Matte skin is another term for oil free skin. An oily skin often appears glossy and shiny which happens because of excess sebum secretion by the sebaceous glands. People have a problem with this excess shine that prevents their skin from looking clear.
It prevents them from wearing makeup as it does not stay for a long time. This is why people desire a matte oil free skin. Matte skin does not mean a completely dry skin, it means a hydrated skin without excess oil.
A face cleanser is the basic step of skincare that everybody follows. It helps in removing excess dirt, dust and even sebum from the skin. This makes it an ideal formulation to be used for removing excess oil from the face.
So if formulated with the right ingredients a face wash for oily skin can be quite helpful in removing excess oil. It helps to remove oil and achieve the desired goal of matte skin.
The science behind shine on the face and need for matte skin
The skin consists of sebaceous glands that are responsible for secretion of oil/sebum which is ideal for skin’s natural moisture and barrier protection. But the excess of it is also not tolerable. Excess sebum secretion can make the face look weirdly shiny.
No matter how many times you wash your face, use blotting papers or wipe off oil, the shine comes back again. Oily skin is not just about shine, it can cause acne also. This happens when the oil gets mixed with impurities like dead skin cells and dirt and deposits on the face and clogs the pores. Excess sebum is triggered by many reasons-
- Stress
- Hormonal imbalance
- Weather
- Pollution
- Diet
- Genetics
- Environmental changes
Matte skin is not the idea of a completely blurred dry skin. It does not mean you have to dry out your skin completely. You just need to regulate the excess oil and wipe the excess only without completely drying out the sebum. The skin still needs its basic hydration and barrier protection to function.
Dryness would trigger even more oil production which is not suitable. So you require an oil control face wash that helps in controlling excess oil and also provides hydration.
How does face wash help?
A face wash is meant for the purpose of removing impurities from the face like dirt, dust and oil. Now an oil control face wash has specialized properties for clearing out the excess oil from the skin. It also helps in providing sufficient hydration for the face.
They are different from ordinary face washes as they are not specified for oily skin and they can cause skin dryness and irritation to skin. Whereas a cleanser for oily skin is meant for the purpose of:
- Removing excess oil from the face
- Unclogging pores
- Wiping off excess shine
- Removing impurities like dirt, dead skin cells and even makeup
- Hydrating the skin
The mechanism behind sebum control
- Deep cleansing: The skin gets accumulated with dirt and impurities throughout the day which can settle on the face and cause clogging on the face. A good cleanser helps in removing these impurities quickly without letting them settle. It clears out the pores by doing a deep cleansing action.
- Clearing excess oil: A salicylic acid face wash helps in clearing out the excess oil from the face by going deep in the pores and clearing excess oil. It does not cause dehydration though. Along with clearing oil from the face it also provides natural skin hydration.
- Unclogging pores: It helps in unclogging of the pores which may often lead to acne and other concerns. So it prevents that from happening and wash off the excess. It also helps in protecting the skin barrier.
Ingredients that can help in oil regulation
- Niacinamide: This alpha hydroxy acid has an effective cleansing action. That works by regulating sebum production and removes excess oil from the surface as well. It also has a soothing anti-inflammatory effect which helps in calming down the skin irritation. Niacinamide is a water-soluble molecule that helps in supporting the barrier protection of the skin.
- Salicylic acid:Salicylic acid: It is an alpha hydroxy acid which is an ideal incorporation in face cleansers because of its active deep cleansing. Salicylic acid dives deep into the pores and clears out the excess oil from the pores. It also helps in clearing out dirt, dead skin cells and makeup. It works by loosening the bonds of dead skin cells and helps in clearing impurities out of the pores.
- Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil has been known to help in regulating sebum production in the face and also it has great anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help in maintaining a clear skin.
- Ceramides: They are barrier protecting agents that have a gentle cleansing property. They help in providing hydration to the face and removing impurities while maintaining moisture.
- Glycolic acid: It is derived alpha hydroxy acid helps a lot in cleansing the surface impurities and helps a lot in achieving a matte skin that is also hydrating.
Last thoughts
Excess sebum can be troublesome especially because of the shiny appearance it gives. You need to not worry about this because it does not control your appearance. By using right products like a face wash that is meant specially for oily skin can be used in controlling the excess oil without drying out the face completely. It may also provide some hydration to the skin if formulated with right active ingredients.
