Oily Skin? Make Your Makeup Last!

Guest post by Cassie Brewer

Oily, shiny skin makes your beauty products slip and slide, which is highly frustrating. But that doesn’t mean you need to skip your morning makeup routine. You just need to keep your skin’s oil production under control and use products that will stick to your skin for greater coverage. Here’s a guide.

Why Skin Becomes Oily

Skin can become oily for a number of reasons. The most common ones include:

• When you’re stressed, your body produces more of the stress hormone, known as cortisol. This boosts oil gland production, causing more oil on your skin.

• Heavy makeup. If you wear layers and layers of makeup, you trap oil in your skin, which can leave your skin shiny and cause breakouts.
• Aggressive use of skincare products. If you have oily skin, you might think you need to cleanse your face more often and scrub it to get rid of excess oil but being too harsh on your skin can actually cause more oil to be produced! Be gentle with your skin and try to focus on natural-based products that won’t aggravate your skin with chemicals. Less skincare is more to keep your skin healthy.
• Getting older. Remember those pimples you experienced during puberty? Those were from hormonal changes. As you age, your skin goes through different levels of hormones, causing spikes in oil production. Examples of when these changes happen is during pregnancy and menopause.

How to Be Smart About Makeup When You Have Oily Skin

• Avoid oil-based products. This makes sense: if you have oily skin, the last thing you want to do is apply more oil to it. Choose water-based products instead that are lighter and will allow your skin to breathe. You should also check that products are non-comedogenic as this means they won’t clog your pores.

• Choose a lighter moisturizer. Avoid anything too heavy or greasy as this will just exacerbate your oily skin. Opt for something much lighter to keep your skin smooth and matte before applying makeup. Always allow your moisturizer to dry, for at least ten or fifteen minutes, before applying makeup to avoid greasiness.

• Use a primer. A primer, applied to your skin before your layer of foundation, is a must to keep your skin fresh. It forms a barrier between your skin and the makeup, absorbing oil.

• Start using a clay mask. Clay is a great addition to your skincare routine. A mask that contains clay’s kaolin ingredient is especially good for you because it will keep your skin calm and absorb oil. If you use it once a week, a clay mask will help prevent excess oil from ruining your makeup.

• Use less makeup. Only apply foundation to areas of your face that need coverage, instead of lathering it all over. You want to restrict the amount of makeup you wear so that you don’t give your skin lots of heavy products.

• Finish off with powder. You want to dab on powder after your foundation. This not only seals in the product, giving you better coverage, but it also helps to keep your skin matte. Don’t neglect your eyelids! After applying eye makeup, apply a thin dusting of transparent powder to lock down your look.

• Avoid creamy products. Whether they’re cream-based eye shadows or blush, these products should be avoided. They tend to drip and smudge much easier than powder-based ones, giving you a slimy effect.
• Use waterproof eye products. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara are your best friends when it comes to preventing greasy or smudged makeup.

Oily skin is not your friend, but it doesn’t have to be the bane of your existence. With some clever tips and tricks, your makeup will stay put all day and your skin will shine with health. Greasiness, be gone!

Cassie Brewer is a make-up professional in Southern California. In her free time, she enjoys writing about her passion (make-up, of course!) and everything beauty related. Nothing makes her happier than helping others be the best version of themselves. You can read more at cassiebrewer.weebly.com and follow her on twitter @Cassiembrewer.