The Pakistani heat is famous for giving us shiny faces- it’s not the dewy, ‘fresh glow’ shine you’ll see on a leading actress on a red carpet though, it’s more of a sweaty, sebaceous, oily layer covering your face! Dermatologist Ellen Marmur (author of Simple Skin Beauty) says that the heat is not directly responsible for shiny faces, instead it is the sweat that ‘can lift more sebum and create a shiny-skin look.’
So how can you combat the oily look this summer? Here are my top 5 ways of taming oily skin this summer and look dewy instead of greasy!
- RESIST THE URGE TO WASH YOUR FACE: You might want to wash your face more in the summer, but RESIST the urge to over do it. Use a light face wash; something that won’t block pores. Remember, your face does need the essential oils on your face to maintain the skin barrier and washing over and over might make you age faster.
- USE BLOTTING PAPER: Blotting paper will save your face from looking like a hot mess when you go out! Instead of pulling out your powder to hide the shine, try using a sheet of blotting paper to pick up excess oil from the skin. You could wrap a sheet around the pointed end of a beauty blender and roll it on your face. Don’t blot your face too much, your skin does need some of the oils!
- GO EASY ON PRODUCTS: A face covered in products may not be the solution to taming the oils on your face. In the summer, LESS is definitely MORE. You don’t have to wear copious amounts of foundation, topped with concealer, powder, and blush. Look for oil free products and use small amounts. Additionally, you might not even want to wear as much moisturizer on your face as oil is being produced.
- EXFOLIATE: The dead skin cells on your face do need to be exfoliated GENTLY once a week. Exfoliation will help any oil control products penetrate your skin. You could get something over the counter (avoid anything has harsh microbeads) or use a home remedy, like an oatmeal and Aloe Vera scrub. To make this scrub, take about 2 tsps of dry oatmeal and add it to Aloe Vera gel. Massage this on your face for 3-5 minutes, alternating between clockwise and anti clockwise movements. Leave on for an additional 5 minutes before washing it off.
- MASK IT! A mask will help keep pores unclogged and will leave you skin feeling fresh. It will also help your skin soak up excess oil. You could buy a mask like our very own Conatural’s dead sea mud mask OR you could make your own. There are several home remedies – there’s the use of Multani mitti, which women swear by; a banana-honey-lemon mask will help unclog pores and lighten up your complexion; or a mango mask will help remove impurities.
A few extra tips are to watch what you eat (STAY AWAY FROM THE OILY STUFF!), keep yourself hydrated and make sure to use sunscreen when going out. Get your summer face ready people!!
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By Maida Sheikh | Title Image Source
