The Sudsy Soapery

Oil for Acne

Oil for Acne! Yes, we do use oil on our acne prone skin. We use oil both as a wash and a moisturizer. While cleansing and exfoliating products are also used, we still recommend a follow up with a good moisturizer that will include some oil. Read below for our reasons why? Pores are not clogged by oil alone.

Pores are not clogged only by oil but by a combination of oil and dead skin cells and possibly hair. Normal healthy skin produces an oil called sebum. Sebum is released through the pores and keeps the skin from drying out. Dried out skin is more prone to bacteria or other microorganisms penetrating the surface and causing infection. It is true that when we go through hormonal changes our skin produces more sebum. Sebum then builds up under the surface of the skin and possibly becomes infected with bacteria, in the clogged pore. Still, sebum is a liquid and would simply run out through the pore if the pore were not clogged by a combination of dead skin cells, hair and of course sebum.

2.       Dried out skin produces more dead skin cells than moisturized skin.

All healthy skin regenerates itself from below the surface. Those new skin cells slowly work their way to the surface as old skin cells die off, fall off and then, the new skin cells surface. Still, dried out, flaky skin is going to have far more dead skin cells than moisturized skin. Remember dead skin cells are one of the ingredients in the plug, clogging your pores.

3.       Not all oils are created equally.

As you know all skin produces an oily substance called sebum. Sebum is part of the combination that clogs pores, thus causing a pimple. Still some believe that hormonal changes may cause the sebum to be thicker. Thicker sebum will be less likely to drain through the pore. A thin oil, such as hempseed or argan, may soak into the pores and help thin out the overly thick sebum. The sebum then can more easily flow through the pore rather than clog. Soap and water will not absorb into the pores and dissolve the thicker sebum as readily as a thin oil might. Although this theory has never been proven or disproven by mainstream medicine, it is backed up by the fact that many people with very oily skin never get much acne. Their face is oily, but the sebum is thin enough to drain as it should. Also, the personal experience of myself and others has shown that regular (moderate) use of a non-comedogenic oil reduces the occurrence of pimples.

4.       Dry skin is more likely to scar.

It is probably unavoidable to get a certain amount of acne during certain stages of your life. Someday your teen and young adult years will be over. While you may miss some things from that time of your life, we would like to think the acne will be left long behind. Not so if you are one of those who develop severe scarring from acne. The majority of scarring can be prevented by refraining from picking or ‘popping’ blemishes. Still, a good, nutrient rich moisturizer (we love rosehip for this) will provide needed nutrients to help the skin heal.

So what kind of oil should I use on my face.

                If you get acne you will want to check the comedogenic rating of any product you put on your face. Comedogenic ratings are gotten by testing the product on a rabbit’s ear. The oils that cause more clogged pores on the rabbit ear will have a higher comedogenic rating and oils that cause fewer clogs a lower rating. An oil or product that has a comedogenic rating of zero or is labeled non-comedogenic will, in theory, not clog pores. The comedogenic rating of most natural oils can be found online. For a product that does not list the comedogenic rating you would have to look up the rating of the individual ingredients. The catch of coarse is that not all facial skin is identical and of course is not identical to a rabbit ear. So, you must test any product for yourself to see if it works for you. Buy a small amount and test on one area for problems before going headlong. For myself, through my teen years but still experiencing the normal hormonal fluctuations of womanhood, I usually do well with a comedogenic rating of one or less. Teens probably should stick with products that have a rating of zero. Wash your face regularly to remove dirt and dead skin cells and follow-up with an appropriate moisturizer.