5 Tips for Dealing With Oily Skin

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine.

I have a confession that I actually many people know about me: I have the world’s most oily skin. I promise you will not meet someone with more oily skin than me. Therefore, I consider myself very knowledgeable on what works and what doesn’t work for dealing with it. Seriously – I have tried everything that has ever claimed to help with oily skin. Many have not done a thing to help, but here is what has:

(1) Moisturize. I know a lot of people with oily skin think you should try to dry it out and that’s actually not true. I also know people with oily skin throw money away on matte primers that really do nothing for blocking oil. In my experience of trying every product made for oily skin, the best thing you can do is invest in a solid moisturizer. Seriously, if you use a quality moisturizer every day and night, your skin will not send those triggers to your brain telling it to create more oil to compensate for not having the moisture it needs. Well-moisturized skin is also a better base for makeup than any primer will ever be. My moisturizer of choice is the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. An independent Good Housekeeping study found that it outperformed 10 creams, including one with a $440 price tag—and only costs $26.99. It also does amazing things for plumping the skin and anti-aging which are things I think most oily-skinned women also care about. It is fast acting, long-lasting and lightweight (it is rich without being heavy – exactly what I’m looking for). It also smells pretty amazing.

(2) Use an Oil Cleanser. This ties into the point above. You don’t want to strip your skin of oil when you wash it because that tells your body to produce more oil to make up for it. Oil face washes do a great job of removing makeup and deep cleaning skin without stripping your skin of its natural oils.

(3) Try a liquid foundation. Another oily skin myth is that you should use powder foundations. Wrong. Powder foundations will slip and slide as soon as your skin starts to get oily and will not prevent your skin from getting oily. I find that a quality waterproof liquid foundation is the best way to go for my super oily skin!

(4) Bake your foundation. This has been a game changer for me. I use any loose translucent setting powder and use a wet makeup applicator sponge to heavily apply it on my nose, under eyes, cheeks, chin, and T-zone. I put on a pretty thick layer so my skin looks totally covered in white powder. And then I let it sit, typically as long as 15-20 minutes. I was told that the skin heating up causes the powder to bake into your skin keeping makeup in place and making skin stay matte longer. I’m really not sure the scientific side of it and whether the explanation I was told is true but this technique really works on my skin.

(5) Carry Oil Blotting Sheets. And carry them everywhere! These are a great way of taking off oil throughout the day and making your skin look nice and matte.

If you don’t believe my words on how awesome the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream here is my skin a few weeks ago before trying the product:

And here it is over the weekend:

I have not re-touched my skin at all in this picture and in both pictures I used the same makeup routine! Not only is my skin an oil field in the first picture but it’s dull, weathered, and my wrinkles are definitely pronounced. After using the Olay Micro-Sculpting Cream my face is overall healthier, has less visible wrinkles and my oil is better controlled.

Do you have oily skin? I’d love to hear what your best tips are for controlling oil. Let me know below!