Both the skin and hair naturally need oil to function properly; however, there is such a thing as too much oil. Hair needs oil because it strengthens the inner core of the strands to keep them strong and healthy. Skin needs oil to prevent dryness, the signs of aging, and acne. But if you feel you’re your hair or skin is looking and feeling too oily, here are some common causes and what you can do to control oil the natural way.
The Problem with Excess Oil
If your skin has too much oil, your pores can become clogged and acne breakouts can occur. It can also make your skin look shiny and feel greasy. Your hair can also look greasy shortly after you’ve just washed it if your body is producing too much oil. Other risks of hair that’s too oily include scalp hair loss and excessive shedding of hair.
Causes of Excess Oil on the Skin and Hair
The sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which comes of through the pores on your skin and even the pores on your scalp. Sebum is what keeps skin and hair looking smooth and healthy, although the sebaceous glands can make too much of it for a few different reasons.
One common reason for excess oil is hormonal changes, such as what teenagers go through during puberty and what women go through during pregnancy. Your oil production is also hereditary, which means that you might produce more or less oil based on what your mom and dad passed down to you. Your diet can influence how oily your hair and skin are, as well as the medicines you take, the climate where you live, and your personal hygiene and beauty regimen habits.
Natural Oil Control for Hair
It might sound counterintuitive, but washing your hair too much can actually make it oily. This is because too much washing strips the hair of its natural oils and signals to the body that it needs to make more oil to stay hydrated. For better hair, wash your hair every other day and focus conditioner on the ends of the hair and not at the scalp.
Cleaning the loose strands of hair and dead skin cells out of your hair brush and blow-drying your hair can also help with oiliness. Many people with oily hair swear by letting apple cider vinegar sit on the scalp for a few minutes to help balance out the pH of the scalp and naturally remove oil buildup. A couple of the best DIY shampoo ingredients to promote good oil balance and prevent oil clogs are tea tree oil and mint oil.
To prevent oily hair from happening again, do your best to keep your hands out of your hair because the oils on your hands are a major cause of hair oil too. At the end of your shower, rinse your hair with cool water for about 30 seconds to help close the sebaceous glands so they don’t keep producing oil. Also, rethink your styling products or use less of them to prevent product-building on the scalp.
Natural Oil Control for Skin
Skincare for naturally oily skin may require acid-based products to help dry it out, such as salicylic acid. Witch hazel is a great natural product that can remove excess oil without drying out the skin. Many people with oily skin make the mistake of skipping moisturizer because they think it will only make their skin oilier. However, moisturizing is very important for oily skin too because it helps balance the skin’s natural oils. Seagate Smooth Skin is designed for all skin types with a soothing blend of natural oils to fight wrinkles, sun damage, and daily imbalances.
Other natural approaches to reducing the oil levels on skin and hair include reducing your daily stresses as much as possible, keeping refined sugars out of your diet, and adding more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet for a better oil balance from the inside out. If you have tried several at-home remedies for excess oil with no result, ask your doctor for advice to determine if there is something else going on in your body that is causing these changes that needs to be addressed.