Your concern
Oily, shiny skin
Seborrhoea: over-degreasing is what sustains it, not what solves it.
Sebum production depends on factors you do not choose — individual predisposition, hormonal profile, age — and is highest where glands are densest: forehead, nose, chin. Having oily skin is not a hygiene failing and is not, in itself, a disease: sebum protects the skin barrier.
It becomes a problem when shine is constant, make-up will not hold, pores look enlarged, and it often coexists with comedones or inflammatory lesions. That is when the commonest wrong reaction starts: degreasing with everything available.
And here is the useful information. Strongly degreasing cleansers, alcohol, frequent scrubs and aggressive «mattifying» products damage the barrier. A damaged barrier loses water, and the skin responds with more sebum, not less: a cycle is built in which the harder you fight the oil the more is produced, with irritated, reactive skin on top. The route that works is the opposite: gentle cleansing, light but real moisturising, and active ingredients that regulate rather than strip.
The more you strip, the more is produced
This is the cycle that keeps many people stuck for years on the same wrong routine. The instinctive reasoning — the skin is oily, so I remove the oil — works for a few hours and backfires: the damaged barrier loses water, the skin compensates, and the shine returns faster than before. The sign you have entered the cycle is recognisable: skin that is oily and yet feels tight, or that flakes while shiny. At that point the right move is to reduce the harshness of cleansing, not increase it — and it takes some faith, because for a few days it feels like the wrong choice.
How it shows
- Shine returning a few hours after cleansing
- Areas most affected: forehead, nose, chin
- Visibly enlarged pores
- Make-up that shifts or does not last through the day
- Frequent presence of comedones
- Sometimes fine flaking despite the skin being oily
How we proceed
- 1Dermatological visit: assessment of seborrhoea and associated lesions
- 2Review of the routine, often the reason it is sustained
- 3Gentle cleansing and moisturising suited to oily skin
- 4Actives that regulate production and follicular turnover
- 5Scheduled follow-up to adjust according to response
Available treatments
- Dermatology visit
- Review of the routine
- Chemical peel
- Scheduled follow-up
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Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a moisturiser?+
Yes, and it is one of the steps people with oily skin most often skip, convinced it will make things worse. Hydration and sebum are not the same thing: you can be shiny and dehydrated at once, and it is a very frequent combination precisely in those using harsh products. Choose light, non-occlusive formulas — but the cream is needed; in fact removing it is one way of sustaining the problem.
Does oily skin age less?+
There is a grain of truth: higher sebum production and generally thicker skin can make fine lines less evident. It is not a general protection, though, because skin ageing depends above all on cumulative sun exposure, which acts the same way on every skin type. It is a small advantage, not a reason to skip sun protection.
Does diet play a part?+
It is a legitimate question, and the honest answer is that diet weighs less than individual predisposition and hormonal profile, which remain the main factors. Some dietary habits have been associated with worsening in acne, but turning this into restrictive diets is not supported and is often counterproductive. Before changing how you eat, it is worth sorting out how you wash your face.
Related reading
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