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Using absorption paper to absorb the oil, frequently washing your face, reducing the use of skincare products due to fear of producing more sebum – these are some of the most common myths of oily skin and oil control. They are methods that set the skin layers on your oily face on an even more vicious cycle. In this article, we’ll tell you some of the wrong notions you have about oil control so that you can start caring for your skin properly.
The Most Common Oily Skin Misconceptions
Below, we’ll bust some of the most common misconceptions about large pores, the oily skin care routines and tell you how you should be doing them right.
1. The Enlarged Pores Become More Obvious Because Of Oily Skin
There are two reasons for having enlarged pores. One is that the skin is excessively oily, and the pores are blocked and enlarged.
The other is that the skin is aging and loose, and the pores will look very obvious.
If it is a sagging pore, the problem will persist in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. On the contrary, the skin will be drier in winter, and the pores will become more visible.
Therefore, if it is wintertime, you must start with strengthening skin elasticity and anti-aging care. The skin on both sides of the nose is the most prone to sagging and aging pores.
For this area, use anti-aging firming essence to apply a lifting technique, and then flick this area with the belly of your fingers to increase the skin’s momentum and prevent sagging skin.
For young people with large pores and oily skin, cleansing and oil control should be the main focus. Preferably, a clay-based cleansing mask should be used.
Before the mask, you can also use cleansing oil to massage the large pores and acne-prone areas, which can help dissolve the pores. Because of grease and dirt, the cleansing oil must be rinsed with warm water and then cleaned with a facial cleanser for a second time.
The cleansing powder containing enzymes has the effect of dissolving oil and keratin in the pores. Oil control products can be applied to areas with large pores. But be careful; oil control products do not necessarily need to be used on the whole face.
Rubbing oil control products on the entire face, including the cheeks, can easily cause excessive dryness and itching. So, if it is in winter, it should be avoided.
2. Oil-Control Can Make Pores Smaller
Oil control can only reduce the secretion of oil in the pores in a short time. It cannot improve the appearance of the pores.
Only after the skin is full of moisture, collagen, and becomes plump can the previous pores become visually invisible.
Moisturizing masks and moisturizing gels are essential products for pore problems in winter. In winter, the skin also needs a lot of oil to keep moisture, so just using hydrating gel is not enough.
The hydrating gel can be used after a moisturizing cream as the last step to build a moisture protective film for the skin. It is also necessary to supplement with collagen, especially in winter.
3. Using Pore-Reducing Essence Can Make Enlarged Pores Smaller Again
Thinking that the pores can be reduced through skincare products is a beautiful fantasy. Once the pores are expanded, there is no way to retract them.
Some essences on the market that claim to reduce pores actually treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. They can only make the pores visually inconspicuous as if they are shrinking.
At the same time, they have an oil control effect, making the local skin smoother and more delicate. This kind of product is not unusable, but don’t expect too much from them. Using it before applying makeup can prevent partial makeup.
4. Controlling Oil Volume Is the Most Important Thing
Excessive oil control for a long time will cause the skin’s resistance to decrease, and the skin will become rough.
When choosing oil-control skincare products, be careful with oil-controlling ingredients such as zinc sulfate, aluminum chloride, alcohol, and peppermint. The former acts on keratin, which temporarily solidifies and blocks the oil pores. It, therefore, makes the pores become thinner instantly instead of controlling the oil. It will only make the skin worse after long-term use.
Peppermint is for dissolving epidermal oil and cooling the skin. It is not an effective oil control method. It also makes the skin sensitive. The actual reduction of oil is by regulating oil secretion.
5. Use Absorption Paper to Absorb Oil As Soon As They Appear
Frequent use of oil absorption paper will cause the skin to receive a signal of “oil shortage,” which will stimulate the skin to produce even more oil.
The oil secreted by the sebaceous glands is mainly controlled by hormones in the body and has nothing to do with oil control products and oil-absorbing paper.
Frequent oil absorption may decrease the skin’s resistance. So, be careful when using oil-absorbing paper. Also, do not pull the skin along. Try to use light pressure.
Moreover, some sunscreens are oil-soluble and can easily be taken away by the oil-absorbing paper. After using it, you can choose loose powder or light sunscreen with sun protection value, which can reduce the appearance of shiny skin again.
6. Washing My Face Frequently Can Help Clean the Pores
If you wash your face too often, it is easy to disrupt the cycle of oil production. An appropriate amount of oil protects the skin from being penetrated by external stimulating substances, causing it damage.
When you wash your face frequently – for example, up to 4 times during the day – you may feel clean, and the oil production may stop immediately, but you may cause damage to the skin. The skin will be forced to send out more oil as soon as it detects dryness.
7. When I Get Old, the Secretion of Oil Will Decrease
The pore structure itself is not flexible. When there is too much oil accumulation in the hair follicle channel for a long time, it will cause the hair follicle channel to expand for a long time.
At this time, even if the oil secretion is reduced, the hair follicle channel will not return to its original shape.
At the same time, as age increases, the fibrous structure of the dermis will gradually lose its elasticity, resulting in a sharp drop in the external pressure of the hair follicle channel. This will aggravate the problem of enlarged pores. Therefore, large pores in oily or combination skin cannot be ignored and should be appropriately managed.
8. Using Firming Lotion Can Shrink Pores
It is not enough to use firming lotion. Only by starting with the causes of large pores, inhibiting the secretion of oil from the root, and dredging the hair follicle passage can the result be twice the effort.
9. Night Creams Are Usually Very Oily and Are Not Suitable For Oily or Combination Skin
This is a misconception. Studies have found that the sebaceous glands are more active at night. Therefore, oily or combination skins especially need special night skincare products to more effectively inhibit oil secretion. These will reduce skin shine during the day and effectively alleviate skin problems such as acne, oiliness, and enlarged pores.
10. Oily Skin Produces More Oil During The Day, So Pay More Attention To Oil Control During The Day
This doesn’t seem right. The sebaceous glands secrete the oily surface of the skin during the day at night. Therefore, targeted care at night can more effectively control the shine of the skin during the day.
11. Washing The Face With Hot Water Helps Rid The Oil
Washing the face with cold water may cause the pores to shrink and block. However, the consequences of washing the face with overheated water may be more serious. When the skin is stimulated by hot water, the capillaries of the epidermis will expand rapidly, causing the skin and pores to become loose and prone to wrinkles. The correct method is to use water close to the skin temperature when washing your face; 37 °C is the best.
12. Using Weakly Alkaline Cleansing Products Help
The use of weakly alkaline cleansing products seems to remove the oil on the face thoroughly. However, because the cell environment of the human body is weakly acidic, the skin will look very bad after using weakly alkaline products.
If used for a long time, it will also cause wrinkles to appear on the skin. The correct method is to use a mildly acidic cleansing product that is similar to the pH of the skin.
Conclusion
Absorbent paper used at all time will only stimulate the secretion of oil. Washing the face frequently may make you feel clean, but it damages the skin.
The most annoying thing in summer is having oily facial skin. Your skin tends to get oily and oilier due to lack of hydration, lack of or over-cleansing, and lack of sun protection.
The key to oil control is adequate moisturizing. Cleaning helps to clear the pores and better deliver moisture to the skin. If you want to say goodbye to oil, start with the basic skincare routine. Recognize the wrong ways you’ve been doing it all wrong, and your facial skin should return to normalcy soon.
