True or False: Oily skin be also be dry at the same time.
Answer: True. The dryness that is felt is actually dehydration which is a skin condition (not a skin type). The surface of the skin is lacking water. This condition is usually caused by using and over cleaning with harsh soaps, too much sun exposure, overly hot water and either using the wrong type of moisturizer or non at all.
To treat this type of condition, stay away from harsh facial cleansers containing sulfates and alcohol that strip the skin’s surface of it’s natural lipid barrier. Instead, look for a mild foaming cleanser with natural surfactants from plant derived oils and extracts such as Decyl Polyglucose which is made from corn, glucose and starch.
If you decide to use a toner after cleansing, use one that will balance the skin’s pH and is free from alcohol and synthetic fragrance. Natural hydrosols are wonderful as toners. One of my favorites is organic rose water hydrosol.
For moisturizing and sun protection, look for products that are non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and non-acnegenic (won’t cause breakouts). They should have a lightweight texture to them. Oily dehydrated skin needs humectants (water binders) not emollients. Oily skin makes enough of it’s own natural emollient in the form of sebum. The best humectant ingredients to look for are: sodium PCA, glycerin and my favorite, hyaluronic acid (50 kDa). All of these ingredients not only attract water to the skin, they bind it there. Typically these ingredients are found more in serums as opposed to traditional moisturizers.