How does Summer affect your Oily Skin?

Are you concerned about your oily skin?

It’s summer time already! Time to say goodbye to all the heavy winter woes, blankets and heaters and heavy skincare products. Hello Sunshine, mangoes, watermelon and cool drinks! A time to step away from the winter hibernation, to a more active lifestyle.

While summer appears to be all Happiness and Sunshine, there is a downside to it, especially for people with oily skin. Believe it or not, all the heat makes the oily skin oilier. Heck, summers can turn a dry or a normal skin, oily as well. That is how potent an effect heat can have on the skin.

Let us understand why the skin is oilier in the summer. Our body is covered with sebaceous glands except for palms of your hands and soles of feet. Some parts of the body may have a lesser concentration of the gland whereas Face and Scalp have the maximum concentration of it. The function of the sebaceous gland is to produce sebum, which is a group of complex oils including fatty acids, squalene etc. Sebum moisturizes, coats and protects the skin.

The heat stimulates the sebaceous glands, encouraging it to secrete more sebum. Also, drier the skin, more would be the production of sebum as the skin seeks its protective coat of moisture.

One should know that what we refer to as “oil” on our skin is actually made up of not just sebum but dead skin cells, dirt, sweat and tiny particles of whatever is in the air around us.

This “oil” blocks the pore leading to breakout of acne and comedones. Summertime actually spells Depression for some people as they are left trying to fight the oiliness, shine and the break outs, rather than enjoy the easy breezy lazy summer days.

Not all is lost though. A positive note for people with Oily skin - While you may absolutely hate your Skin In Summers, do bear in mind that people with oily skin age at a lesser rate, show wrinkles and crow feet much later and look younger for longer, than people with normal or dry skin.

Well while we cannot stop the skin from producing more oil in summers, we can certainly apprise you of some good skin care practices like making a natural face pack with Multani mitti, milk and turmeric which might help to control and lessen the amount of oil being secreted by the glands.

Drink Up!

This does not sound like a skin care secret but looks like a health tip. Here is where you are wrong. We cannot stress enough on drinking an adequate amount of water every day, day after day. One of the major causes of lack of moisture in the skin is dehydration. To maintain moisture and elasticity, flush out harmful toxins and regenerate dead skin cells, the skin requires enough water. 

Cleanse Wisely and Exfoliate

It is important to cleanse the face twice a day. While it may be tempting to wash more than twice, do not overdo cleansing as it can lead to overproduction of sebum oil. Sebum oil is generated by the skin to hydrate it. Repeated cleansing can rob the skin of hydration sending the signal to the glands to produce more serum in order to lubricate the skin

Exfoliation is extremely essential to deep cleanse and get rid of dirt, dead skin and oil. Use natural products like oatmeal which can absorb extra oil and calm inflamed skin. When we talk about exfoliate Multani Mitti also works well to  removing dead cells from the surface of the skin. Stick to exfoliating two-three times a week as excess of it may actually rob the skin of essential hydration.

Tip: Use Multani Mitti as a gentle scrub by mixing it with orange peel powder or powdered oats.  

Luke warm water…..you got to be kidding me!

No, we kid you not. Cleaning the face with Lukewarm water helps to draw out the dirt and pollution blocking the pores, much better than normal or cold water. It can be followed by splashes of cold water which help to constrict the capillaries and reduce the size of pore

Hands Off and Tone It!

Do not touch your face as it can transfer additional dirt, oil and germs, blocking the pores and making the skin prone to a break out. Scalp also generates excess oil in summers, making the hair oily and these needs to be pulled away from the face.

While toning should be a part of your Skin Care Routine, it is a must in summers for oily skin. The astringent properties of the toner shrink open pores and soothe and cool the skin.

Moisturize

Moisturizers are not just for winters but are required all year round. Even though it sounds counterintuitive, summer also demands skin to be moisturized even if the skin is oily. If the skin is dry, it sends signals to the sebaceous glands to produce more oils to protect the skin. You can shift to water-based moisturizers to keep it light or try honey which is a natural humectant and keeps the skin moist but not oily.

Keep it cool and Mud it

Using natural products that are cooling in their nature, can help in reducing the heat. Some great examples are Aloe Vera gel, Multani Mitti (Multani mitti also called fuller’s earth or mud of Multan), Cucumber face packs, Saffron ubtans, Rose Face mist, ice massage etc. This can greatly help to control the sebum oil being produced by sebaceous glands.

‘Fuller’s Earth” Face Pack or more popularly known as Multani mitti, can help to absorb the extra oil along with dirt and pollution from deep within the pores.  Apply Multani mitti only about twice a week else it can have a drying effect.

(Multani mitti is known for blanching oil and other liquids without harsh adverse reactions. Use face pack with multani mitti, milk and turmeric twice in a week)

Watch what you eat!

They say you are what you eat. Eating healthy will reflect on your skin. Opt for foods with Vitamin A, C, D and high-water content in summer and avoid oily food.

Avoid the sun at peak hours

The Sun has adverse effects on the skin and can dehydrate it, again encouraging the production of sebum. Sunscreen is required all year round. Go for a water-based sunscreen rather than an oil based one. Intensive heat of sun and rays make our skin look dull and tanned. Multani Mitti is very useful for reducing tanning and dullness.

Blotting paper

Since you shouldn’t be cleansing your face more than twice a day, blotting paper comes to the rescue to keep the oil and shine away just like Multani mitti does. You can use this to soak up the additional oil while at work or on the go. But like all beauty regimes, do not overdo it.

Keep it natural

Dial down the makeup in Summer. Makeup can easily clog up the pores. They are especially worse if left overnight and the face is not bereft of makeup before you sleep. Healthy skin is makeup in itself. Try to keep it natural (Like Mulltani Mitti, aloe Vera etc.)or opt for lighter products which can help you achieve a fresh dewy summery look like Face Serums.

Recommended Products by Blue Nectar:

Shubhr Turmeric Star Anise Ubtan Face Pack & Mask for Glowing Skin & Tan removal

Shubhr Volcanic Clay Face Mask with Green Tea Deep Cleansing Face Pack for Glowing Skin