Figuring out what’s best for your skin type is no easy challenge! And it could sometimes feel even trickier when you have an oily skin type. 

The good news is, if you do have oily skin, you’re certainly not the only one out there. It can be difficult and even stressful to figure out exactly what’s best for your skin type. You’ve probably figured out by now that you can’t just use any product on your skin when you have oily skin. But fear not! In this article we’ll explore natural alternatives and remedies that work for your skin type and not against it! Let’s get started!

But why is my skin oily to begin with?

Excessive oil on skin is due to an overactive sebaceous gland which produces far too much sebum oil. Sebum however, is your skin’s natural moisturizer, so why is your sebaceous gland in overdrive? 

The most common causes for oily skin are:

1. Diet 
2. Hormones
3. Genetics 
4. Lifestyle and Habits

If you want to know exactly where to point the finger, you should point towards what’s called, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the hormone telling your body to produce more sebum. And the reason for that can be because of your genetics, the food that you’re putting in your body (usual sugar and dairy are the first food groups to get tossed out the window for those trying to tame their oily skin), puberty/menopause, and your lifestyle and habits. Lifestyle and habit can include anything from your athletic lifestyle to the ways you clean and moisturize your skin. 

All Praise Aloe Vera

Have you ever tried to use aloe vera on your skin after a sunburn? For most of us with oily skin, adding oils and moisturizers feel counter intuitive. While that’s not exactly the case with essential oils, aloe vera won’t leave any oily, greasy traces behind. 

Aloe vera is anti-microbial, which means it will clear out the bacteria clogging your pores and removes excess oil from the skin. Yes please. You can buy the plant and apply the fresh juices inside it’s leaves directly onto your skin, or go to a health food store and find aloe vera gel that’s as close to 100% pure aloe vera as possible. Or, you can use a natural beauty product that utilizes the healing powers of aloe vera.

Refreshing Cucumber 

Cucumber should be a main ingredient in your diet and your face mask routine if you want to combat oily skin. Cucumbers are incredibly moisturizing, but also work at breaking down that oil from your skin’s surface. 

Besides for being hydrating both inside and out, it also works as a natural astringent and tightens up those pores! We recommend applying organic cucumber slices to your skin (because why add those pesticides directly onto your skin, right?) Add sea salt, lemon or honey, to the cucumber for added benefits and leave on skin for 20 minutes. Then wash with cool water. 

Sea salt will actually work at removing toxins from the skin and dries out that excess oil. You can also check out natural products that incorporate cucumber as a natural healing ingredient for oily skin types. 

Jojoba Oil and Tea Tree Oil

Jojoba oil has a plethora of benefits for the skin and hair. It’s such a magical oil that it can even work at clearing out oily skin, weird right? Jojoba oil is a lightweight oil that has the ability to balance out the body’s sebum oil production. And besides for being loaded with vitamins your skin loves, it also acts as sebum oil, which tricks the body into taking a break from producing more. 

You can use Jojoba oil as a carrier oil for tea tree oil, which is a mighty powerful essential oil, which can not and should never be applied directly to the skin, on it’s very own. Tea tree oil will dry out any excess oil from the skin, clear away bad bacteria, and clean the pores. Jojoba oil mixed with one drop of tea tree oil can work wonders on the skin, but please handle tea tree oil with care, it’s powerful stuff! 

Apple Cider Vinegar

What’s more powerful, tea tree oil or apple cider vinegar? Hard to say. Apple cider vinegar is another one of those ingredients that can sometimes be more effective and powerful than your standard pharmaceutical face wash. The alpha hydroxy acid present in ACV is believed to remove dead skin cells, clear clogged pores and prevent an overproduction of sebum oil. 

However, if this sounds like something you want to try out, please only use organic, raw and unfiltered ACV on your skin. Because again, we want to take advantage of the pure side of nature.  Always check with your doctor before trying home remedies.

You can find Vonetta Cosmetics oily skin solutions here.

Have you been dealing with oily skin and haven't found the right solution for your skin? Tell us what’s going on, we’d love to hear from you!