Oily skin resists the signs of aging longer, but excess oil can affect skin health. Many people think that their skin is oily, when it shows only some of the signs. Therapists often have a difficult job convincing a client that over-cleaning or exfoliating their skin is not the best approach.

Diagnosis

The good microbes on your skin consume excess oil so these beneficial bacteria need to be nurtured. Here are some of the symptoms to look out for in genuinely oily skin.

Slight thickening of the skin with open pores
Does not hold makeup well
Comedones (pimples)
Excessive sebaceous secretions
Tendency to stains and congestion
Possible causes

Here are some of the factors that may be contributing to your skin’s excess oil production:

A change to a humid environment or seasonal change
Decrease in the microbial population of the skin
High androgen levels
Medications containing steroids
The petrochemicals in the conventional products you use may be interfering with the oil balance in your skin.
Excessive cleaning with high pH cleaners that peel or irritate, causing the skin to overproduce sebum
Using conventional topical acne treatments that temporarily dry the skin’s surface
Lifestyle recommendations

Here are some suggestions for lifestyle changes that should have a balancing effect on your skin.

Maintain acid mantle – use pH balanced products (4.5 to 5) and avoid excessive sun exposure
Avoid peeling or excessively cleaning the skin of natural barriers; so avoid products containing alcohol or harsh detergents
Make sure you drink at least 250 ml of water per day for every 10 kg of body mass, eg. if you weigh 60 kg, then you need to drink 1.5 liters per day
Some types of birth control pills use high levels of androgens and alternative estrogen-based pills may be worth investigating