This post was just a little idea I had recently, I thought I would share all my knowledge (not that there is mountains of it) on the oily skin type. It seems like there are so many restrictions when you have oily skin, but most of them are actually myths or things that can be manoeuvred around. I hope this is somewhat useful, and just a disclaimer that these are just my thoughts and I am in no way qualified to give skincare advice.

Washing & Exfoliating

In my experience it is best to wash your face twice a day maximum, excess cleansing can strip the skin of its natural oils, this will cause it to over compensate and produce more oil. I would go for a light cleanser like a micellar water or other liquid cleansers that don't require water as opposed to a cream cleanser. Cream cleansers are designed to be moisturising so they are not what you want to use all the time, but I like to use a cream cleanser at night or every other night.

Blemishes

Again, try not to use products that are designed to dry skin out, instead try natural remedies. If you have particularly bad skin and have to use drying products to get rid of them (like me) then be sure to apply them directly to the spot with a cotton bud and not all over your face. You can get non-drying products to use all over your face to prevent spots from appearing, I love using the Tea Tree Water by Lush as a toner.

Moisturisers

Don't be tempted to forget about the moisturiser, just because your skin is oily doesn't mean it is not dehydrated. Use a light, oil free moisturiser for the day time and a slightly heavier one at night to make sure your skin still gets all the moisture that it needs.

"Mattifying" and "oil control" don't automatically mean that the products are drying, one of my favourite mattifying products is actually a moisturiser, the Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream by The Body Shop. A new favourite of mine is the MAC Oil Control Lotion, its a primer, that mattifies my skin but doesn't leave my face feeling stiff or dried out.

Foundation

If you go for a full coverage, matte finish foundation, try not to use it all over your face, the more products you pile on, the more clogged your skin is getting, so just use it where you are most oily or where you have the most blemishes and blend it out at the edges.

Masks

It is a good idea to use face masks, deep cleansing masks are great at getting rid of excess oil. Make sure you pick one with natural purifying ingredients such as clay rather than harsh chemicals. Go for ingredients like shea butter and honey, they are great for absorbing oil without being drying.

Highlighters

Just because you have oily skin does not mean that you cannot use highlighters. The key is not to go overboard, I know a lot of people think "I am naturally shiny, the last thing I want is more shine", but all the mattifying products, foundations and powders can make the face a bit flat looking so adding a little powder highlighter on the cheeks or a dab on the bridge of your nose can bring such life to the face without looking like a grease-ball.

Cream Products

Don't be afraid of cream products like blushers and bronzers, not all of them leave a dewy finish, they all have different finishes and a lot of them are cream-to-powder formulas, so don't instantly dismiss them. One of my all time favourite blushers is a cream formula and a bronzer I recently purchased is a mousse formula but they both have perfectly matte finishes.

Do you have any tips for oily skin that I could use?