Oily & Acne Skin
Nothing is more frustrating and embarrassing than having to live with oily and or acne skin. Growing up I always had perfect skin, not a blemish in sight, until I hit my mid-twenties. During this period of time I came off the contraceptive pill and I had abused my gut health by putting it through extreme cases of utterly unhealthy dieting. It wasn’t until then that my skin started to break out and for the first time in my life I felt the frustration and embarrassment that goes along side having “bad skin”. It is true when they say oily and acne skin results from hormone imbalances, diet and nutrition, climate and environment and improper skincare which is why I would always highly recommend my clients to book in for a Skin & Wellness Consultation prior to their treatments to ensure best results possible.
In this blog I will be discussing:
- What is oily skin and what does it look like?
- What causes acne, blackheads and breakouts?
- How diet, nutrition and gut health can contribute to oily skin and acne?
- Are hormones to blame too?
- What about the climate and our work environment?
- What to use on oily and acne skin and what should your skin care routine look like?
- What is Roaccutane? Should I go down that route?
What is oily skin?
Oily skin is the result of overactive sebaceous glands. These glands are found underneath our skin in the epidermis and excrete oil which forms an oily film over the skin. Often the skin will be left looking shiny, feeling oily to touch and is more prone to blackheads, breakouts, congestion and acne. Oily skin can also have a thickened appearance with enlarged pores which usually is aggravated from dehydration.
What causes acne, blackheads and breakouts?
Acne, blackheads and breakouts are caused by either; factors we can control or some factors which we can’t. These include but are not limited to:
- Over production of oil by the oil gland
- Improper skin care or misuse of skin care
- Hormonal imbalances
- Hyperkeratinisation
- Improper diet and poor nutrition
- The climate and our work environment
- Genetic predisposition
How does diet, nutrition & gut health contribute to oily/acne skin?
The relationship between diet and acne to this day still remains very controversial. However there are many more published reports supporting the link between diet and acne. It is believed that a high Glycaemic Load diet increases hyperinsulinemia which sparks an endocrine response that stimulates Insulin Growth Factor – 1 which results in thick and waxy sebum secretion, attracting C.Acnes.
For this reason I would always recommend people who suffer from oily and or acne skin to eliminate sugar, refined carbs, fast food (hydrogenated fats), increase their protein intake, increase their vegetable intake and increase their water intake.
Once these foods are eliminated from the diet, the gut microbiota should be much happier and inflammation levels should begin to ease.
Can we blame oily skin & acne on hormones?
Absolutely! Androgen hormones or male hormones such as testosterone can be a major cause of acne. These male hormones are found in our ovaries, adrenal glands and fat cells. Over time these hormones are converted to estrogen. When we have a hormonal imbalance/change, our oil production can increase which causes our skin cells to become “sticky”, making our pores extremely prone to congestion.
This is why some people will always break out either before, during or after their menstrual cycle, when they are stressed, during pregnancy or anytime their hormones are imbalanced.
What about the climate and our work environment?
The harsh climates and air conditioned environments that our skin becomes exposed to can play a major role in how our skin responds.
Heat and humidity can cause our oil glands to increase in oil production. This means that we will have more oil sitting on our skin and in our pores. If at the end of the day the skin is not cleansed and exfoliated correctly, all this extra unwanted oil will stay trapped under dead skin cells, which overtime turns into a comedone which can then turn into acne.
Spending long hours in air conditioned environments can lead to dehydration which can be a trigger for breakouts as well. This is because when our skin is dehydrated we are lacking in hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful substance that is naturally produced in our body which protects our skin cells. When we are lacking in this substance our sebaceous glands will take over by producing an excess amount of oil to compensate. This in turn causes our skin to become more oily and prone to blackheads, congestion, breakouts and acne (if not treated correctly).
Skin care for oily/acne skin
Over the years of treating skin I have come across multiple clients with oily skin who are either using the wrong products or misusing those products. People often have this misconception of oil on their skin as something that shouldn’t be there so they will develop this obsession of over cleansing, over exfoliating and ultimately “stripping their skin” (disturbing the natural pH of their acid mantle) in hope to “dry it up” to prevent breakouts. What they don’t understand is that this is the total opposite of what should be done and they are ultimately doing more damage. This damage can be seen though skin inflammation, sensitivity, more breakouts and more oil produced! A healthy acid mantle should have a pH of 4.6-5.5 (pH scale of 1 been acidic and 10 been alkaline). If our skin’s pH rises closer to 7, it becomes less functional in killing bacteria which leads the C.Acne bacteria to multiply. As this C.Acne bacteria multiplies, our skin’s microbiome won’t be able to keep up with controlling this bacteria resulting in more breakouts. With that been said, the answer is YES oil plays a very important part in keeping our skin youthful, beautiful and healthy, it is the unbalanced and over production of oil we don’t want.
How to treat the skin differs from person to person and no two skin is the same. As a general rule of thumb; cleansing should be performed morning and night, exfoliating should be limited to once or twice a week, hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid should be applied daily, skin repairing serum containing niacinamide should also be applied daily (other prescribed and suitable serums can be layered on top) and moisturising and SPF is crucial. When you come in for a Skin & Wellness Consultation or a treatment I will be able to write up a customised skin care routine with products that are specially chosen to suit your skin. The main things I would consider are:
- Is your skin oily with breakouts, true oily, sensitive with breakouts or dry with breakouts (this is important as what these different skins require are very different)
- Is your skin breaking out all over or just in certain areas?
- How inflamed is your skin? What level of acne have you got?
- What are you currently using on your skin and how are you using those products?
- And most importantly, what does your nutrition and lifestyle look like? Are there any health factors contributing to these breakouts/acne?
- In cases where I feel like it is out of my expertise, I will recommend you to consult in a GP, dermatologist, nutritionist or naturopath.
Skincare when used correctly are amazing tools to complement any treatment of oily/acne skin and results will amplify!
Roaccutaine
This strong medication is mine and I’m sure many other skin therapist’s nightmare, however there are times where I do see its purpose, just not first option.
Roaccutaine is an analogue of vitamin A and is intended for highly stubborn and inflamed acne, usually Grade 4. The thing that upsets me most is that too many people are becoming too impatient and using this drug as a band-aid rather than spending time to uncover the issue and then treating the issue.
How roaccutaine makes an impact on our oily skin is it reduced both sebaceous gland size and sebum production. This sounds like every oily skin person’s dream however there are many side effects that come along side. Because roaccutaine increases the speed of our cell turnover and renewal, people will suffer from extremely dry and flaky skin as well as extreme skin sensitivity. After cycles of this drug, there is also no guarantee that the acne will stay away as the underlying issues have not been resolved and once off this drug, your sebaceous glands will start to produce oil again.
Therefore this drug I would only recommend considering as a last option and I would love the opportunity to help you rebalance your skin in a safer and more pleasant manner.
Here at Essentially You, we have a variety of treatments and skincare products to assist you with that unwanted oily/acne skin. It is recommended to have regular professional facials while treating this skin condition. If you would like our help, please book in for a Skin & Wellness Consultation to discuss treatment plans and skincare, let’s start this journey together.