Have Oily Skin? Stop using These 9 Beauty Ingredients!

Do you always struggle to find that ‘perfect’ face wash for oily skin (or any other skincare product for your oily skin?

Choosing the right skincare products for oily skin is always a mind-boggling task and you often end up buying the wrong products for your skin type. In reality, it is not the right skincare product for oily skin but the ingredients that can be a game changer in taking care of your oily skin.

The right ingredients can help to balance the oil levels and keep acne breakouts away. And, the harmful ingredients can exacerbate can lead to excess oil production causing skin irritation and redness.

Let's have a look at the 9 ingredients that you should avoid altogether if you have oily skin:

• 1. Ingredients that strip off natural oils from the skin
• 2. Face oils with high oleic acid content
• 3. Occlusive emollients
• 4. Isopropyl myristate
• 5. Harsh physical scrubs
• 6. Artificial dyes
• 7. Fragrance
• 8. Pomade
• 9. Algae Extract
• Skin care tips for oily skin
• FAQs

1. Ingredients that strip off natural oils from the skin

Often the ingredients that strip natural oils from the skin are included in the face toners, these are majorly alcohols. But it never meant that you must not use face toners, you can opt for that toner for oily skin that can help to reduce excess oil and cleanse deeply.

Some of the most common ingredients that strip off natural oils from your skin include:

• Alcohol including SD Alcohol 40, Denatured Alcohol, Ethanol and Isopropyl Alcohol
• Sodium lauryl or Laureth Sulphate

These harsh ingredients, if used for a long time, can disrupt skin barrier function, making it hard to retain moisture and also causing inflammation and irritation. This can worsen the overall condition of your skin making it extremely dry and tight.

But don’t worry you can use top home remedies to treat dry skin patches to get rid of dry skin patches.

To reduce the harmful effects of alcohol and alcohol-based products, always opt for alcohol-free toners enriched with natural ingredients such as Witch hazel, Green tea, Cucumber and Rosewater (to name a few!).

2. Face oils with high oleic acid

Natural face oils are commonly used, but they don't always work for everyone. They can be beneficial for dry skin type folks but they are comedogenic and tend to clog pores if you have oily skin and large open pores on your face.

Know- “Why do dermatologists suggest non-comedogenic products?”

Often, the natural oils with a higher oleic acid content tend to sit on top of the skin, making oily skin appear greasier. Therefore, the following face oils with higher oleic acid content should be avoided:

• Coconut oil
  
• Hazelnut oil
  
• Camellia oil
  
• Sunflower oil

Instead, reach for oils with a higher linoleic content such as Rosehip oil, Evening primrose oil, Moroccan oil, Hemp seed oil and Grapeseed oil.

3. Occlusive emollients

Occlusive emollients are moisturizers that form a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent excessive moisture loss from evaporation. They are proven to be the best for dry skin, but these face creams for oily skin can be too heavy, greasy and sticky. If your skin seems dry and damaged, check out how to moisturize your skin.

The major occlusive emollients which are not good for people with oily skin are Paraffin, Mineral oils, Lanolin acids, Petroleum or petroleum jelly, Beeswax, Vegetable and other waxes. If you have an oily skin type or acne-prone skin, a gel-based, light moisturizer for oily skin should be used instead of an occlusive emollient.

4. Isopropyl Myristate

Isopropyl Myristate is an ingredient commonly used to create a soothing and softening effect on the skin. But, its repeated use can trigger skin irritation and inflammation. It can also be comedogenic and likely to cause acne and pimples.

It is advised to avoid using skincare products with isopropyl myristate and its derivatives. Some of the common results of isopropyl myristate are:

• Isopropyl palmitate and isostearate
• Butyl stearate
• Isostearyl neopentanoate
• Myristyl myristate
• Decyl oleate
• Octyl stearate and palmitate
• Isocetyl stearate

5. Harsh physical scrubs

Gentle exfoliation when done two to three times a week is useful and essential to remove dead skin cells buildup from the face but over-exfoliation can damage the moisture barrier and skin irritation. Harsh scrubs make the skin more prone to sensitivity and dryness. Overdried skin overcompensates and creates more oil in the sebaceous glands, causing increased chances of acne breakouts.

So, avoid harsh physical scrubs and use gentle circular motions which exfoliate deeply to give you clean and smoother skin. Always make sure to choose products that contain Beta hydroxy acids (BHA) like salicylic acids, highly effective for your oily skin.

6. Artificial dyes

Artificial dyes are often used in coloured beauty products such as lipsticks and blushers. These synthetic dyes are made from petroleum and coal tar. A recent study found that artificial dyes can cause acne breakouts, acne scars and comedones in the cheek area.

The most common artificial dyes which are harmful to oily skin are Xanthenes, Monoazoanilines, Fluorans and Indigoids. So, try to avoid skincare and beauty products containing these dyes and always go for the best skincare products to keep your skin healthy.

7. Fragrances

Artificial fragrances are often added for masking unpleasant smells and make the product fragrant. It turns out that artificial fragrances can cause irritation, allergies, sensitivities, acne, eczema, psoriasis and itchy skin. If you ever feel like you have itchy skin, follow excellent home remedies for itching on the face, these are pretty helpful.

So, always select skincare and beauty products that are fragrance-free or contain mild fragrances.

8. Pomade

In the hairstyling world, this substance is in great demand. But, you might wonder, what is its relation with people having oily skin? Haircare has a significant association with skin care.

In actuality, pomade is a water-based, greasy and waxy substance, prepared with a mixture of many ingredients including alcohol and certain pore-clogging oils. These ingredients along with their waxy texture tend to block the open pores that make the suitable environment for acne.

You can get moderate to severe forehead acne with the intense use of hair products like this. So, it is better to avoid using such products for better scalp and skin health.

9. Algae Extract

Algae extract is used in certain makeup products, including concealers. It is said that it helps control sebum production, but do you know it comes in pore-clogging ingredients?

Algae extract is a comedogenic ingredient. Due to this, this ingredient can be proven to be harmful for acne-prone skin. Therefore, people with oily skin should avoid cosmetics that contain algae extract.

While avoiding these skincare ingredients, you must follow some skin care tips which may help to reduce acne breakouts:

Skin care tips for oily skin

While avoiding these skincare ingredients, you must follow some skin care tips which may help to reduce acne breakouts:

• Switch to an oil-free mattifying moisturizer to limit the oily greasy feel on the face.
• An oil-free gel-based sunscreen for oily skin with at least SPF 50 is a perfect sun protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Just make sure to apply the sunscreen in the right way for the best results.
• Products with salicylic acid, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid are the best bet for taking care of oily skin. I simply love the face serum for oily skin with Niacinamide that seeps into the skin layers to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, and works on acne and acne scars too.
• Be sure to buy skincare products as per your skin type and skin concern. You can also try and explore our skin analysis as per your concern.
• Stay your stress levels in check, as stress can trigger increased oil production. Know about how stress affects our skin

To sum up…

Now that you have gone through the list of harmful ingredients, you can easily pick the best non-comedogenic skincare products with the right ingredients just by reading through the product packaging. So, next time you are shopping for skincare products, take a look at the ingredient list thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q. How to get rid of oily skin?

You can improve the appearance of oily skin through simple habits like washing the face with a gentle cleanser twice a day; exfoliating the skin with an exfoliator, such as salicylic acid weekly to remove excess oil, dirt build-up, using non-comedogenic moisturizer; a healthy diet intake; reducing stress; etc. To know about the products in deep, give a quick read to this article on 'Skin Care Routine For Oily Skin'.

Q. How to remove oily skin naturally?

Ans. To manage excess oil production naturally, the use of common household ingredients, like honey, oatmeal, egg whites and lemon masks, aloe vera, and tomatoes can be helpful.

Q. Which moisturizer is best for oily skin?

Ans. Oily skin needs moisturization to regulate sebum production in the skin. A lightweight, non-comedogenic (which does not clog the skin pores) and gel-based, oil free moisturizer with gentle skincare ingredients like aloe vera can limit the oily shine, hydrate the skin and keep the skin healthy. You can follow with a gel sunscreen for protection from UV rays.

Q. What skincare ingredients are harmful for oily skin?

Ans. Skincare products or any other home-based remedies that feel heavy, greasy and sticky should not be applied on oily skin. It will clog pores and cause acne breakouts and blemished skin. These ingredients include coconut oils, petroleum jelly, wax, and alcohol-based products.

Q. What foods to avoid if you have oily skin?

Ans. If you have oily skin, you should avoid certain foods such as yolk of the egg, red meat, junk food, oily food and dairy products.

Q. Does oily skin needs toner?

Ans. Yes, people with oily skin must use toner as it helps in maintaining skin pH, controls sebum and tightens the pores. This way your skin can feel light and oil-free for a very long time. You can also use blotting papers to remove excess oil through the day.