Everything you need to know about oily skin: symptoms, causes, treatments

Do you suffer from oily skin? Discover all our expert advice on mattifying your skin, tightening your pores and preventing imperfections.

Oily skin is considered to be a physiological skin type characterised by a thicker skin texture, dilated pores and a dull, oily, shiny appearance. Discover all our expert advice on how to prevent imperfections on your skin.

What is oily skin?

Oily skin is characterised by a thick, granular texture, dilated and visible pores and a shiny appearance on the face or scalp. The presence of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) is also characteristic of oily skin.

What causes oily skin?

Sebum is the main cause of oily skin. Produced by the sebaceous glands, sebum plays a major role in the epidermis, making it supple, soft and balanced. In the case of oily skin, there is an overproduction of sebum, also known as hyperseborrhoea, which encourages the appearance of skin imperfections and gives an oily, shiny appearance to the face and scalp.

Internal causes

Hyperseborrhoea is generally caused by hormonal factors that are triggered at puberty. Hormones cause the skin to produce more sebum, which clogs pores.

Hereditary and genetic factors are also involved in the appearance of oily skin.

External causes

Other factors such as stress, pollution, smoking, alcohol and climate change seem to have a strong influence on the skin's balance and encourage a peak in seborrhoea.

One degree's rise in temperature increases sebum production by 10%.

Diet is also one of the causes of oily skin, since the sebaceous glands use certain nutrients such as glucose and fatty acids to produce sebum. That's why a diet with a low glycaemic index will help limit sebum production.

Finally, using cosmetics that are too harsh on the skin can also have an impact on oily skin.

Oily skin affects both girls and boys and can last well into adulthood.

Sebum production begins earlier in girls due to earlier puberty, so they are more prone to oily skin during adolescence.

Men, on the other hand, naturally produce more sebum than women in adulthood, and are therefore very frequently confronted with oily skin problems after adolescence.

Which areas of the body are most affected?

The areas richest in sebum and therefore particularly affected by oily skin are :

The face (forehead, nose, chin and cheeks)
The scalp
Upper back
Chest

If your skin is constantly shiny, your pores are visible and your complexion lacks radiance, your skin needs to be purified. By adopting a natural, purifying and mattifying skin care routine, you can help your skin to breathe and regain a better balance.

The aim of cleansing is to purify the skin and reduce excess sebum.

Oily skin has specific needs; to cleanse your skin, opt for gentle, non-comedogenic products.

Choose cleansing gel and micellar water and adopt a morning and evening cleansing routine to remove dirt, pollutant particles and any other residue that may settle after dark or during the day.

Beware of overly aggressive or stripping products, which will cause the skin to react by producing more sebum.

Just because your skin is oily doesn't mean it doesn't need moisturising.

In the morning, after cleansing, apply a light, non-greasy, mattifying day cream to reduce excess sebum, moisturise and protect your skin.

In the evening, choose an emulsion or night cream specifically for oily skin, to be applied after removing your make-up.

Exfoliation allows you to deeply purify your skin and give it a radiant glow.

Gentle scrubs or absorbent, cleansing masks help to unclog pores by removing excess sebum, dead skin cells and impurities deep down.

Exfoliation can be carried out once or twice a week at most, always using non-aggressive products.
Over-stimulating the epidermis by exfoliating the skin more than once a week is a mistake that could lead to the overproduction of sebum.

What's the difference between oily skin and combination skin?

Oily skin mainly affects teenagers, who are more prone to overproduction of sebum at puberty.

Combination skin, as its name suggests, is neither completely dry nor completely oily. It is unbalanced and has a problem with the quality and quantity of sebum.

Combination skin is particularly prone to imperfections on the middle part of the face, known as the T-zone.

What are the mistakes to avoid when you have oily skin?

When we have oily skin, we tend to want to use stripping and drying products to get rid of the shiny layer that covers our skin, but we often make mistakes.

Oily skin requires regular care and a moisturising routine using gentle, gentle products.

Here are the mistakes to avoid when you have oily skin:

Excessive use of scrubs: scrubs help to purify your skin but, if used excessively, they attack the skin and stimulate the overproduction of sebum.
Use cleansers that are too abrasive for the skin: the cleansers used should be gentle, soap-free and alcohol-free, to respect oily skin.
Apply products containing alcohol: aggressive products containing alcohol alter the lipids in the hydrolipidic film and dry out the skin, which encourages excess sebum production.
Not removing make-up : even if you don't use make-up, it's important to cleanse your face every evening to remove the pollutant particles that suffocate the skin.
Over-exposure to the sun : over-exposure to the sun without sunscreen encourages the appearance of oily skin. Even if the sun has the effect of reducing sebum production and the appearance of pimples in the short term, in the long term it is not an ally of oily skin.

How can oily skin be prevented?

As mentioned above, certain external factors encourage the appearance of oily skin. By following the advice below, you can prevent the appearance of oily skin:

A healthy diet: a healthy diet low in foods with a high glycaemic index helps to limit stimulation of the sebaceous glands.
Good moisturising : moisturising your skin every day is the best way to purify and mattify your face naturally.
Avoid tobacco and alcohol: Tobacco and alcohol have harmful effects on the skin and should be avoided.
Learn to control your emotions: stress and annoyance can cause a rise in body temperature and encourage a peak in seborrhoea.

Before applying make-up to your skin, always start by cleansing and then moisturising. These two steps prepare your skin and provide a base for applying make-up and improving its hold.

For oily skin, always use non-comedogenic products and opt for light, non-greasy textures with a matte finish. Choose a tinted emulsion foundation if you're looking for a healthy glow effect, or a fluid foundation to correct imperfections.

Discover the facial cleansers in the Sébium BIODERMA range, specially designed for oily skin:
H2O Micellar Water : purifies and cleanses the skin, removing impurities and make-up.

Foaming gel : a gentle, purifying cleanser that visibly reduces excessive shine.