Woman with acne-prone skin looking in a mirror

Understand my skin

What causes blackheads? All you need to know about blemished skin & oily skin

Combination to oily skin shines on both teen girls and boys!
Oily skin first appears during middle school, and to be honest, very few teens graduate to adulthood without having experienced some of the problems tied to it. They’re all because of hormones that shake everything up during puberty. Your skin turns shiny and blackheads appear, sometimes fringed with big red spots on your face and body. How did this happen?

Your skin is usually pretty good in the morning, but the later the day gets, the more it shines. That’s classic oily skin. You may also have dilated, clearly visible pores, and a permanently dull complexion that always looks like you’re perspiring – without forgetting the risk of blemishes. A total nightmare! The ‘T’ zone is most often concerned: forehead, nose, chin. But sometimes the entire face suffers, and even the scalp. What causes oily skin and acne?

Skin is a fragile ecosystem whose balance can be upset by different environmental factors. During adolescence, your hormones jump into action and push around your sebaceous glands. These start to secrete too much sebum that is also poor in quality. This is called hyperseborrhea (meaning too much sebum) and dysseborrhea (irritating and poor quality sebum). A vicious circle forms. Too much thick sebum creates completely unbalanced skin, where bacteria are only too happy. As they arrive, pimples multiply. This is why people with oily skin also tend to have blemishes.

Diet and oily skin

Watch out with junk food, sweet foods (sweets, cookies and cakes, soft drinks…) and dairy products. They can all stimulate more sebum. It’s better to go for an acne diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fish, poulty, soya and certain grains, which are a good source of vitamin B6, and useful in regulating sebum.

Pollution and sebum

Pollution may also play a role in sebum’s composition and therefore on skin’s microbiome by creating an imbalance between good and bad bacteria that live on the skin’s surface. A simple cleansing with Sébium H2O eliminates 93% of all microparticles coming from pollution*.

*Dermscan study on 33 subjects, 2015

Sun and acne skin problems

Staying out in the sun tends to dry oily skin out, but it doesn’t last! Sebum secretion continues, sometimes at higher rates thanks to the heat. The skin also grows thicker and prevents sebum from evacuating properly – which is why you often see pimples sprout after the holidays. Some dermatologists recommend good sun protection all year long to reduce blemishes on oily skin. Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30 is a specific sun care formulated for oily, combination & acne-prone skin. It provides optimal protection against the harmful effects of UV rays and prevents rebound effect. It also works on restoring the quality of sebum, prevents the skin from thickening and recudes the appearance of blemishes.

Sports and oily skin

Perspiration mixed with sebum is never a pretty sight. But a quick cleansing with Sebium H2O micellar water or Sebium Foaming Gel after a workout washes it all away. Perspiration makes it possible to naturally eliminate impurities through the skin. All activities that work up a sweat boost the skin’s natural cleansing through the pores and activate microcirculation.

Stress and oily to acne-prone skin

We know today that stress also affects sebum secretion, which can get carried away. So breathe, stay calm and centred. It’s good for your skin! You choose what you can do to relax: yoga, breathing, meditation, sophrology, sports… And a minimum eight hours of sleep every night for a bright complexion and healthy skin!

3 key points to remember:

You can have oily skin without having pimples. Your skin may simply be shiny and have dilated pores and blackheads…
You can also have spots without having oily skin all over your face. You may have combination skin, with areas that are oily and others that are dry.
By adopting good hygiene and care habits for oily skin, your risk of blemishes almost dries up!