Home Remedies for Oily Skin

Home remedies for oily skin can make a real difference in the quality of your skin without costing a fortune.

Some remedies are put together simply by using items you may already have in your pantry or refrigerator. Simple changes to your diet can also reap great benefits when it comes to controlling oily skin.

What Causes Oily Skin?

The simple answers are heredity, hormonal changes or shifts, stress, lifestyle, certain foods, and improper care of your skin. All of these are potential causes of skin that is riddled with blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and overall oily, shiny skin.

The good news is that there is a lot you can do to take control of your oily skin!

Simple Dietary Changes - Natural Home Remedies for Oily Skin

Are there foods you should stay away from or foods you should add to your daily dietary regimen? Research indicates that some foods tend to cause skin to produce more oil whereas other foods seem to inhibit the production of oil and help keep the skin more balanced.

Foods Good for Oily Skin

• Whole fruits and vegetables
• Foods high in zinc - potatoes, walnuts, asparagus, celery, toasted wheat germ, eggplant, peanuts, dark cocoa and dark chocolate, lean cuts of roast beef, and oysters
• Drink lots of water daily - at least 64 oz per day
• Vitamin B2 packed foods - spinach, milk, cheese, royal jelly, tomatoes, veal, lean beef tenderloin, lamb, yogurt, avocados, buckwheat, mushrooms, soybeans, tempeh, broccoli, green beans, eggs, whole grains, squash, and turnips to name a few
• Essential fatty acids - foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids are great for promoting healthy, non-oily skin. Good sources include cold-pressed canola oil, flax seed, salmon, and walnuts.

Foods to Avoid if You Have Oily Skin

• Coffee, soda, or other beverages with caffeine
• Eat only healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, or cold-pressed canola oil ... avoid hydrogenated oils
• Avoid alcoholic beverages
• No pork
• No processed foods or foods high in salt and fat
• No processed sugar
• No fast food
• No milk chocolate

Home Remedies for Oily Skin - Using Ingredients in the Pantry or Refrigerator

You can manage oily skin by eating a healthy balanced diet, but you must also treat your skin right on the outside by cleansing it and moisturizing it properly every day.

These are some treatments for oily skin that could be just what you've been looking for to control your breakouts and shine.

• Mix together 1:1 ratio of water and lemon juice - spread over the face evenly, let it dry completely, and then rinse thoroughly with warm water and then again with cool water. Do this once or twice a day - morning and night works well if you wear makeup through the day.
• Oatmeal paste - mix together plain oatmeal and lemon juice; add a bit of olive oil so it can be spread over the skin evenly. Heat up the mixture just until it's warm to the touch and apply it to the face. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse completely clean with warm water.
• Spot treat oily areas with tea tree oil - dab a few drops of pure tea tree oil on blemishes several times per day.
• Aloe Vera - spot treat blemishes and acne prone facial areas by dabbing a bit of aloe Vera onto the skin and let it dry.
• Mud mask - mix up a mud mask using equal amounts of raw honey and green clay powder. Apply evenly to your face, carefully avoiding the tender eye area, and let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and pat dry. This can be applied two or three times weekly.
• Rinsing your face with clean cool water during the day is a great way to keep oil from producing on the skin.
• Sandal wood paste - mix together a one-to-one ratio of rose water and sandal wood powder. Smooth over your skin, let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
• Avoid touching your face - you'll add germs and dirt to the skin without realizing it.
• Go without makeup whenever possible or wear only water-based, natural makeup.

Oily Skin Requires a Special Touch

Anyone who struggles with shiny oily skin understands that it takes a special touch to keep it from getting out of hand. The pH balance of the skin must be kept even or else you can experience excess oil production, which in turn makes your skin appear shiny and unclean.

How can you keep your skin in balance? Proper cleansing and moisturizing of the skin is very important to keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy.

Cleansing Oily Skin

One of the best home remedies for oily skin is to cleanse it properly with a water-based cleanser at least twice daily. Always make sure the cleanser is rinsed completely away before patting the skin dry with a clean washcloth.

On the flip side, you don't want to wash your skin too much or else it could become dried out and ironically, your skin would then begin to produce even more oil because the body naturally wants to try and moisturize the dry skin.

One all natural skin cleanser that works especially well for oily skin is Clear Skin Wash. The ingredients used in this facial wash will cleanse your skin thoroughly and also protect your skin from dirt and other potential acne-causing agents.

Home Remedies for Oily Skin - Moisturizing

Do people with oily skin want to use moisturizer? There are two very different opinions on this issue. Some sources say people with oily skin should never use moisturizer whereas other sources say it's an essential step to keeping your skin in balance.

The most reputable sources do say to use a water-based or non-oil based moisturizer to help the skin stay balanced and clean, so find one that works and use it in the morning and at night.

We've found Clear Skin Acne Gel to be one of the better choices for a natural and healthy moisturizer for oily skin. It contains ingredients that tone and clear the skin and help it to retain natural balance.

Toners or Astringents for Oily Skin

You may have read somewhere that you should use an astringent like alcohol or witch hazel to tone and tighten your skin. People with sensitive skin should never use either of these unless they want red irritated skin. Astringents should be used sparingly unless they contain natural ingredients that won't irritate the skin.

Another recommendation you may see for oily skin is to use a facial scrub or exfoliant once a week or so. Be careful - some people with oily skin tend to go overboard and end up irritating the skin so much that it produces more oil.

Those with sensitive skin should avoid this recommendation of a scrub, unless you use a very gentle hypoallergenic facial scrub that is made especially for sensitive skin. This is the only facial scrub that does not irritate my skin!

Home Remedies for Oily Skin - Natural Mud Mask

We mentioned a mud mask as one of the best home remedies for oily skin. If you would rather purchase a product instead of making your own at home, there are two options that work very well and also are gentle enough for sensitive skin.

The SkinSave Anti-Aging Face Mask contains several types of natural clay high in minerals that will get rid of dead skin cells, revealing cleaner and fresher skin underneath. It is super effective with high quality clays and glycerin and calendula which are gentle and moisturizing without being oily.

If you are very allergic to herbs, try the Cleure facial mask for sensitive skin which I use every week.  This is your best choice for reducing blackheads and shrinking enlarged pores without plant ingredients. 

One jar of this will last you a long time, but after many months may dry out a little, so add a little water to keep it moist.

These home remedies for oily skin, combined with changing a few things in your diet can really make a difference in the appearance of your skin.  Give them a try and see if they work for you!

What home remedies do you use for your oily, sensitive skin?