Help I'm soooo greasy!!

[DeepOceanOfSecrets]

Ever since I was a teenager I have had problems with my skin. I am a sufferer of adult acne (the joys) which I am currently controlling with antibiotics.

However - my skin is so SO greasy. The only thing for it is to reapply powder HOURLY or I look like I've just dipped my head in a deep fat fryer :(

Please tell me there are other chronically oily people out there and that there is some secret I don't know about?! I have tried mostly every face wash but currently wash my face with natural soaps. I wear foundation every day but because my skin is so bad I feel I can't live without it! Vicious circle I suppose :(

Any ideas?

Roaccutance.

Side effects can be terrible but I took it without problems for six months. Two years on my skin is now "normal" rather than greasy and spotty and my hair will last three days at a push rather than needing washed every day. Tried everything else without success - wish I'd done it years ago.

Just had a look at that Goose - it sounds really scary with all the side effects! Is 6 months a standard course?

My skin is greasy all the time - at it's worse in the morning when I haven't washed/ powdered it for 8 or so hours. I feel like a teenager still :(

I think six months is standard, yes. I had really annoying dry lips all the time but that was all. My friend also took it and she was the same, just dry lips. So glad I did it.

In the exact same situation as you!! It's horrible ain't it, I've just been offered roaccutane by my dermatologist but have denied at the moment as the side effects put me off.

I've just started using the body shops range of tea tree, I've got the cleanser, toner, day moisturiser, the night time blemish lotion and a small bottle of plain tea tree oil. They seem to be really helping dry out the oil in my skin and leaving it feel softer and smoother so basically not over drying. It's still early days so haven't seen a improvement in my acne as of yet.

It might be worth a try as it ain't that expensive and you can by a travel size kit for £10 if you don't want to buy full size products.

I've tried various things over the years but the only thing that's made any difference has been Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish hot cloth cleanser - and actually making an effort to use it every day! Some things that are meant for oily skin can be a bit harsh which can make it worse, not better.

Might have a look at that Listen, I was almost tempted into trying 'Proativ' by the Katie Perry ads, but if I can find something just as effective for cheaper that would be amazing.

Justabig, what exactly is a hot cloth cleanser?

I am also plagued with a face full of black and white heads :( never seem to be able to get rid of them..

It's a creamy cleanser that you apply to your face while it is dry, massage in and then remove with muslin cloth soaked in hot water.

Really gets the grime out and not harsh like some anti-acne stuff can be.

have you tried a facial oil?
Try Clarins or Decleor - they do brilliant essential oil treatments, Decleor also has Baume essentielle, which really helps to regulate skin.
Clarins relaunched the oils and had plenty of samples of the Lotus oil, which is the oily skin one.

I second trying Liz Earle, you need to give it a couple of weeks for your skin to settle into it. You can use the hot cloth part of the routine to extract a few blackheads, too.

My skin was like this but then has changed to amazing lovely normal skin since I got pregnant! I have had 9 months of no oil or spots.... Heaven and my hair can go 4 days without washing, whereas I HAD to wash it every day before. Due any time now do expecting to go back to my normal oil slick self shortly I guess it proves my theory that it is hormonal though.

I could have written this too. Totally fed up of it - I turn 30 this and still have a greasy spotty face!

You may be stripping your skin which will make it go into oil overdrive. Try a creamier cleanser that you remove with a damp flannel

I also second facial oils , Clarins do a fab one for oily/combination skin. it won't make your face oilier, just better

Liz earle do small sizes for five pound fifty should you want to try their c and p. I am also using antibiotics for adult acne and my previous combination skin ( v v oily as a teen) has seemed to clear up.

I'm the same but now know that the cause, for me, is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I can't take anything for it as we're TTC (2 years and counting). Is it worth you getting your hormone levels checked out? If you just treat the symptom rather than the cause the problem won't go away.

Soap or clenser with tea tree oil in. Exfoiliate. Sudocrem! It's full of zinc which does wonders for greasy and acne ridden skin.

I repeat: SUDOCREM

Could have written this too, still a greaser, need to wash hair every day and shower/bath twice a day. Had roaccutane 10 years ago and it worked very well for me. (dry lips and skin,hoarse and got nosebleeds, was unusual but ok!) so now I use a moisturiser at night(am42) and oil free Chanel foundation in the day. Still get mega oily(that it feels like its dripping!) but instead of more powder I blot instead, and sometimes brush on a light powder
Have embraced my pores
Sometimes you just have to accept it and not clog up your skin
I'll give you a list of what I use if you like?
Sometimes you just have to keep it simple
Remember we will look very young compared to our dry skinned friends
Hardly a wrinkle

Thanks all for the recommendations - will definitely have a look at Liz Earle and hot cloths!

CaveMum, I suspect it is hormonal. I have a very 'extreme' cycle every month (terrible mood swings and PMS as well as heavy periods - and I'm not on hormonal birth control). Can you just go to your GP and say you want your hormone levels checking? My acne went away in late teens/ early twenties and only came back recently, but the oil slick skin has been constant.

Stuckin, I use Sudocrem on spots when I get really nasty ones but never thought about using it all over my face?

Glad to know that I'm not alone! I look at my friends' lovely clear skin and want to cry! What I wouldn't give...

I'm the same! Only win is I'm 40 in 3 short months yet no one believes I'm old enough to have an 11 and 8 year old (I putt hem straight!) Downer is having to blot every hour or so and wash hair every day... But don't use powder, use blotting paper or film - I buy in bulk from Japan on eBay.

There's one cheap make on there which is blue paper - don't get those they're rubbish, the blue film is excellent (clean and clear on eBay) and the best by far because they're so big is shesido - I can use 1 or 2 of them but need three or more of the normal sized ones.

ELF do them too if you don't like eBay

They don't take off makeup either, I opulent live without them!

I had perfect skin whilst pregnant too! Isn't it wonderful?!

Liz Earle made my skin even worse, btw, the camphor oil in it made my skin step UP the oil! I use a balm cleanser now (Emma hardie) and I'm also sizzling!

Couldn't, not opulent!

Lipgloss I hear what you are saying about keeping it simple - but the temptation to cake make up on to cover my face is too much! Then as it slides of during the day I look horrible and patchy :(

Is the Chanel foundation any good? Haven't found one that doesn't go patchy on me yet!

I think mattifying primers are supposed to be good under foundation, but I've not found one that works all day for me!

knitknack I always wondered about blotting paper but I assumed it would take make up off with it!

Couldn't imagine not having to put powder on every hour, been doing it for so long!

Oh and Cavemum I have tried primer hoping it would be my holy grail but with little success. Didn't seem to stop the make up 'sliding'.