7 Tips for Fighting Oily Summer Skin

Wash Right

Even if you don't tend to break out, switching to a cleanser that fights zits in the summer will keep your skin looking matte. Choose one with 2 percent salicylic acid, which helps break down oil in the pores but isn't over drying. (We like Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser.) 

Don't Scrimp on Sunblock

A healthy dose of sunblock (a teaspoon for your face), surprisingly, helps control oil and shine. Skip your morning moisturizer and slather on a mineral-based block (with oil-absorbing micronized zinc or titanium dioxide, like Nia 24 Sun Damage Prevention 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30) or one with denatured alcohol, which makes the skin matte. (Look for "alcohol denat" or "SD alcohol 40" on the label; La Roche-Posay Anthelios W Gel SPF 40 has it.)

 

Scale Back on Makeup

Foundation not only feels heavy in hot weather—it melts into your pores and clogs them, and they produce more oil. Switch to a tinted moisturizer with silicone, like Elizabeth Arden Sheer Lights, which forms a shield over the skin, keeping makeup where it belongs. Or try a mineral powder foundation, which sucks up excess oil like a sponge. (Try ColoreScience Sunforgettable.)

Watch What You Eat

Cocktails and spicy foods may hit the spot on a hot night. But they won't do your skin any favors; they dilate blood vessels, and make you perspire. Limit yourself to one drink a night, and eat spicy foods no more than once a week. And consider loading up instead on carrots, cantaloupe, and spinach; foods like these that are high in vitamin A can actually slow oil production.

Become a Facialist

 
1. Exfoliate once a week. Dermatologist Doris Day recommends the Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System, which uses sonic frequency to loosen dirt and oil in the pores. Or go old-school with a gentle scrub, like our favorite, Garnier Nutritioniste Pure Microbead Cream.

2. Follow with a mask. Look for one with clay or salicylic acid—they both temporarily decrease oil production in the skin. (Try St. Ives Mineral Blue Clay Firming Mask or Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask.)

3. If you're still greasy, get the strong stuff. Instead of the above exfoliators, try an at-home peel with salicylic or glycolic acid. (We like the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel.) Then apply the mask above a day later to avoid drying out the skin.

 

Lighten Up on the Night Cream

 

Take your bedtime beauty routine down a notch. If you use a cream, switch to a lotion; if you use a lotion, switch to a hydrating serum. Whatever the formula, be sure the product contains oil-zapping salicylic or glycolic acid, pore-shrinking caffeine, or anti-inflammatory niacinamide. (Try Dermalogica MediBac Clearing Oil Control Lotion or DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum.) And watch where you put them: "You never have to moisturize your nose—there are enough oil glands there as is," 

 

Blot Your Heart Out

Just don't use a powder puff, or you'll create a cakey mess. Instead, reach for blotting papers with a touch of translucent powder, like Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers. "They soak up excess oil and don't overstrip, so you really can't overuse them," 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoys~