Anti-aging skin care is crucial to stave off fine lines and wrinkles, sagging, and other age signs, but anti-aging for oily skin can be tricky. Many anti-aging products on the market are thick, heavy formulas that are better suited for dry skin; but rest assured there are products and methods developed specifically for aging oily skin. Read on to see the right products to use and more anti-aging tips for oily skin.

“Anyone with oily skin needs the correct at-home products, and around the clock oil prevention care and Bioelements has done an amazing job making this easy.” –Nina Holt, Licensed Esthetician, Westwood Studio and Spa

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Yes, oily skin needs hydration. Oil and water are not the same. In fact, oily skin can actually be caused by dehydration! Aged, lined skin is often starved for moisture, even if it appears oily as well. Boost the skin’s hydration to improve and prevent aging and even reduce excess oil production.

“Hydration is important for anti-aging for oily skin because it keeps the skin’s protective barrier (HLB) in balance and the pH’s stable. It improves skin’s permeability and helps keep the skin’s surface soft and smooth, and reduces surface lines and wrinkles. It also helps prevent dehydration and irritation.” –Teresa Stenzel, Bioelements Director of Education

Recommended for oily skin:

beyond hydration is a non-greasy, refreshing gel moisturizer designed to hydrate oily skin without added shine.

Pro tip: To check for dehydration, gently lift up on the surface of the skin. If you see tiny horizontal lines above where you’ve lifted, you’ll know that the skin is dehydrated. Check several areas of your face.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is a necessity for all skin types, especially if you have anti-aging concerns. When done properly, exfoliation triggers the skin’s self-reparative ability, increases rate of cell turnover, increases lymph flow, and strengthens nerve function. Oily skin over 50? Exfoliation is a must at any age, but it gets particularly crucial the older we get.

You need to exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells that can worsen wrinkles, emphasize their appearance, and block other anti-aging products from penetrating where you need them to.

Recommended for oily skin:

measured micrograins + is an exfoliator for all skin types, including oily. It refines pores, controls oil and strengthens the skin.

“Don’t have enough time to exfoliate? Mix a little measured micrograins + in with decongestant cleanser to cleanse, exfoliate, refiner pores, etc in one step. quick refiner is also a great exfoliator for oily skin types, plus you just apply in a thin layer and leave it on – no removal step.” –Rita Holland, Licensed Esthetician, Marguerite’s Skin Care & Makeup

Protect

Unprotected exposure to the sun contributes to approximately 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging. Not to mention skin cancer has quickly become the most common cancer type in the United States with more than 3.5 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed each year (1).

Along with aging your skin and putting yourself at risk for skin cancer, getting a tan or exposing your unprotected skin to UV rays can actually make your skin even oilier. While tanning can temporarily “dry out” skin, that's just the first phase in what is actually an injury response in the skin when exposed to UV rays. This “drying” injury response will cause the sebaceous glands to surge the production of oil so it can help protect the skin from damage.

Anti-aging for oily skin must include a broad spectrum sunscreen applied daily.

Did you know? If the skin is already injured, anti-aging STOPS until the skin heals. Always protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays.

Recommended for oily skin:

raydefense is a broad spectrum sunscreen with a light texture that is perfect for all skin types. Lightweight and hydrating, it will protect without any added shine.

Use the best anti-aging serum for oily skin

Looking to up your anti-aging game? This is one of our best anti-aging tips for oily skin. Anti-aging serums are almost always lighter in consistency than their cream counterparts, which means they tend to feel better and work better on those with oily skin types. Finding the right serum will make a world of difference in your skin care goals.

Recommended for oily skin:

age activist clinical youth serum is hands down the best anti-aging serum for oily skin because it is designed for work for all skin types.

“The secret is out This product is one of my clients’ favorites, not to mention mine! My clients can see instant results and can’t get enough. It minimizes pores, creates clear, smooth, youthful skin that everyone dreams of.” –Nina Holt, Licensed Esthetician, Westwood Studio and Spa

Plus it helps tackle pesky pores. Big pores or congested pores are a common problem for those with oily skin.

“This is because the pores on your face stretch to accommodate the secretion of the oil onto the skin’s surface. It's like filling a balloon with water. As the balloon becomes full, it stretches. That's exactly what happens to the hair follicle and follicular opening, leading to stretched out pores that are more likely to be clogged.” –Teresa Stenzel, Bioelements Director of Education

age activist clinical youth serum is a powerhouse when it comes to smoothing lines, brightening, and firming the skin in addition to shrinking the appearance of large pores.

Repair at night

As you sleep, your Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) increases, causing the skin’s protective hydro-lipid barrier to weaken. This is allows for greater penetration of active ingredients. It’s vital to take advantage of this time with an active overnight age activist creme for lines and wrinkles.

Recommended for oily skin:

oil control sleepwear is an anti-aging night cream for oily skin that will help smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles, help control oil production, and hydrate so you wake up with younger-looking skin.

“oil control sleepwear is a total powerhouse. It helps control oil production all the while repairing, hydrating, and smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. It is so silky and lightweight, so it’s comfortable for oily skin at night.” –Nina Holt, Licensed Esthetician, Westwood Studio and Spa

“This is GREAT for anyone with oily skin or even just combination skin if you don’t like the feeling of heavier creams.” – Tina Martinez, Licensed Esthetician, Flawless Beauty By Tina

The intensive plumping concentrate, plump start, surges moisture and vitamin C charged antioxidants deep into surface layers to fight skin aging free radicals and help support the skin's natural youthful fullness.

Aside from using the correct products at night, the amount of sleep you get is important too. Lack of sleep increases the stress hormone cortisol in the body, which impairs the skin’s ability to repair itself – therefore accelerating skin aging.

Blot oil without stripping skin

Those with oily skin will often over exfoliate, over cleanser and spot treat aggressively in attempts to get rid of their oily skin. This robs the skin of needed moisture and actually injures the skin, which leads to excess oil production and premature aging. Limit cleansing to twice a day and exfoliating to 2-3 times per week to avoid injury. 

Skin care pros: 

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