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Skin guide / Oily skin

Dryness on oily skin

Oily skin can be dehydrated (low water) while still producing oil, which shows as shine with tightness. A water-based humectant serum and a gel moisturizer answer both; skipping moisturizer makes it worse.

What dryness is

Dryness is low water in the outer layer of skin, usually because the barrier that holds water in is thin or disturbed: cold dry air, hot showers, harsh cleansers, and age all take from it. Formulas built for it work on three fronts: humectants pull water in, emollients smooth the rough edges, and occlusives slow water leaving.

What oily skin wants

Gels, fluids and lotions; a gel or foaming cleanser; clay or charcoal masks once or twice a week. Oily skin still needs a moisturizer, just a light one.

Cleanser: a gel or gentle foaming cleanser. Go easy on: Heavy butters and coconut oil on the face, stripping cleansers that leave skin squeaky (rebound shine), and picking.

Look for on the label

Go easy on, for dryness: Foaming cleansers, alcohol-heavy toners, daily exfoliating acids, and long hot showers.

Morning

  1. Rinse or a cream cleanser
  2. Hydrating serum on damp skin
  3. Moisturizer
  4. Sunscreen SPF 30+

Evening

  1. Cream or oil cleanser
  2. Hydrating serum
  3. Rich moisturizer
  4. Occlusive balm on the driest patches

Thinnest to thickest, water-based before oil-based, sunscreen last in the morning and first off at night. Add one new product at a time and give it two weeks. The routine tool orders whatever you own.

On the site for dryness

All →

Tagged from the maker's own description; moisturizers, serums and oils, butters and balms, body oils first. Read each label against the list above.

Dryness on other skin types

Dew & Balm describes ingredients and label categories from the public record (FDA OTC monographs, the EU CosIng database, PubMed) and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. A concern that persists, hurts, bleeds or spreads is for a dermatologist, and anything on prescription is between you and yours.