Because of all the questions she gets about the potential downsides of moisturizing oily skin, Heather, the regional director of our SWFL signature locations, decided to share some important info on caring for oily skin.

Being in the beauty industry, I tend to hear a lot of "dos" and "don'ts" associated with every aspect of our skin health (from internal to external).  Sadly, a lot of these "don’ts" tend to come from someone who is using the wrong products for their unique skin type.

With summer knocking at our doors and the temperatures heating up, I have been getting asked this question a lot lately —

"Should I still moisturize if my skin is oily?"

I hear this statement often: “I've been told that I should never use moisturizer if I have oily skin because the oil is enough.”

First things first - oil is oil, not a moisturizer! Oily skin is the consequence of over-worked sebaceous glands. When they are over-worked, they expand, and oil appears, causing shiny skin. Some people try and correct oily skin by drying it out through wiping or spritzing it with drying agents - STOP IT!

This is only going to make it worse. When skin is dry, it produces more oil to compensate, causing more shine rather than making it disappear.  If you want to try and correct the shine, start with a regular face cleansing routine using a mild facial cleanser (but no more than twice daily; this will help prevent unnecessary stripping and drying of the skin). When choosing the proper facial cleanser for oily skin, you should look for one free of additives, fragrances, moisturizers, etc. We recommend Kay's Cleansing Gel.

After creating a regular cleansing routine with a simple cleanser, you are going to see that adding in a moisturizer is necessary for oily skin. A daily moisturizer helps to create a natural barrier against outer influences such as heat, sunlight, dust, pollution, etc. and helps to control the production of oils. These outer influences (especially dust and pollution) can also mix with your natural oils and cause bacteria to grow in your pores, which will result in black heads or zits.  

Most moisturizers will also provide you with anti-pigments, which are line preventing and firming functions causing the moisturizer to be virtually necessary to fight off and prevent premature aging. When picking a good moisturizer for oily or shiny skin you are going to want to be attentive to ones labeled oil free and noncomedogenic, such as Kay's Moisturizer with Phyto-moisture.

Start with these few easy steps and your skin will be on the road to good health and a radiant glow(not shine)!