Shiny skin is common when you have hyperactive sebaceous glands, which can be caused by various factors, such as puberty, genetics, hormonal imbalance, or climatic conditions. Fortunately, you can manage your shiny skin. Keep reading to discover the solutions! In other words, shiny skin can be a sign of healthy skin. However, excess oil on your skin can lead to problems like acne breakouts. Conversely, if your skin loses its shine and appears dull, it is a cause for concern as this can lead to skin dryness and crepiness. Although many women desire shiny and glowing skin, the excess shine can be annoying. If your skin turns oily and shiny after a few hours of cleansing, it means you have overactive sebaceous glands. This is common in people with oily skin, and multiple factors may cause excessive sebum production. Let’s take a look.
Causes Of Shiny Skin
1. You Have Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, it is obvious that your skin will produce more sebum than other skin types. Most of the time, those with oily skin have shine and grease around their T-zone. Enlarged pores around this area may also cause excess sebum production.
2. Excessive Sweating
Other than sebum, the skin also secretes sweat, which, together with the sebum, may make your skin appear shiny.
3. Environmental Factors
Hot and humid weather can also cause excess sebum production, giving you shiny skin. If you have oily and combination skin, you may get shiny skin during summers.
4. Wrong Skin Care And Makeup Products
Using the wrong skin care products may also cause excessively shiny skin. For instance, if you have oily skin and use a heavy cream containing plant or petrolatum-based oils, your skin may appear shiny. Similarly, using a cream-based or liquid foundation may also make your skin appear shiny.
5. Excessive Cleansing And Exfoliation
You may feel tempted to wash your oily skin multiple times a day to keep the shine away. However, you do not realize that overdoing this step is causing excess oil production. When you cleanse too much, your skin feels the need to moisturize itself and may increase the sebum production. Similarly, excessive exfoliation can also trigger your skin to produce excess oil to cover up the moisture loss. On the other hand, not cleansing can lead to clogged skin pores, causing breakouts and shiny skin. Moderation is the key to maintaining a balance. Here are some ways to strike a balance and prevent your skin from getting shiny.
How To Reduce The Shine: Is It Possible To Prevent Shiny Skin?
1. Use A Proper Cleanser
Wash your face with a mild cleanser that contains salicylic acid (a BHA). Never wash your face more than twice a day. Avoid using facial soap bars and wet wipes that contain alcohol. Salicylic acid helps break down the oil in the skin pores and prevents pore clogging without making the skin excessively dry.
2. Exfoliate Once A Week
It is because excessive exfoliation can trigger the skin to produce more sebum. It may also irritate your skin. Therefore, be careful not to overdo it. You may use an AHA and BHA-based chemical exfoliator or a physical exfoliator containing activated charcoal. These ingredients clear the excess oil from your pores and keep them clean, thus reducing oil production and shine.
3. Use Toners
Do not skip this step. Toners with ingredients like glycolic acid and lactic acid can help dry out the excess oil and reduce the shine. Moreover, they can help minimize the appearance of the pores and give a toned took to the skin.
4. Use Proper Makeup Products
If you are trying to mattify your skin, go for oil-free primers that have shine-control or oil-absorbing properties. Apply them to the areas that produce excess oil, like the T-zone. If you have excessively oily skin, go light on foundations. They can feel heavy and prevent the skin from breathing. Instead, go for lightweight tinted moisturizers. Keep a sebum-preventing powder handy. Use it for touch-ups and prevent shine. No-sebum powders have a mineral-based formula that absorbs excess oil and prevents shine for at least a few hours.
5. Use A Moisturizer
Wondering why use a moisturizer on oily skin? Well, when your skin is moisturized, your skin does not need to produce excess sebum to keep it moisturized. So, for many, skipping moisturizers is a strict no-no. Use a lightweight, water-based moisturizer. You can use emulsions or gel-based products that contain hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and green tea. Emulsions are water-based and are excellent for oily skin.
6. Wear Sunscreen
The trick is to find the right formula and consistency. Check for sheer sunscreens with an oil-free formula and micronized zinc oxide to absorb excess oil. Zinc in the formula can help prevent acne without causing shine or oiliness.
7. Use A Clay Mask
Once a week, treat your skin with a clay mask. Check for masks with bentonite clay, Fuller’s earth, and kaolin clay. They absorb the excess oil from your skin and exfoliate it to keep it bright and glowing.
8. Use Mattifying Setting Spray
Mattifying setting sprays are your best friends and keep away the shine for longer. Make sure to use it the right way – prep your skin, use your skin care products, and before you apply a primer and makeup, spritz the mattifying setting spray, and let it dry. These sprays lock in all the skin care ingredients and oil to work as a barrier between your skin care and makeup products.
9. Try The Coconut Setting Powder
Never heard of it? Well, this is a pale-looking powder that vanishes when applied to the skin. It removes surface oil to give you that shine-free look. However, resist your urge to apply it all over the face – limit it to shiny hotspots like your T-zone. Why does my skin look waxy? Waxy skin is most commonly caused by high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The affected area becomes difficult to move because the skin feels tighter and looks much thicker than the healthy tissue around it. As the tissue thickens, it becomes waxy and somewhat shiny. What is glass skin? Glass skin refers to skin that is so flawlessly smooth, even-toned, and shiny that it appears to be made of glass.
