What Can Cause Overproduction of Oil in Your Skin

Dealing with a radiant complexion that, despite your best efforts, seems to persist no matter what you do? Perhaps your sebaceous glands are working at full capacity and producing excess oil. What exactly could cause this to happen? Well, it's hard to say. There are many factors that can be to blame for your overly shiny T-zone. Below we break down a few potential culprits. 

5 possible causes of oily skin

So, no matter how much you wash it, it seems greasy with an unwanted sheen. What gives? Consider the potential causes below to understand what might be going on behind the scenes. The better you understand your complexion, the easier it will be to find a solution for your finicky skin. 

1. Stress

Was work insanely busy? Or maybe you're planning a wedding or going through a breakup. Be that as it may, this stress can rear its ugly head in your face. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, when you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, a stress hormone that can cause your skin to produce more sebum. To relieve stress, light a candle, throw a bomb in the bath and calm down after a long day to calm your nerves and relax. If a bath isn't your thing, sign up for a yoga class or meditate cross-legged on the living room floor to clear your mind and release any tension you've been feeling. It can pay off handsomely in the appearance of your skin!

2. You're Not Hydrating Enough

This one is double. You can hydrate by drinking the recommended amount of water per day, as well as moisturizing your skin daily. If you don't provide your body with enough fluid, it will think it needs to compensate for this loss of moisture by increasing the amount of oil. Ouch! To avoid over-oiling your skin, be sure to drink plenty of water and use a moisturizer like L'Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care to quench your skin's thirst. 

3. You're using the wrong skin care products.

Of course, there are many skin care products on the market that promise amazing results, but the secret to actually achieving these goals lies in choosing products designed specifically for your skin type. For oily skin, this means you should look for products that are, to begin with, oil-free and, if blemishes are a concern, non-comedogenic. It's also a good idea to pay attention to the thickness of the formula. The oilier your skin, the lighter your products you can use; conversely, the drier your skin, the heavier your products should be. 

4. You wash your face too often.

Here's the scenario: You wash your face in the morning and evening, but then you notice that the oil has penetrated your skin before the clock strikes noon, so you want to wash your face again as soon as possible. Stop on your way. As much as you'd like to wash your face in hopes of ridding your complexion of unwanted shine, when you wash your face too often, you can actually make your skin feel oily again. If you constantly wash away the natural oils from the skin, it will think it needs to produce even more, so the cycle continues. Stick to one quality cleanser designed for oily skin and use it morning and night.

So we know we told you to wash your face no more than twice a day, but the exception to the rule is if you're exercising. Swipe a cotton pad soaked in micellar water over your face to remove sweat and dirt that may have mixed into your post-workout day makeup. When you get home, you can continue with your regular nightly cleanse.

5. You're using the wrong moisturizer.

Many people mistakenly think that if their skin is oily, the last thing they should do is apply a moisturizing product to it. As you learned above, this is absolutely not the case. Without proper hydration habits, you can trick your skin into producing even more sebum. For this reason, it's incredibly important to find a quality moisturizer for your skin type. Instead of grabbing any old product, be sure to look for a lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer that will hydrate without adding shine. We especially love La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mattifying Moisturizer. A non-greasy, non-comedogenic mattifying facial moisturizer combats excess sebum to mattify the look of skin and shrink enlarged pores.  

If after reading and doing these techniques your skin is still as shiny as it can be, then you may be among those whose oily skin is actually hereditary, meaning it's just in your genes. While you can't change your genetics, you can still follow the rules of thumb above to help combat some of your oily effects for a more matte complexion. If that doesn't work, see a dermatologist for additional solutions.