Oil is as greasy as butter (1). Irrespective of your skin type, your skin shouldn’t feel greasy after moisturizer application.
Moisturizers are nongreasy and do not make the skin oily (2). They are formulated to restore the skin’s firmness, lock in hydration, reduce the appearance of fine lines (3)(4), absorb sebum, provide photoprotection (5), and manage acne (6).
Skipping moisturizer will not solve any problem but make your skin flaky and dry, leading to premature aging.
Human skin moisturizes itself. Washing your face and not replenishing it can strip the skin’s natural oils, leading to the overproduction of sebum to compensate for the lost hydration. This, in turn, clogs pores and causes oily skin and acne.
Continue reading to learn more about how to use face moisturizers properly.
Article Contents
Do Face Moisturizers Make the Skin Oily?
According to experts, moisturizers are formulated to be noncomedogenic and nongreasy. However, choosing the wrong moisturizer can make your skin greasy/oily.
Silicone-based derivatives suit oily skin. Other ingredients, such as oil-absorbent compounds like talc or kaolin, reduce excess shine (1).
Here are the reasons why your face moisturizers make your skin oily.
1. Using the wrong moisturizer makes skin oily/greasy.
Oily skin types dislike moisturizers and feel heavy due to the excessive sebum. Oily skin types can use sunscreen instead of a wrong moisturizer as the latter can make the skin greasy/oily (7). Therefore, use a moisturizer that suits your skin type to avoid greasiness.
2. Occlusive moisturizers make the skin greasy/oily.
Occlusive moisturizers are mostly wax and oil-based to maintain skin water content. They have an unpleasant odor, greasy consistency, and potential allergenicity, making them less cosmetically acceptable. Occlusive moisturizers make the skin greasy/oily (3).
3. Oil-based moisturizers make the skin greasy/oily.
Moisturizers contain several ingredients, but only some ingredients help in their absorption. If a moisturizer contains many oils, it can make your skin shiny and greasy, as it stays on top of the skin and takes longer to absorb.
According to research, plant oils such as jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil, and soybean oil remain on the skin’s surface without penetrating the upper layer (8). Thus, oil-based moisturizers are not an ideal choice for oily skin.
4. Using too much moisturizer leads to oily skin.
Naturally oily skin can become oilier due to excessive moisturizer application. It can make your skin unpredictable and erratic. Therefore, use moisturizers in small amounts and gradually increase the dose as needed.
5. Heavy moisturizers cause greasy/oily skin.
The general rule is the heavier the moisturizer, the better its effect. However, you need to have a balance of the heaviness of moisturizers (9).
Moisturizers come in creams, oils, gels, lotions, and ointments. Experts reveal that applying heavy creams and lotions can congest pores, increasing oil production and worsening acne breakouts.
What to Do When a Moisturizer Makes Your Face Oily?
If you are concerned with your face getting too oily due to a moisturizer, skipping it altogether will not be beneficial either. Thus, go for non-acnegenic, herbal, noncomedogenic (2), oil-control (10), water-based (11), and oil-free (12) moisturizers to hydrate your skin without making it greasy.
Some natural ingredients for moisturizing oily skin are marula oil (13), castor oil (14), wheat germ oil (14), argan oil (15), and grape seed oil (16).
Natural Moisturizer for Oily Face
A homemade green tea moisturizer is a great example of a natural moisturizer that suits oily skin.
The polyphenols in green tea have antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties that allow sebum reduction and treat acne vulgaris (17).
How to prepare and apply:
- Brew some tea bags in 2 cups of hot water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bags and let the tea cool down.
- Apply the tea to your face using a cotton pad.
- Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Rinse it off with normal water.
- Repeat this process weekly.
How to Moisturize Your Face Overnight Without Making the Skin Oily?
Follow these steps to moisturize your face overnight without making it oily:
- Cleanse your face with a mild, nonfoaming cleanser and cool water.
- Wipe your face with a soft towel but leave it slightly damp.
- Gently massage a moisturizer containing a topical humectant such as hyaluronic acid (18) to the damp skin for a few minutes.
- Apply a deeply moisturizing, gel-based face mask (containing lemon and green tea polyphenols) and leave it overnight.
The Dos and Don’ts to Eliminate Oily Skin
The following are the dos and don’ts for eliminating oily skin.
Dos
- Hydrate yourself, as a hydrated body prevents the oil glands from producing excessive sebum.
- Wash your face twice daily to stay away from infections and acne.
- Use lightweight, noncomedogenic moisturizers suitable for oily skin.
- Include foods with a high content of minerals, vitamins, and water in your diet.
- Always wear sunscreen to prevent UV exposure, which causes excessive sebum production.
- Moisturize twice daily with a lightweight moisturizer.
Don’ts
- Avoid processed, oily, sugary, or fried foods, as they may trigger the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum. They also cause hormonal imbalance, which is one of the culprits of excessive sebum production.
- Avoid excessive exfoliating or cleansing your oily skin, as it can lead to dry skin and push your glands to produce more sebum to maintain skin moisturization.
- Avoid wearing excessive makeup on oily skin. Instead, opt for lightweight, natural makeup if needed.
General Queries
Is applying aloe vera on the face safe before going to sleep?
Yes, leaving aloe vera overnight on the face is completely safe. It protects the skin against radiation damage.
You can use aloe vera gel instead of your regular moisturizer and arise with nourished, soft, and glowing skin (19).
Is it recommended to wipe an oily face to clean it?
You should wash your face twice daily instead as excessive wiping can remove good skin nutrients. Additionally, excessive wiping can cause skin inflammation.
Final Word
Your skin can get oilier if you don’t use moisturizers properly, such as getting the wrong moisturizing product or formula.
Always go for products that suit your skin type. Additionally, apply moisturizers gently with clean hands, day and night.
References
- Arbuckle R, Atkinson MJ, Clark M, et al. Patient experiences with Oily skin: The qualitative development of content for two new patient reported outcome questionnaires. Health and quality of life outcomes. October 16, 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577631/.
- Sethi A, Kaur T, Malhotra SK, Gambhir ML. Moisturizers: The slippery road. Indian journal of dermatology. 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885180/.
- Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, Saefudin T. The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: A review. Clinical medicine & research. December 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5849435/.
- E; NKM. Moisturizers: Reality and the skin benefits. Dermatologic therapy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22913439/.
- Del Rosso JQ. The role of skin care as an integral component in the management of Acne Vulgaris: Part 1: The importance of cleanser and moisturizer ingredients, design, and product selection. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology. December 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3997205/.
- Chularojanamontri L, Tuchinda P, Kulthanan K, Pongparit K. Moisturizers for acne: What are their constituents? The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology. May 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025519/.
- Oily skin. Oily Skin – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/oily-skin.
- Lin T-K, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. International journal of molecular sciences. December 27, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/.
- Barnes TM, Mijaljica D, Townley JP, Spada F, Harrison IP. Vehicles for drug delivery and cosmetic moisturizers: Review and comparison. Pharmaceutics. November 26, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8703425/.
- An open label clinical study to evaluate the dermal … – researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shaheen-Majeed/publication/309634553/.
- (PDF) the role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of … https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321795051/.
- Chularojanamontri L, Tuchinda P, Kulthanan K, Pongparit K. Moisturizers for acne: What are their constituents? The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology. May 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025519/.
- Author links open overlay panelBaatile Komane a, a, b, et al. Safety and efficacy of Sclerocarya Birrea (a.rich.) Hochst (marula) oil: A clinical perspective. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. October 31, 2015. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874115301963?via%3Dihub.
- Goyal A, Sharma A, Kaur J, et al. Bioactive-based cosmeceuticals: An update on emerging trends. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). January 27, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8837976/.
- Lin T-K, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-inflammatory and skin barrier repair effects of topical application of some plant oils. MDPI. December 27, 2017. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/1/70.
- (PDF) the effect of antioxidant of grapeseed oil as skin … – researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335964313/.
- Saric S, Notay M, Sivamani RK. Green tea and other tea polyphenols: Effects on sebum production and acne vulgaris. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). December 29, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5384166/.
- Papakonstantinou E, Roth M, Karakiulakis G. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging. Dermato-endocrinology. July 1, 2012. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/.
- Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe Vera: A short review. Indian journal of dermatology. 2008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/.