Easy 4 step skincare routine and essential products under 500 for people with oily skin

The fact of the matter is that everybody has oil in their skin. Underneath every pore in your skin is a sebaceous gland that produces natural oils called sebum. It is both unrealistic and harmful to want to get rid of all oils - most of them are essential to keeping your skin hydrated and healthy. However, some people’s skin has enlarged pores and overactive sebaceous glands, which leads to excessive sebum - commonly termed as oily skin. 

How to determine if you have oily skin

In order to recognise what your skin needs, it is important to understand your skin. Quite often, people are confused if they really have oily skin, and more often than not, they have combination skin. 

To be absolutely sure, you can conduct a very simple test. Use your regular gentle cleanser on your face, pat dry and wait for about 30 minutes. After that, press a blotting paper to various sections of your face and hold it up against a source of light to see the oil markings. If your skin overall feels greasy and the sheets absorbed an abundance of oil from most areas of your face, you have oily skin. However, if the sheets absorbed significant oil only from your T-zone and not as much from other areas, you have combination skin. 

Now that you know your skin, you must understand that it is not possible to change your skin type or get rid of oily skin once and for all. In fact, you are lucky - people with oily skin usually don’t show premature signs of aging! However, to battle issues that come along with oily skin, you can follow this simple 4-step skincare routine and check out the best products for you to control excessive sebum production and minimise the resulting skin issues! 

Step #1 - Cleanse in the a.m. and p.m.

This is the most important step in every skincare routine. If you have oily skin, it is absolutely essential that you do it twice a day to get rid of dead skin cells, clogged pores and accumulated toxins. Check out gentle cleansers with salicylic acid which penetrates deep, exfoliates and checks excessive sebum production, and with niacinamide which is anti-inflammatory and helps prevent frequent breakouts.

SkinKraft Sebum Control Face Cleanser

₹ 399.00 – Buy Now.

Minimalist Salicylic Acid Face Cleanser

₹ 299.00 – Buy Now.

Step #2 - Use a good toner

Once your skin is freshly cleansed and free from all toxins, using a good toner is a must! It helps to exfoliate your skin and tighten the clean pores, which reduces sebum accumulation. You should go for toners that contain glycolic acid which helps remove dead skin cells and shrinks pores, and antibacterial ingredients like green tea to ward off acne-causing bacteria. Steer clear from products that contain alcohol, minerals or parabens. Check this one out -

Plum Green Tea Toner

₹ 312.00 – Buy Now.

Step #3 - Never skip moisturiser

There is a popular belief that people with oily skin shouldn’t moisturise because it will make their skin greasier. On the contrary, and quite the paradox, if you don’t provide your skin with adequate moisture, it will activate and stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum in order to keep the skin hydrated. This will lead to more oiliness and resulting breakouts! Look for lightweight, oil-free and water-based moisturisers, and use twice a day.

Mamaearth Apple Cider Moisturiser

₹ 268.00 – Buy Now.

UrbanBotanics Mattifying Moisturiser

₹ 279.00 – Buy Now.

Step #4 - Deep nourishment treatment

This step can depend on individual requirements, but if your oily skin is prone to acne, it is recommended that you use a lightweight, non-greasy night cream or serum before bed. It is the best way to repair, deeply nourish and hydrate your skin and curb oiliness. Look for products with retinol which will not clog your pores, help in exfoliation, fight acne and even improve collagen synthesis for naturally healthy skin! 

Wow Skin Science Retinol Night Cream

₹ 426.00 – Buy Now.