PK: Oily/Acneic Skin- Cleansers

When it rains...it pours. My netbooks adapter is shot and I have to replace it so updates will be sketchy. It's alright, I will do my best to ensure that each update is good and worth the wait. So...I wasn't kidding when I said the oily/acneic skin type section was huge huh!? Well we are continuing with PK (Product Knowledge) for the oily skin type. By now you should be quite well informed and should understand why I recommend some of the products listed in this section. If you don't, that's okay. It will be explained. So...let's battle on.

Product Knowledge - Oily Skin
Choosing the right cleansers for Acneic skin.

When walking down the beauty isle, it's like a nightmare! So many brands! Who to trust!? What's effective? What's junk? Which one is for me?!? Companies capitalize on our weakness, fears, and our desperation. A lot of it is truly misleading and garbage. No face wash is going to be able to "turn back the hands of time" or truly "prevent" wrinkles. If you can stop someone from unwise life style choices with a facial cleaner...okay then maybe. Further more companies count on the consumer being aloof about the ingredients used in the product. Until recently, companies didn't expect the average consumer to be to knowledgeable either. You've determined that you have the oily skin type, but how do you know what is the right facial cleanser for an oily skin type anyways? Is it enough to just read the package and as long as it says "For oily skin" then it's good?

Cleansers -

If you have acne ( and I am not talking the odd blemish here and there) your going to want a facial cleaner that contains Salicylic Acid in it. Not much is needed at all by the way! So don't worry if the percentage is quite low (3% is enough). Salicylic acid is a BHA ( Beta Hydroxy acid ) and is oil soluble. This means that it can penetrate into pores through sebum to exfoliate. It is the only BHA.

For those with acne issues your not going to want a foam or a gel because it is mild and wont aggravate. Salicylic Acid is drying, so you will have to watch and make sure that you don't get TOO dried out. That's not good either. Depending on your type of acne it will depend if you need all your products to contain this ingredient (right down to your makeup) or not. It's something that you will have to play around with.

Remember any time you feel that tight and dry feeling after a wash, it means you've dehydrated your skin too much. You must balance it. Your toner will help with this. No matter your skin type everything is about balance and always about hydration. I have said it before but I shall say it again: just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you don't need hydration because skin lacking oil is different than skin lacking water. People with an oily skin type can lack water.

While I actually do not have an issue with acne, I have used St. Ives Green Tea cleaner. I made the mistake in using a product for oily skin thinking I was an oily skin type when really, I am combination/dehydrated! (this was before going to school) Bit of a mess for my skin that was. I was so convinced that I needed products for oily skin that I even used a foundation that has salicylic acid in it! I also used a concealer specifically to cover and treat blemishes that contains it as well. I know first hand what happens to your skin, how it looks, feels, and its reactions to being over stripped. Combination skin could use this providing that they are balancing their skin with other products, OR it can be used as a spot treatment! That's right! Just dab a little of this on and leave it to work it's magic.

This product is awesome and that's why it makes my list.

The one thing I wish to stress to anyone looking to purchase products for their acneic skin and it is this: Make sure it says the words "Salicylic Acid" on the bottle. It isn't enough for a bottle to say "oil free".
All that tells you is that there isn't any oils in the product. Not that it will actually treat your existing acne problems. So if it doesn't have those words on it then it isn't going to treat your existing acne problems.

I am sure Nivea has lines with Salicylic acid in it I know Olay has it and many other labels as well. The Brand you decide to go with should be chosen from personal preference. Later I will get into CGP (Consumer Grade products) products Versus PSC (Professional skin care) products for you but for now, let's just stick to the Consumer Grade products. They are more obtainable and most familiar to us and is easiest to identify with.

 Next time we will continue on with our product knowledge for the oily acneic skin type and take a quick look at something for men and Toners. Which is incredibly important in my books. If you have any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment. Or if you just want to talk, share, leave a comment! Show some love and subscribe.

Until next time, enjoy life, Love, liberty, and always yourself.