How To Achieve Balanced Skin – Whatever Your Skin Type
Whether your skin is too oily or too dry, balancing your sebum is a major step towards healthier skin.
Sebum can be a real headache. Some of you might have too much of it, making your skin oily and annoyingly shiny. The rest of you might not have enough, causing your skin to be dry and maybe even a bit itchy. If only we could all have exactly the right amount to make our skin seem, well, normal.
Ha, normal. If only that were so easy. While normal skin is a type, just as much as dry, oily and combination, we’re not convinced that many people are actually blessed with normal skin. Know someone? Then lucky you/them.
For the rest of us, our skin type is all down to how much sebum is produced at a cellular level. Oily skin produces excessive amounts which can cause blocked pores, breakouts and excess shine; combination skin has too much in some areas and not enough in others resulting in potential pimples in the T-zone and dryness elsewhere (the worst of both worlds, some might say); while dry skin doesn’t produce enough sebum, making it sensitive, itchy, flaky and tight.
The truth is, you can’t change the skin type you were born with – because, genes – however, your sebum levels can be controlled (to a degree) by smart lifestyle habits and a good skincare routine.
So let’s delve deeper into the world of sebum, shall we?
What Is Sebum?
Sebum is a slightly yellow, clear, oily lipid that’s produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin’s dermis – the layer underneath the epidermis. Sebum is composed mostly of fatty acids, squalene, wax esters, glycerol and cholesterol and it reaches the surface of your skin via hair follicles. This is why most of it is concentrated on your face, scalp and genital area. The only area of your skin where you won’t find sebum to some degree? On the palms of your hands and soles of your feet because, surprise surprise, these are the only parts of your body that don’t have hair.
Why Sebum Is So Important For Healthy Skin
Although sebum can be super annoying because it rarely behaves itself, it’s actually extremely important in maintaining happy, healthy skin. Not only does it keep your skin lubricated and moisturized by sealing in hydration and preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) but another important function is to help protect your skin from UV damage. It does this by transporting antioxidants to the surface of your skin. Smart stuff, right? Sebum also keeps your skin’s pH level in check and has antibacterial qualities which is extremely important for fighting infection and reducing inflammation.
5 Tricks For Regulating Your Sebum Levels
The amount of sebum your skin produces is mainly influenced by genetics. However, your age, hormones, skincare regime, diet, stress levels and the climate in which you live all play an important role in helping to maintain balance. So, while you can’t change your genes or stop Father Time, there are many other ways to take charge. Read on for four of the most effective ones…
1. Cleanse Regularly, But Gently
Start off right with an effective cleansing routine and your levels of sebum stand a much better chance of being balanced and more controlled.
But what is the right cleansing routine? Well, your choice of formulation depends on your skin type. But whether you go for a lightweight gel or a rich, creamy lotion like our new Soothing Cleansing Milk, know that the kinder your cleanser is to your skin, the better this will be for your sebaceous glands. It’s tempting to go for a super astringent product to reduce excess oil, for example, but anything that’s too drying will cause your sebaceous glands to go into overdrive, thus making your skin even oilier in the long run.
Cleanse twice daily, for sure, but keep your products free of synthetic fragrance, harsh preservatives and strong detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate. Your sebum levels will really thank you for it.
2. Choose The Right Moisturizer
Hydrating your skin with serums that contain water magnets like glycerin and hyaluronic acid is vital because these draw water to the skin’s surface and help to reduce dehydration. However, to truly help balance sebum, your choice of moisturizer is far more important.
If your skin is lacking in sebum, your job is to help prevent further dryness by embracing rich moisturizers that contain occlusive ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter and botanical oils. These help create a seal over the skin’s surface to stop moisture from escaping. Oh, and we love Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer in case you were wondering.
On the other hand, skin that has sebum coming out of its ears (not literally, of course!) should avoid heavy oils and butters because they can block the pores and encourage breakouts. Instead, you want to stick with emollient ingredients like vitamin E that help smooth the skin and regulate hyperactive sebaceous glands.
3. Eat Right
Eating a balanced diet isn’t just about keeping your weight in check and your health at an optimum. It can also have profound effects on your skin. Certain studies show that foods high in sugar or refined carbs, for example, accelerate a hormone called IGF-1 whose role it is to promote growth and yes, you’ve guessed it, stimulate sebum production. Similarly, trans fats have been linked to inflammation in the skin, which also overstimulates the sebaceous glands and results in excess oil.
Healthy fats, on the other hand, like omega-3s found in nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocados, are awesome for helping to regulate sebum production while improving the fatty acid composition in your skin and strengthening your skin’s barrier function.
Whatever your skin type, its best to limit your intake of sugar, processed carbs and nasty old trans fats, while upping your fill of omega-3s and brightly colored fruit and veggies which are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for all-round healthier skin.
4. Be More Zen
Stress. Even the sound of that word can increase your levels of emotional anxiety. And it’s true that chronic levels of stress play havoc with your hormones. But how do hormones affect the skin specifically? When your stress levels are high your body produces more adrenaline and cortisol (the ‘stress’ hormone). Cortisol is well-known for screwing up your skin’s barrier function, thus causing inflammation and really messing with sebum production.
The killer blow is that this can go one of two ways. If your skin is dry in the first place, it’ll probably get even drier. Whereas if you have oily skin, this depletion of natural oils on the surface of your skin will stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce even more oil. Can’t. Win.
We get that reducing stress is easier said than done, but try introducing a little me-time into your daily schedule to address your emotional anxieties and take five. Go for a walk, do some yoga, even just read a book for 15 minutes. It’s amazing how concentrating on you for a moment can help ease your mind.
Oh, and make sure to get plenty of sleep. We can’t stress that enough. No pun intended.
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![5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts]()
No idea why you’re getting an influx of acne right now? Many lifestyle habits can trigger your breakouts – and sometimes they’re found in the most unsuspecting places.
As you know, acne is caused by one thing and one thing alone: an excess of sebum that causes your pores to become blocked with oil, dead skin cells, bacteria and other impurities. Eating too much chocolate doesn’t give you pimples. Neither does moisturizer. Sure, they can trigger breakouts if you’re genetically susceptible to them, but acne isn’t caused by uncleanliness, a poor diet or crummy skincare routine. It’s caused by blocked pores. End of.
OK, so this begs the question: why bother trying to cure them if your breakouts are totally out of your control? Well, here’s the thing. You can’t change your genes, that’s for certain. However, what you can do is keep acne-triggering factors under control to help lessen the blow. Sleeping well, reducing emotional stress and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet; all these things are important for maintaining balanced sebum and therefore reducing the likelihood of you breaking out week after week.
But there are also some less obvious reasons why you face might be suffering with regular breakouts. So if you’ve already dispensed with things like smoking, poor cleansing and too much exfoliation, but you’re still getting pimples on the reg, it might be time to look at some of the more unexpected areas of your life.
On that note, read on for five slightly more unusual causes for your breakouts.
1. Your Pillowcase
Getting enough beauty sleep is crucial for the health of your skin, but if you’re sleeping on a dirty pillowcase for a solid eight hours every night dirt and bacteria is inevitably going to build up and irritate your pores. This is especially true if you sleep on a synthetic pillowcase because man-made fibers don’t absorb sweat as effectively as natural fibres like cotton or linen.
The answer? Go natural all the way, for starters. Also, cleanse and moisturize your skin before bed to reduce the amount of grime getting on your pillowcase. Tea Tree Super Cleanser+ is a great acne-fighting cleanser that balances and clarifies your pores. Follow this with Retinol Moisturizer to lightly hydrate and moisturize your skin while boosting cellular turnover to keep your pores free of dead skin cells.
Finally, wash your pillowcase every three or four days. And ditto, your face towel. Old, dirty towels that are used by the whole family for drying their hands and who-knows-what-else are another breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Do you really want to be swiping this all over your freshly cleansed skin? Thought not. So, invest in a couple of cotton face towels for you and you alone and wash them every other day.
2. Your Makeup & Hair Products
Your skincare routine might be spot on, but what about your makeup and hair products? Rich hair conditioners, for example, are notorious for containing heavy ingredients like cocoa butter and coconut oil which, granted, are incredible for moisturizing your precious locks, but are not so great for acne-prone skin. Of course, we know you’re not smothering your face with conditioner but still, it can settle on your face when you rinse your hair so always cleanse your skin after, never before conditioning.
Makeup can similarly clog up your pores, especially if you use formulations that contain oil. So don’t do that. Instead, look out for noncomedogenic products (this means they’re less likely to block pores) and use powder rather than liquid formulations whenever possible.
3. Your Workout Routine
Do you love to get a good sweat on when you’re working out? High fives to you. However, allow all that sweat and grime to sit on your skin and your pores are going to clog up quicker than your instructor can say ‘hit the floor for ten push-ups.’
Cleanse your skin thoroughly and swiftly after exercising (the longer you leave your skin doused in sweat and grimy workout gear, the more bacteria is likely to breed), and always use a mild but effective cleanser that helps to detoxify your skin without drying it out. Our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is a goodie as it harnesses the powers of coconut-derived activated charcoal which destroys skin-smothering impurities to offer a deep, gently purifying clean every time.
4. Your Winter Cover-Ups
Any fabric that rubs against your skin can lead to unwanted issues in the long-term. Remember how face masks were causing ‘maskne’ back in the pandemic? This was all due to friction from the mask combining with the obvious culprits of sweat, dirt, oil, bacteria and humidity which caused dryness, irritation and pimples.
Thankfully, for most of us, the days of having to wear a mask 24/7 are over. However, if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter and like to wrap yourself up in woollen hats and thick, heavy scarves, these can cause similar problems, trapping sweat and increasing friction around your chin, jaw, neck and forehead.
To help reduce breakouts caused by beanies, scarves (and even turtleneck sweaters), avoid synthetic fabrics and launder your winter cover-ups regularly. Weekly, at least.
5. Your Laundry Detergent
Speaking of laundry, your choice of detergent is also imperative. Just like your beauty routine, certain ingredients in your laundry detergent can be super irritating – especially if you have extremely sensitive or acne-prone skin. Fragrance, for example, can be a real Debbie Downer, as can harsh dyes, essentials oils, strong surfactants and preservatives.
To reduce the likelihood of your laundry detergent triggering those pesky breakouts, first up, choose liquid over powder detergents. Why? Because these leave behind less residue on your clothes and fabrics (who knew?!). Also, never use more detergent than is recommended on the label, avoid fabric softeners and try double rinsing your laundry after washing to remove as much residue as possible.
5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts
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