME REMEDIES FOR OILY SKIN

Lemon juice is great for oily skin

If you have oily skin, you may feel as though you're forever fighting a losing battle to remove the shine from your chin and forehead. You can probably thank your genes for the sheen: Overly oily skin is a problem that is often handed down through generations within a family.

The good news about oily skin is that it keeps the skin looking younger. Over time, people with oily skin tend to wrinkle less than people with dry or normal skin.

How can a person manage oily skin so that it looks great? Go to the next page to learn valuable home remedies for moderating oily skin.

1: Wash Your Face

In most cases, oily skin can be treated at home. However, you'll want to call a doctor if you develop acne that doesn't respond to home remedies or notice any sudden and/or unusual change in your skin (if it goes from dry to oily seemingly overnight but it isn't time for your period, for example). Otherwise, first try keeping skin squeaky clean.

As anyone with oily skin knows, the oilier the skin, the dirtier the skin looks and feels. To help combat this feeling, it's important to keep the skin clean by washing it at least twice a day. Some doctors recommend detergent-type soap. You might even try adding a drop or two of dishwashing detergent to your regular soap; the extra kick will act as a solvent for the oil. However, other dermatologists say detergent soaps are just too harsh even for oily facial skin, recommending instead twice-daily cleansing with a glycerin soap. If you try a detergent soap and find it too irritating for your skin, try the glycerin variety, generally available over the counter in the skin-care aisle of most drugstores.

2: Absorb Extra Oil

Try aloe vera. Apply aloe vera gel (available in many drugstores as well as health-food stores) to your face to absorb oil and clear out pores. Dab the gel onto your face two to three times a day (especially after washing), then let it dry. The gel will feel more refreshing if it's cool, so keep it in the refrigerator.

Wipe with astringents. Wiping the oily parts of the face with rubbing alcohol or a combination of alcohol and acetone (a mixture found in products such as Seba-Nil Liquid Cleanser) can help degrease your skin just as well as more expensive, perfumey astringents. Many drugstores even sell premoistened, individually wrapped alcohol wipes that you can keep in your purse for quick touchups throughout the day.

Carry tissues. Even if you don't have an astringent with you, paper facial tissues can help soak up excess oils in a pinch. You can also purchase special oil-absorbing tissues at the cosmetics counter that are very effective in removing excess oil between cleansings.

Chill out with cold water rinses. If you don't want to apply chemicals to your skin, simply splashing your face with cold water and blotting it dry a couple of times a day can help remove some excess oil.

3: Ban Moisturizers

While advertisements are forever urging women to apply facial moisturizers, oily-skinned folks shouldn't use them -- their skin is already doing a more than adequate job of keeping itself supple and warding off dryness. Applying a sunscreen to the face before going outdoors in daylight is still a very good idea, however; check labels for products that are designed for oily skin or that are noncomedogenic (meaning they'll be less likely to plug up pores, which is especially important for oily skin that is already more susceptible to acne blemishes).

4: Avoid Oils

Pull your hair back. It's best to keep hair away from the face if you are having issues with your skin. Often oily hair and oily skin go together.

Don't touch. Keep your hands off your face during the day. Hands deliver excess oil and dirt.

Use water-based cosmetics. Better yet, learn to live without makeup -- or at least without foundation -- since it will simply add to and trap the oil against your skin and set the stage for blemishes. If you feel you must use makeup, choose water-based products over oil-based types, and opt for spot concealers rather than coating your entire face. In general, stick with powder or gel blushers, and avoid cream foundations.

5: Make a Scrub or Masque

Giving your face a very light scrub can remove excess surface oil. Try this almond honey scrub: Mix a small amount of almond meal (ground almonds) with honey. Then gently massage (don't scrub) the paste onto your skin with a hot washcloth. Rinse thoroughly. You can also make a scrub from oatmeal mixed with aloe vera. Rub gently onto the skin, leave on for 15 minutes, then wash off thoroughly. If you suffer from acne on your face, however, you should probably skip the scrub, since it can aggravate your already-irritated skin.

Masques applied to the face can also reduce oiliness. Clay masques are available, or you can mix Fuller's Earth (available at pharmacies) with a little water to make a paste. Apply to the face and leave on for about 20 minutes before thoroughly rinsing off.

6: Exfoliate

Be abrasive, but in a mild way. Liquid soap users can add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda into the mixture. Rub gently onto oily areas such as the nose and chin. This gentle abrasive works well in getting rid of blackheads as well as oil. Rinse with cool water. Another good way to exfoliate the skin is with white or apple cider vinegar. Apply using a cotton ball before bedtime. Leave it on for five to ten minutes and then rinse with cool water. You'll need to use this remedy for three weeks to see improvements. If your skin is super-sensitive, dilute the vinegar with four parts water. For a summertime treat, chill the vinegar or freeze it into ice cubes and apply as a cooling facial.

7: Use Cornstarch and Salt

Cornstarch. Cornstarch dries up oily patches. Mix 1 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch with enough warm water to make a paste. Rub on your face, let dry, and then shower or rinse off with lukewarm water in the sink. Try this once a day for best results.

Salt. This gift from the sea is nature's best desiccant. Place tepid water into a small spray bottle and add 1 teaspoon salt. Close your eyes, and pretend you're at the seashore. Then squirt some of this salt spray on your face once during the day. Blot dry.

8: Make an Apple Facial

If you're willing to do some creative cooking, your effort will be rewarded with this homemade, oil-ridding facial. Mix 1/2 cup mashed apple, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 slightly beaten egg white, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a smooth paste. Apply to your face for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water.

9: Try Egg Yok

A fast fix for removing oil shine requires one of the simplest foods: the egg. An egg yolk mask dries out the skin. Apply the egg yolk with a cotton ball to oily spots. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water.

10: Refresh Skin With Fruit

Citrus fruits and some vegetables not only refresh the skin but also help reduce oils. Mix equal parts lemon juice and water, pat on face, and let dry. Rinse first with warm water followed by cool water for a refreshing treat. You can also try mixing 1/2 teaspoon lime juice with an equal amount of cucumber juice. Apply to skin a few minutes before showering.