37 Year Old Embarrassed by Oily Skin

[AnonChick]

I have naturally oily, but dehydrated skin. That's not a t-zone problem like some teenagers have; it's ALL oily, and it's ALL dehydrated. Plenty of oil, not enough water.

I used to have the same problem you have, michegansnowflake, til I learned how to wash my face at night, and how to treat my face in the morning. Having oily skin is a -good- thing. You want oily skin. You don't want to strip the oil from your skin. But your skin needs to be cleansed -and- nourished, or you end up with zits. Zits aren't the result of oily skin. They're the result of DIRTY oily skin. Acne isn't the result of either; it's a systemic problem.

I found Clinique to be the single most irritating brand of products I've ever put on my skin, ever. It caused my skin to dry out and get flakey, because of all the dried out caked up oil. I got whiteheads, and blackheads, and my makeup looked splotchy after a couple of hours.

[tilli]

Zits are not caused by dirty oily skin. Zits are a symptom of the keratinization disorder called acne. This is why retinoids are effective - they normalize keratinization. The dirt thing is a myth.

[FromTN2A2]

One good thing about this will be that you will stay looking young much longer than those who do not have oily skin.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by tilli

Zits are not caused by dirty oily skin. Zits are a symptom of the keratinization disorder called acne. This is why retinoids are effective - they normalize keratinization. The dirt thing is a myth.

Right, and I don't know if it's the same with the OP-- I have really oily skin but I don't have acne at all other than the occasional zit around that time of the month. I've just accepted that blotting is part of my day.

[Grandpa Pipes]

Originally Posted by redjan1225

I am 37 years old and I suffer from embarrassingly oily skin. I carry Kleenex and rice paper around with me and am constantly blotting my skin throughout the day. I have been told by some aestheticians that I have extremely oily skin. I’ve been told by others that I have very dry skin that I over-cleanse due to my tendency to get acne and I, therefore, am making my face oily. I do live in the desert where daily humidity levels run about 15%.

Common cause of oily skin........
Excessive oiliness can also be due to:

The humidity levels
Cosmetics or birth control pills
Hormonal imbalance
Pregnancy
Diet intake

Oily Skin Causes and Treatment

[sallysmith36]

Hi redjan1225, In your post you mentioned seeing a dermatologist when you were younger. I had a similar problem with oily skin as an adult and saw my GP and then a dermatologist at age 35. I had blood tests to check my hormone levels. They found the levels of male hormone were too high. I was referred to an endocrinologist who prescribed a medication for this. My hormone levels are now within average levels, and my skin is normal! (It used to be horribly oily and smelly, and I felt the urge to cleanse several times a day. Now I cleanse gently morning and night. Break-outs are greatly reduced and no more shine.) The dermatologist mentioned that many people believe that diet "causes" oily skin or acne. However, it is a lot more complicated than that. Hormones play an important role: how much your body produces of the various types and how sensitive the oil-producing cells in your skin are to them. Of course, I'm not a dermatologist, but I think it would be worth having a chat to your doctor. I believe many women who have PCOS have been diagnosed this way. Best of luck, Sarah