Oily Skin
Oily skin is a condition where your sebaceous glands produce too much oil and makes your skin shiny.
Oily skin is natural and people of all ages can be affected by it. Some people have oily skin from birth which can become a bigger problem later in life.
Oily skin signs and symptoms:
People who have oily skin will find it to be most obvious on their face, head, neck, chest and back. These are the areas of the body that have the most sebaceous glands so they produce the most oil.
If you suffer from oily skin it sits on the outer layer and makes it appear shiny or greasy.
Lifestyle tips:
Your skin type can be naturally oily but there are also certain environmental factors which are making your skin worse.
Overusing products is one of the biggest factors that causes your skin to produce too much oil. Many people scrub their skin too hard or over exfoliate. This strips back the outer layer of skin that sends alarms signals to the cells and glands which increase oil production for protection.
Extreme changes to temperature can also affect the amount of oil your skin produces. When the climate warms up, the heat causes you to sweat as your skin cool itself. This increases the amount of oil on your skin surface, leading to blocked pores and breakouts when it dries.
Diet tips:
Oily skin can be made worse by a bad diet which contains saturated fats, trans fats and sugar.
If you suffer from oily skin, it’s important to eat a varied diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and vitamin D. This combination of antioxidants promotes healthy skin and helps your skin repair itself after damage.
Omega-3 is very good for preventing inflammation so it can help to prevent your pores becoming clogged up when your skin has excessive oil. Oily fish, like salmon or mackerel, nuts and seeds are rich in omega-3 so include them regularly in your diet.
Foods like beef, spinach and beans are packed with zinc that helps skin cells reproduce and redevelop and reduces the amount of oil they need to create
Vitamin D is mostly found in eggs, fortified cereals and fortified fat spreads. This is the vitamin which helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and helps your skin and bones to stay generally healthy.
Akoma recommends:
Oily skin should be treated with natural products that won’t clog your pores or encourage them to produce more oil.
For bathing or washing, use Akoma Black Soap as a natural cleanser which won’t dry out the skin. It’s made from raw shea butter, organic virgin coconut oil and cocoa pods that gently treats oily patches.
Black soap is also rich in antioxidants that improve the general health of your skin, helping it recover from breakouts if your pores get clogged.