Maintaining a good skincare routine helps keep your skin fresh. Because you're shedding skin cells constantly, an effective routine can keep your skin glowing while helping to prevent acne, wrinkles, dark spots and other types of skin blemishes. Your skin is not like a suit that you can take off when it gets sullied; it's something that must be maintained consistently.

Ingredients to Avoid with Oily Skin

Oily skin, while certainly not the end of the world, comes with its share of issues. The environment itself can harm oily skin. Humidity and hot weather, for instance, tend to stimulate the secretion of sebum, leading to more oil on the skin. In arid or cold climates, on the other hand, skin can dry out, causing oil glands to go into overdrive to compensate.

Coconut oil is not a good product to use with oily skin. Coconut oil is highly comedogenic, which means that it can clog pores. In the long run, alcohol can damage pores and increase greasiness. This drying effect is bad for oily skin. Fragrances often employ phthalates, which are harsh chemicals that can seep into skin and do serious damage.

What Causes Oily Skin?

Both the environment and foods can both cause oily skin, as well as your genetics. Foods such as salty snacks and deep-fried items like fried chicken contain trans-fats that aggravate oily skin. Dairy products and red meat can also deliver products into your body, like saturated fats, which cause oily skin.

5 Step Skincare Routine For Oily Skin

1. Cleanse

The first step in skin care is to clean it. By using gentle products to remove anything that has built up on your skin, you're preparing it for a proper replenishing cycle that can last through the day or night.

2. Exfoliate

Exfoliation is a great way to detoxify your skin. It helps slough off dead skin cells and promotes new cell growth, creating a bright, glowing complexion.

3. Apply a Treatment / Serums

Serums are designed to deliver key skincare ingredients more quickly and deeper into your skin to get acute and long-term results. Small Batch Serums include  Vitamin C Boost Serum,  CoQ10 Boost Serum and  Hyaluronic Pure Boost Serum.

Small Batch Serums' CoQ10 Boost Serum uses clean ingredients to offer a natural antioxidant approach to clinical skincare. It can help to naturally restore the elasticity of your skin and is designed to reduce fine lines while brightening overall tone. Some benefits of this serum include:

• Reduces sun damage
• Fights free radicals
• Smooths and firms skin

4. Moisturize

Moisturizing can improve skin barrier repair and maintain your skin's integrity and appearance. It does this by acting as humectants, emollients and occlusives.

5. SPF

Applying a little bit of sun protection, especially if you live in a place that is dominated by strong, warm sunlight, is important. You'll want to supplement your skincare routine by applying a small amount as the last step, before you go out.

When it comes to SPF, the magic number, according to doctors and dermatologists, is 30. While sunscreens with SPF 15 are capable of blocking up to 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks about 97 percent of UVB rays.

How to Navigate Oily Skin Challenges

Oily skin comes with some serious challenges. However, with the right products and routine, you can maintain balanced, healthy skin. 

One of our top tips for those with oily skin is to avoid overwashing the skin. As tempting as it may be, you shouldn’t wash your face more than two times per day. Doing so can actually strip natural moisture – which can trigger the skin to produce even more oil to compensate. 

We also recommend finding a high-quality moisturizer that works for your skin type. Even those with oily skin need to moisturize, as a good moisturizer can help balance the skin and support the barrier. However, finding a formula suitable for your skin is key to ensuring it doesn’t make your complexion look and feel even oilier than it already is. Rather than reaching for richer formulas, find a non-comedogenic and oil-free gel or gel-cream moisturizer that adds moisture and hydration back to the skin without weighing it down. 

On a similar note, those that wear makeup should find products that work with their skin, rather than against it. Makeup products like creamy foundations and liquid blushes can feel heavy on oily skin, and can often exacerbate shine. Water-based formulas that are made without oils typically work best for oily complexions. Powder makeup is also oily skin’s best friend, as it can absorb oil to reduce shine. 

Daily Tips for Managing Oily Skin

Here are a few tips for managing your skin’s oil levels on a daily basis:

• Cleanse with a gentle foaming face wash both morning and night to get rid of excess oil and prevent clogged pores.
• Keep your skin well-hydrated (which can actually help keep oil levels balanced!) by applying a lightweight hydrating serum (like the  Hyaluronic Pure Boost Serum) daily. 
• Avoid touching your face, which can spread bacteria, debris, and even more oil to the skin. 
• Carry blotting papers with you to quickly reduce shine while on-the-go. 

When you use Small Batch Serums' products, such as our Vitamin C Boost Serum, you'll be using fragrance-free products that are made in small batches for freshness sake. Visit a health and beauty shop today to get the serums and other skincare products that will help you to protect your skin tomorrow.