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Can I Be Oily and Dry at the Same Time?

Winter is in full effect and you are probably experiencing the dreaded dry, winter skin.

But if you have oily skin you might be experiencing both. Yes, you can be oily and dry at the same time, but by dry, I mean dehydrated. Skin needs both oil and water in the skin to maintain a nice, healthy balance but this time of year we rapidly lose water from the skin. This is called transepidermal water loss, or TEWL. It's the same concept as a puddle evaporating off the sidewalk.

So why does this happen so much in the winter?

Well, there is much less moisture in the air this time of year. We go outside and we are blasted by the cold and then we go inside and we are blasted by dry furnace heat. We are likely taking longer, hotter showers and baths. And if you are anything like me, you are drinking way more coffee than water. All these environmental factors lead to decreased barrier function in the skin, meaning your skin's protective barrier can no longer keep your moisture where it belongs.

Oily, dehydrated skin proves to be bad news for the pores. Without the healthy balance of oil and water, the oil in the skin can build up in the pores and lead to an increase in blackheads and whiteheads.

So here are a few things to help remedy the situation.

1. Use products that are humectants.

Humectants rehydrate the skin by attracting water. Hyaluronic Acid, urea, and glycerine are some of the most common humectants found in skincare. Deep Wrinkle Serum is great for all skin types.

2. Lock that moisture in the skin with occlusive agents.

Common occlusive agents include silicones, shea butter, niacinamide, and zinc oxide. If you have oily skin, I do suggest staying away from shea butter as it can make clogged pores worse. Silicones are great as long as you wash them off at the end of the day. Leaving them on suffocates the skin.

A great option for non-acne skin is Silky Sunscreen as your final morning step. For those of you who struggle with acne, try Advanced Protection spf 30.

3. Avoid environmental stressors that dry the skin.

Keep showers warm, not hot. Drink more water. Run a humidifier in the house. Drink more water. Oh, and drink more water. I'm talking to myself here.

4. Lightly exfoliate the skin.

Light exfoliation will gently remove the dead, dry skin cells building up on the surface of the skin.

Sometimes these dead skin cells stop hydrating ingredients from getting deep enough in the skin so by removing them, you will help your products work more effectively. Just don't overdo it. Too much exfoliation will dry out the skin even more. I recommend 2-3 times a week for oily skin types with a gentle scrub or AHA's like lactic acid or mandelic acid.

Get Glowing gently exfoliates using scrubbing beads allowing your other products work more efficiently. Or for daily exfoliation, a leave-on serum like Pore + Wrinkle Correcting Serum keeps the pores clean while fighting wrinkles.