Why Do I Have Oily Skin?

Being a teenager comes with a whole host of new problems in your life. One of the biggest is that your whole body seems to betray you. A common way in which a teenager’s body makes trouble is in the form of oily skin and acne. As you will see, these two problems are related, and knowing how to deal with oily skin will also help you better understand how to treat your acne.

Why Do Teenagers Suffer More from Oily Skin?

The oil you see on your skin that makes it slick and shiny isn’t the same kind of oil that you find in say, your pizza. This is why it’s important to realize that you shouldn’t focus on the relationship between eating greasy foods and oily skin. It still may not be good for you to eat those foods, but that’s not why your skin is oily. Oily skin comes from overproduction of sebum, which is oil created by your sebaceous glands to smooth the flow of hair through your pores. When you reach puberty, certain hormones are activated, and this hormonal surge can stimulate the sebaceous glands, resulting in more sebum and hence, oily skin. How oily your skin gets is based on genetics, not your behavior.

Why Do Teenagers Suffer More from Acne?

Everyone knows that teenagers are the biggest victims of acne. Almost every teenager gets at least some acne, and some even get severe cases. Acne rarely shows up before teenage years. While adults do experience acne, in most cases it is with less severity and frequency than what teenagers experience.

Why is this? The reason is very simple. There are a number of products that comprise the acne you see on your skin. There is acne causing bacteria, and there are dead skin cells and other skin debris. But the bacteria and this detritus need some kind of “glue” to bring it all together and create acne. That glue? You guessed it: sebum. Sebum is a major component in acne, so the more sebum your body is producing, the better chance you have of seeing acne outbreaks. The same thing that is causing your oily skin is a big contributor to your acne.

How Can Teens Treat Oily Skin and Acne?

So you have oily skin and acne. What are you going to do about it? Unfortunately, there aren’t really any products you can get to halt your production of sebum, so you’re going to have to live with the oily skin for now. However, you can do a lot to reduce oily skin’s negative effects. You should certainly wash your face regularly with soap and water, but you should also regularly use an acne cleanser. A good acne cleanser can wipe away excess oil and dirt, and will also include benzoyl peroxide, which opens up pores and kills acne causing bacteria, fading your acne faster. You’ll also want to avoid using makeup or lotions that are oil or alcohol based, and try to find skin care products labeled as non-comedogenic.