by Jess Wu

Created on: June 23, 2007   Last Updated: March 26, 2011

Different skin types tend to annoy the owners in different ways. But I believe you would agree that oily skin type gives more trouble and needs more attention than the others. People with oily skin type are convinced to wash their faces more frequently and throw on way more oil control products. They are so engaged in dealing with the upfront problem of oil secretion that they forget about investigating more on the reasons giving rise to the invasion of the "enemy". Only when we know the reasons can we deal with it smarter and with less frustration.

One of the main reasons is lack of hydration in skin itself. Because skin is very intelligent, it secretes oil to protect itself when it is not hydrated enough. Sounds simple? Yes, it could be that straight-forward. Indeed, there are a number of things you could pay attention to when you have your skin care routine:

1.Use a gentle or milder cleanser which won't dry out your skin during washing. Only confine washing your face two times a day - once in the morning and once at night.

2.Use a non-alcohol toner. Toners that contain alcohol might give you an illusion of smaller pores, but it's just a false impression! What it really does to your skin is dry it out again and again over time.

3.Use oil-control products only during the daytime. Oil-control products can clog pores but it would be hard to have your makeup stay on if you eliminate those in your life. If you have to use it, use it wisely.

4.Hydrate your skin with a gel or gel-cream moisturizer at night. You have to catch up with the lost moisture during the day and night time is certainly the best time to do it when your skin is resting and the product can get absorbed nicely and work better.

5.Remember to use a deep cleansing mask once or twice per week (no more than twice). Its functions are to unclog the pores and clean out the dirt in your skin. Of course your skincare products work way better when there is nothing blocking in between!

6.Use a non-oil-based hydrating mask at least twice per week. It brings in intense moisture to skin and it will make your skin look fabulous in the long run. Mind you, there are loads of hydrating masks out there which tend to be too rich for oily skin; remember you want to hydrate it, not adding burden to it. So look for something not oil-based.

When you take care of your skin sensibly, you will definitely notice having oily skin is not something that hard to tackle!

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