Causes of Oily Skin

Sebum, an assortment of fats produced by sebaceous glands plays an important role in lubricating the skin and protecting it from dehydration. Though oily skin has advantages, it's often thought as liability because it brings skin problems such as acne and blackheads. If you have oily skin and are suffering from acne and blackheads like I am, you might want to understand the causes of oily skin and seek the right treatment.

There are a number of factors that contribute to oily skin. The major factor is overactive sebaceous glands which are normally caused by the hormonal shifts of adolescence. The increased amount of sebum oozed out of sebaceous glands will result in more acne breakouts due to increased clogged pores. Clogged pores is the cause of acne and not the oil itself which is a common misunderstanding. That explains why teenagers are the most common age group to suffer from acne.

Another cause of oily skin is cosmetics. Some cosmetic products contain alcohol and when they are applied on oily skin, the alcohol will strip the skin of oil. This sounds like a perfectly logical thing to do. But the human body works in a very amazing way. When the skin senses loss of oil, the skin quickly accelerates oil production to replace the loss oil, leaving your skin oilier than before. So pick your beauty products wisely or they’ll do more harm than good to your skin.

Some people develop oily skin as a result of stress. I would categorize myself under this group. I generally don’t have oily skin but ever since I started working, I’ve had that shine on the T-zone. I never really thought it was due to stress and blamed it on getting up at the early hour and whatnot until I went on a two week vacation last year. After that vacation, I realized my skin had become less oily. It doesn’t have to be mental stress. Physical stress such as cold, menstruation and allergies can also be contributing factors to oily skin.

There are other causes for oily skin but those I have mentioned here are the common causes of oily skin. Understanding the causes of oily skin is the key to the right solution.