Oily skin can be caused by a whole host of unexpected factors like stress, your medication, overusing certain skin care products, or even getting a tan! In this post we’re going to break down another surprising cause of oily skin: oil blotting sheets.

Using any unnecessary skin tool can lead to excess oil. Skin tools can encompass a variety of things, including oil blotting paper, blemish extractors, washcloths, rotating cleanser brushes, hand mitts, buff puffs, pore strips, and more. While many of these so called ‘oil control’ products claim to be the best oily skin treatment, they simply don’t work.

But, are oil blotting sheets bad for your skin? The answer is yes. Oil blotting sheets, along with the other unnecessary skin tools mentioned above, can strip the skin of necessary oils, which actually prompts the skin to increase oil production to compensate.

While you think you’re doing your skin a favor when you use these tools, you’re actually making it worse. Oil blotting papers are one of the most commonly used skin tools that hamper your efforts to rid your skin of excess oil. The truth is that your skin needs a little oil, so when you strip your skin using an oil blotting sheet or other tool, your skin goes into protection mode.

Every day, your skin is bombarded with oil, makeup, dust, and pollution. Pressing a blotting paper into your skin to absorb oil does remove some shine…at a cost.

While some of the oil is absorbed into the paper, you’re pushing the rest of the dirt, grime, makeup and the excess oil it didn’t absorb back down into your pores. That creates an oxygen-free environment deep down in your pores that P. acnes bacteria thrive in, creating breakouts, blackheads, bumps and overall skin congestion. So not only will you end up with oilier skin than you began with, but you’ll have new breakouts too!

Many brands claim to have the best blotting sheets and the best oily skin treatment, but they aren’t actually addressing the causes of oily skin. The most important thing to do when you're struggling with oily skin is to identify the cause and try to eliminate it. This will lessen oil production, making your oily skin products more effective.

Still struggling with oily skin? Make sure you're using the right products and following the right oily skin routine.