How do you deal with putting on makeup with oily, acne prone skin? Those of you out there that deal with this problem every day know what a challenge this is. Do you need to moisturize? If so, then how do you do that with out feeling like you have an oil slick on your face? And what about foundation? You want to cover up the blemishes with makeup, but somehow doing so just seems to be making things worse!

I know how difficult and frustrating it is but don’t worry, I’m here to guide you in the right direction. Having oily, acne prone skin can be tricky business, but I can help you to have beautiful, healthy, glowing skin.

First of all, to help battle this problem, we need to know a little more about it… like, what causes skin to become acne prone? And how many different kinds of acne are there? I’m not a Dermatologist, but I can give you a very broad explanation of the types of acne and what causes them. There are four basic kinds of acne:

• blackheads,
• whiteheads,
• pimples, and
• cysts

Acne is created when your skin produces too much oil, or sebum, and the pores of your skin become clogged. Sebum is always in our skin and is actually something your skin needs, but when your hormones surge (like during “that time of the month”, being a teenager, or sometimes menopausal women), your body increases the sebum production which can cause the pores to clog. Most forms of acne can be treated by practicing good skin care habits and using the right products, but others might need the help of a Dermatologist and prescription skincare.

I’m not a doctor, but I do know about taking care of your skin, so today I’m going to go over a few important tips on how to care for your acne prone skin.

• Wash your face:

  It’s so important to keep your skin fresh and clean! This is true for anyone, but especially those with oily skin. You want to cleanse the skin, but not strip it. Remember, your skin needs oil, you’re just trying to keep the excess oil at bay as well as removing dirt and other impurities.

  I recommend using a cleansing gel, or foam for oily skin, a cream cleansers can feel too heavy and may leave behind a residue as can bar soaps. If you’re oily/acne prone, you need to cleanse your skin twice a day. No exceptions!

• Use the right products:

  This is essential! Since you already have oily skin, you don’t need any extra oil in the products you use. Doing so can cause even more breakouts. To prevent this from happening, you’ll need to check the ingredients… anything that’s oil free, water based and non-comedogenic should be fine.

  Be extra careful in checking ingredients on your foundation. I know your first instinct is to cover the blemishes, but doing so with a heavy foundation (especially one that has oil in it) will only make matters worse. Instead, go for an oil free foundation that you can layer for more coverage if you need to. Another thing to consider is to check out the ingredients in your hair care products, pomades and gels containing oils can drip onto your skin and cause breakouts. Also, using products that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide can help treat acne and breakouts.

• Matte it up:

  There are a lot of great oil mattifying, or anti-shine products out there. What that means is that they can actually help control the excess oil through out the day as well as help to prevent unwanted shine, giving a “matte” finish. There are matte moisture lotions, mattifying foundations and powders and even toners that have mattifying properties to help keep your skin free from shine and excess oil.

If you have oily &/or acne prone skin, then hopefully following these tips will help to clear things up for you… remember, it’s all about keeping your skin as clean and clear as possible. You have to keep it up, too! A good skincare regime is very important to maintain and prevent breakouts. However, I must stress the importance of seeing a Dermatologist if these tips don’t work. With today’s modern medicine, there’s no reason for you to feel helpless about your skin. All you need to do is remember that you’re worth it! You’re worth taking the time to take care of your skin. I promise, you won’t be disappointed with the results.