ASK SAJ: Oil Control HELP!

Samara C., Jessica W.,  Judith R. and Hannah F. ask:
"I have oily skin, what can I do to control the oil and what type of makeup do you recommend I use"?



Though each email was worded differently, the concerns were all the same.

Ladies, I FEEL your pain, I swear to you, I can deep fry some chicken on the oil slick that covers my face within hours!

Here is the first solution.......EMBRACE IT! Oily skin is the BEST skin type to have! ( no offence to other types :P ) It ages the best as its always "moisturized" ....but it is a b@#$ to keep clean.

One of the main problems that women with oily skin have, is the tendency to wage war with the oil. Using harsh products in an attempt to dry your skin out will only cause your skin to go into "panic mode" thinking that something is terribly wrong and to correct it MORE oil is needed. So you see the problem there...the more you try to "dry" it out...the more oil your skin produces.


Second solution! Pay attention to cleaning! Oily skin sadly goes hand in hand with acne prone skin because of the clogged pores and all that jazz. If you followed my first article on Acne Treatment you will know that you must have a Cleaning system. Please read it if you missed it here.

To properly clean your oily skin I recommend looking for a face wash with the consistency of shampoo, "cream" cleansers and the likes won't cut it for our skin, as we need major break down.

Again Toner or Astringent is your BFF, my fave is Witch Hazel and finally your moisturizer, a step that should NEVER be skipped even if you think your "oil" will do the job.

Be sure that your products and moisturizer of choice are labelled for Oily Skin or Oil Free.

A common misconception with foundation is the term "oil free". A lot of women believe that it means your face will be oil free, but what it really means is that the product itself is free of oils, e.g essential oils etc, which would be lovely on dry skin..but oil over dose on oily skin.

Now our face is nicely clean, it's time for our second face right? :)

Makeup Products:

Primer: An oil free primer or primer for oily skin will help your makeup stay longer and DELAY your oil's grand appearance. Notice I said delay...there is no way to ever not have oil...( it's okay breathe slowly, you'll be fine)

Foundation: Once again be sure to go for Oil Free/ For Oily Skin.

Blotting Powders: Usually in compact form, keep this in your purse for touch ups through out the day, I recommend setting your foundation first with a loose translucent setting powder, then doing touch ups when needed with the blotting powder. I don't recommend pressed powders ( not to be confused with blotting powders) as these tend to be a bit too emollient for oily skin and basically break down at the sight of oil.

Blotting Papers: These are light strips of "rice paper" in small compact packaging to fit in your day bag and evening clutch. Press gently over your oily areas to quickly absorb any oil showing on your skin, without disturbing your makeup application. Much better than tissue which may leave an imprint/ texture to your foundation and little pieces of lint like the Charmin baby Bear's bum

Extreme Insider tip:
Not your department brand primer, but many swear by a light coat of Milk of Magnesia ( not the cherry one) over your face and once dried, apply your makeup over it. I do not, and cannot, recommend this for every day as your face may explode like a Dam with oil..well maybe not...but I'm saying.

I hope this helps ladies!

Try some of these products below for oil control help!

Face Primer by NARS

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Questions will be answered every Friday at 2:00pm

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com