Oil Myths; Is Oil “Really” Bad for Acne and Blemishes?

In short, the answer is almost always “NO”!

If you have experienced acne, hormonal breakouts or even just an occasional blemish at some point you were probably advised to go “oil free”.
In actuality however, drying out the skin may actually exacerbate the problem.

Why?  Pretty simple.  Oil has a specific purpose.  Oil naturally lubricates the skin for hydration and protection.  When we “strip” the skin of all of the oil, it sends a message back to the oil glands to protect!  As a result your skin may overproduce oil, rendering the breakouts worse then they were before.

Common breakouts, acne, and Rosacea are often a result of hormonal imbalance, bacteria formation and/ or the use of wax filled pore clogging skin care products.  In addition, there is often an overproduction of oil from the glands creating an environment in which acne can thrive.   So this is why it was once thought to strip the skin of oil was a good idea.

Wrong!  Creating a balance is the ideal while stripping the skin of all oil leads to accelerated aging, irritation and makes you photo sensitive.  Not ideal!

Oil is not a bad thing.  Too much of anything can cause problems of course, but, unfortunately many acne and blemish products are geared toward removing all the oil on the skin  and as a result are too harsh and drying.

It’s essential to replenish that moisture to prevent over-production oil, but also to protect your skin.  Dry skin does not age well since it’s lacking hydration, and moisture is what keeps our skin supple.  So, what are the options?

You can use wax-free anti-inflammatory face creams to balance, hydrate and prevent accelerated aging without the fear of them causing breakouts.  In addition look for ingredients like, willowbark, licorice root, natural fruit acids, and evening primrose all of which offer anti inflammatory properties; and reducing inflammation is the key to eliminating redness, acne blemishes, and preventing aging.

White and black willowbark and all-natural fruit acids also work to naturally dissolve the surface skin cells which can accumulate creating more cells for bacteria to thrive on and thereby creating more acne.  By using natural exfoliators such as these though, not only can you refine the texture of your skin but you can also minimize breakouts, regulate oil and have a healthy glow too!

As in all things, balance is the key for your skin.  Embrace the natural oil your skin produces by using natural, wax free skin care products that care for your skin without stripping away the naturally beneficial oil already and you’ll see a major improvement in the amount of acne and blemishes as well as your skin overall.