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The male skin is thicker than women’s. It is stronger and has more hair follicles. Furthermore, due to higher androgens, the sebaceous glands are more stimulated. As a result, men’s skin tends to be oilier or produce a greater amount of dead cells.
In this article, we’ll see what oily skin is and some easy solutions that can improve your man’s (or your) oily skin.
What Is Oily Skin?
Many men think they naturally have oily skin. In reality, however, they are just using the wrong skincare products. Before you self-diagnose yourself as a type with oily skin, first check whether you are not possible using products for dry skin.
Oily skin is characterized by open pores and a shiny complexion. Sounds like the skin of most of the men we know. And there is a reason: Men are prone to oily skin because they have thicker skin with larger pores to absorb impurities.
The main characteristics of oily skin are: a shiny face, large pores, and blackheads on the chin and nose. But don’t panic, because, with the right tips, oily skin can be treated very effectively.
Why Do Men Get Oily Skin?
There are several reasons men are prone to oily skin. Mainly, this is due to the hormones and the nature of the skin.
Male skin produces more sebum and collagen, so men sometimes look a little “oily” on their faces. Sebum is the oily substance that is produced by our sebum glands.
It serves as a waterproof layer on the surface of the skin and thus has a protective function. However, if too much of it is produced, it can also clog your pores.
What Makes the Symptoms of Oily Skin Fierce?
Excessive cleaning can upset the skin balance. With excessive cleansing, the body thinks that more fat needs to be produced to stay hydrated. This doesn’t look good to you in the end. It is best to limit cleaning to once or twice a day.
A man’s face should be washed thoroughly at least once in the morning and, even better, a second time in the evening. Of course, this does not automatically apply to every man – after all, not everyone has the same skin type.
Nevertheless, against skin blemishes and pimples, washing is often the best method. If you wash your face in the shower, for example, you should ideally use a face wash gel to gently and thoroughly remove dirt residues and sweat.
However, if you always shower in the evening, it certainly can’t hurt to wash the sleep out of your eyes in the morning. This helps you to start the day much fresher and livelier.
Stress can also contribute to making oily skin worse. When stressed, the levels of cortisol in the body rise, which leads to more fat being produced.
Simple lifestyle changes like a long weekend walk and a cup of chamomile tea before bed can go a long way in restoring normalcy.
What Are the Various Treatments for Men’s Oily Skin?
Below are seven ways to improve men’s overly oily skin.
1. Thoroughly Cleaning to Effectively Improve Your Oily Skin
The first thing for men with oily skin to do is to cleanse thoroughly. This is also the first step in skincare generally.
Choose a cleanser that can thoroughly clean the excess oil and dirt on the face, especially after going out or exercising.
If it is convenient for you, you can also take oil-controlling blotting paper with you.
For men with oily skin, it is necessary to focus on cleaning the face area. The face region is the “severe disaster area” that produces oily stains.
When washing your face every day, you should use cleansing products to focus on the forehead, both sides of the nose, and chin.
Do some gentle massage in a rotating manner from bottom to top, from the inside to the outside, especially in areas with large pores. A deeper massage will help lure out the oil. Then wash it off with clean water.
2. Exfoliate the Skin to Improve Oily Skin
For most men, oily skin means nothing is applied after washing the face. After 15 minutes, there is no tightness on the face. After one hour, the oil begins coming up. Then the facial oil can be absorbed with oil-absorbing paper.
However, it is also recommended that you sprinkle some salt on your facial cleanser. Then wash your face twice a week with it. This is good for the exfoliation of facial skin.
Any man could use a facial scrub about three times a month. The purpose of exfoliation is to remove dead skin cells while ensuring blood circulation.
However, there are different types of exfoliation: mechanical exfoliation, fruit acid exfoliation, and enzymatic exfoliation. If in doubt, let your dermatologist advise you which method is most suitable for you.
The mechanical exfoliation works with the use of small particles that act like fine sandpaper. It rubs off the skin and should therefore not be used too often.
Otherwise, the natural protective barrier of the skin may be damaged and pimples or dry spots will become noticeable. Mechanical exfoliation should therefore be avoided at all costs on oily or acne-prone skin.
The fruit acid exfoliation stimulates microcirculation and battles dead skin cells. These dissolve after a short exposure time without rubbing and a well-perfused, radiant, fresh complexion emerges.
To be on the safe side, we recommend having this type of exfoliation carried out in a cosmetic studio. You may also consult a dermatologist before the first application, as the acidity should be adjusted individually.
During enzyme exfoliation, enzymes break down the protein building blocks of the skin – dead skin cells are loosened.
After a short exposure time, the excess flakes can simply be washed off. Enzymatic exfoliation is very suitable for sensitive or very blemished skin, as they are even and effective. But at the same time, they are very gentle – they are limited to the surface of the skin.
3. Conditioning and Tightening the Pores
After washing the face, the man’s skin will be in a state where water is easy to evaporate and is unprotected. Use conditioning/firming lotion) to shrink the pores of the face so that there will be no excess secretion of oil.
Firming lotion or cream can penetrate the inside to make the skin plump, avoid evaporation of water, instantly constrict sebum secretion, make the skin less likely to shine, and can also prevent pimples.
If you usually have acne-prone skin, you can also use deep conditioning lotion containing antiseptic and astringent ingredients to make your skin healthier.
Firming lotion can help remove residual oil on the epidermis, tighten pores and keep the pH of the skin weakly acidic. Some firming lotions also have moisturizing factors to make the skin soft. It feels very comfortable to use after cleansing and shaving.
4. Drink Plenty of Water and Moisturize
You can also drink plenty of water to balance the water and oil of the skin. This also inhibits the secretion of oil. Doing a deep cleansing and oil control mask twice a week is also good for improving oily skin!
Another option is to choose oil-free skincare products for men in summer. Examples of these are refreshing and oil-free face moisturizing formula or gel.
Oily skin needs more moisture than oil, so it can moderately replenish skin moisture without increasing the burden of oil.
Moisturizing and not over-moisturizing is ideal for men who are using these types of skincare products. In addition to passively avoiding oily skincare products, you can also actively use skincare products that inhibit oil secretion to achieve a 100% oil-control effect.
5. Use a Mask
Most men feel that masking is for women and gruntle at the idea of applying masks. However, using a mask can remove excess sebum and dirt and can make men’s skin refreshed and comfortable. Especially for oily skin, the mask not only helps to remove acne around the pores but is also effective in preventing pimples.
6. Have a Regular Life
To thoroughly and effectively control the amount of oil on the face, one of the most fundamental methods is to live a regular life, have an appropriate diet control, such as not staying up late, reducing the intake of fried foods, high-fat foods, and exercising more.
Also, smoking is a big killer of the skin. If you don’t want your skin to be dehydrated, have large pores, and excessive oil secretion, then you have to always try as much as possible to smoke less!
It’s only by taking care of the skin can you have normal circulatory metabolism, and then have fresh, non-greasy skin.
7. Stop Taking Betel Nut
Although eating betel nut occasionally has certain benefits to the body, eating betel nut does more harm than good. Betel nuts are not recommended for people with oily skin. We recommend that you don’t even eat betel nut occasionally. Betel nut stimulates the body’s endocrine system and increases facial oil secretion. So, to improve oily skin, it is necessary to abstain from betel nut.
Final Thoughts
Skincare is not limited to women. In fact, due to the nature of their skin, men need skincare solutions and routines than women. Men’s skin tend to produce more androgen, and, therefore, sebum than women’s. For this reason, it develops disorders more frequently.
These can include seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory disease that occurs in areas rich in sebaceous glands. The symptoms can include redness, skin flaking, and itching.
When buying skincare products, you must choose a facial cleanser that has a great moisturizing effect. Only when the skin is full of moisture can it prevent the skin from oiling. Also, ensure you exfoliate appropriately, live and exercise right, watch what you drink, eat, and smoke.