4 Reasons You Should Be Using Oil to Combat Oily Spring Skin
With spring here, it’s time for our skin to go through yet another seasonal transition. After winter wraps, it’s common to experience dull, extra dry skin — this is normal due to the harsher elements our skin is exposed to during the colder months. When it warms up, though, oily skin often strikes as your skin is still overproducing from the winter. It can be a vicious cycle TBH :(, but there are ways to get rid of oily skin. Megan Schwarz, founder of plant-based and natural beauty boutique Seed to Serum, told us why using oil (wait, what?!) could be your skincare secret.
While it’s natural to reach for a heavy duty face cleanser at the first sign of oily skin, it actually could be doing more harm than good for your skin, according to Megan. “Unfortunately, the tendency to reach for drying cleansing products in an effort to combat oily skin actually causes our skin to produce more oil to compensate for what has been stripped away,” she said. “The key to ending the cycle is balance. Reach for gentle lotion and gel-based cleansers like Laurel Facial Cleanser: Oily/Combination ($48) in the morning and oil-based cleansers at night.” Moral of the story: Don’t be scared to use oil on oil, y’all — it’s one of the few methods that could actually improve your skin.
PLANT-BASED OILS COULD SAVE YOUR SKIN
Yes, the sun makes is more prominent in the spring than in the winter, but there’s more to how weather affects our skin than just warmth (which brings on sweat and oil production). It’s actually all about varying hydration levels, and it’s important to find your ideal balance. “Spring weather can do crazy things to our skin — some of us with oily skin experience flaky, dry patches while others have never experienced more oily skin in their lives,” Megan said. The key is going the natural route and ditching chemical-laden products. “Plant-based oils are compatible with both types of skin and won’t cause the congestion we typically associate with mineral oils.” One of Megan’s faves is Odacité A Spring in Tokyo ($149), which will balance congested skin while providing treatment from UV rays, stress and pollution.
NOT ALL OILS ARE CREATED EQUAL
It’s important to identify what your skin needs before you go slathering any oil you find on your face. If you use an oil whose properties work against your skin, you could bring on irritation and breakouts. For skin that tends to be on the oily side, Megan recommends trying either hemp seed, watermelon, jojoba, argan or black cumin seed oils. These oils won’t clog your pores and will aid in balancing out your natural oil production. Give a product like Jacqueline Evans Argan & Rosehip Face Serum ($52) a try if you’re after a nourishing product that will repair and regenerate the skin without causing breakouts.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Introducing overly complicated products could mess up your skin’s balance and hydration at this extra vulnerable time period (aka spring). Megan recommends keeping your skincare simple more than anything else. “My advice when first embarking on your journey into oils is to start with a blend that contains a limited number of ingredients,” she said. “This way, you can easily determine which oils your skin loves and which aren’t doing you any favors.” A product like Province Apothecary Nourishing + Revitalizing Moisturizer ($40) has pure ingredients that won’t overwhelm your skin because it’s designed for oily and acne prone skin types.
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(Photos via Seed to Serum)
