How I Combat Oily Skin

It's in the genes! I can't help it. My dad has oily skin and that's where I get mine from. I've been told having oily skin is good because people with oily skin don't tend to wrinkle in old age and the skin has more elasticity to it. The down side to oily skin is blemishes, large pores and more thought into your skin care and makeup application routine as I have learned over the last few months.

Although I do not suffer from blemishes (had acne as a pre-teen), I have to put more thought into my skin care and makeup routine to keep the oil at bay throughout the day. I have come up with a skin care and makeup routine that seems to be working for me now. I'm noticing my pores appear smaller and I don't have to blot every other hour throughout the day which can be very annoying.

I would like to share both my skin care and makeup routine with you. If you have oily skin and have been looking for ways to combat it, the products I use may help you too. However, all skin is different and what works for me may not work for you. I encourage you to test certain products to see how your skin reacts. Soon, you'll find a routine you can be happy with just like I did.

Skin Care

I use the Clinque 3 step system faithfully twice a day. The 3 step system includes cleansing, toning, and using a gel based moisturizer. Using gel based or oil free products including makeup is key if you have oily skin. The Clinque brand can be found at department stores makeup counters. Each product within the 3 step system is sold separately. All together, the system retails for $30 to $60 depending on the size of each product you purchase.

My skin care routine also includes exfoliating and using a mask. I exfoliate at least 2 times a week and use a mask treatment maybe 3 times a month. The mask treatment varies depending on the condition of my skin. You will notice these two products are for blemish and acne control. This is OK. Most oil control products are designed specifically for blemish and acne control. It's the ingredients within these products that help control oil over time.

The exfoliator I use is by a company I'm sure you are all familiar with. The name of the company is St.Ives and I use their Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub. Tip: I also use this to exfoliate the dry skin on my lips.

The mask I use is by a company named Queen Helene. The product is their Mint Julep Masque. Amazingly, both of these products can be found at any drug store and retail for under $5.

Makeup Routine

I have finally found a foundation combination that works for me! This comes after wasting money on countless foundations and trying out numerous samples of face primers.

My foundation routine includes a combination of a drug store foundation brand and a high end foundation brand. The drug store foundation brand is Revlon Color Stay Liquid foundation for combination/oily skin. This foundation provides a medium to heavy coverage. I apply this foundation very lightly to my t-zone area only. This foundation feels like velvet and is not heavy. Foundations I've tried in the past (M.A.C) left my skin feeling cakey. This foundation goes on smooth and does not leave a noticeable film. The Revlon Color Stay liquid foundation can be found at any drug store and retails for about $11. My shade is caramel #400.

After applying the liquid foundation to my t-zone, I apply a power foundation over the liquid foundation and to the rest of my face. The powder foundation I use is by Makeup Forever. This high end makeup brand has been around for years and is highly respected in the makeup industry. The finish is in DUO MAT. This foundation and makeup brand can be found at Sephora and retails for about $30 bucks. My shade is #214. This powder foundation sets the liquid foundation and adds additional coverage while providing a matt finish which I LOVE!

Primers

Priming the fact before foundation application is important regardless of your skin type. A face primer evens out your skin tone, fills in lines and decreases the size of visible pores. Also priming the eyelids is key especially if you have oily eyelids. If you do not prime your lids before applying eyeshadow, your eyeshadow won't blend well and will crease throughout the day. This eyeshadow creased look is not good...trust me!

Once again, after trying out countless face and eyeshadow primers, I've found a combination that seems to be working very well.

For my face, I use Loreal's Studio Secrets Perfecting Base. This base/primer is the bomb! I love it! It beats out any other high end brand I've used in the past. What's best is that you can find this at any drug store for about $11. At first glance, you may think the product will go on heavy but it doesn't. The base keeps my foundation in place and combats the oil throughout the day.

The eyeshadow primer I use is by Urban Decay. It is their Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This eyeshadow primer is very popular. It does a good job at keeping my eyeshadow in place and will not allow the oil to crease the eyeshadow. This primer can be found at Ulta or Sephora and retails for about $19. Don't let the price sway you. It actually lasts a very long time because you don't need much at all.

You all know I love my eyeshadow, so to spend time perfecting my eyeshadow look to have it crease on me is not an option...lol

So ladies, this is it in a nut shell however, there are so many other aspects to think about when trying to combat oily skin. Increasing water intake and taking a colon cleanser has also improved my skin.

Let me know what you think!

Smooches my beauties!!!!!

Samani says hi!