Oily skin looks shiny all the time. It is basically thick and has a dull texture, whatever your complexion be. Oily skin commonly has visible pores, pimples and blemishes. It is much prone to acne and blackheads. Overactive sebaceous glands that produce oils are the major oily skin causes. These glands produce much more oil than required, this overproduced oil leads to oily skin and enlarged pores. Let us know about some oily skin causes.

Oily skin is caused by over-active glands, which produce a substance called Asebum, a naturally healthy skin lubricant. When the skin produces too much sebum, it becomes thick and heavy in texture. The excess oil on the surface of the skin attracts dirt and dust from the environment. oily skin is also prone to black heads, white heads, spots, pimples and such skin will never be clear.

This type of skin needs to be cleansed thoroughly. Oily skin is characterized by shininess, pimples and blemishes. Frequent steam cleaning and exfoliation can help reduce these symptoms. Because of the hormonal shifts of adolescence, oily skin is common in teenagers, but it can occur at any age. In general, skin tends to become dryer with age. The flow of sebum or oil increases during adolescence and starts decreasing with age. During pregnancy and menopause, hormonal imbalances can also upset the oil balance and increase the activity of sebaceous glands.

What are the Oily Skin Causes?

Hormones

Most of us do not notice our oily face until after puberty. Why? Puberty marks the beginning of profound hormonal changes. During puberty, an increase of certain hormones spurs the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. Although adolescence is the most obvious time to notice oily skin due to hormonal changes, it is not the only one. Women of childbearing age may notice fluctuations in sebum production as their hormones change during the menstrual cycle. Birth control pills or pregnancy also affect hormonal levels for similar reasons.

Heredity

Genetics influences most of our physical traits. Intellect, height, weight, and even our complexion are partially controlled by our genes. It is an unfortunate truth that some of us will just be more likely to have oily skin due to genetics. So, if you find that one or both of your parents has greasy skin in old family photos, you are probably also predisposed to oily skin.

Weather and Pollution

Hot and humid weather causes our sebaceous glands to pump out more sweat and sebum. Some pollutants, such as fine particulate matter (from automobile traffic), can irritate our glands to produce more sebum. Many city-dwellers living in a hot, humid summer with traffic and pollution may be at a greater risk to oily skin.

Diet

Most scientists and health professionals believe that diet has very little direct effect on the sebaceous glands. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that some people do see negative effects from certain foods. While this is a somewhat contentious issue, one thing is certain. A healthy diet will help promote the overall skin health, even if it does not directly affect sebum production.

Stress Levels

During stressful times, our endocrine system secretes a powerful cocktail of hormones that affects almost every system of the body. A negative effect of these hormones is that it promotes sebum production. This is why stressful periods of our life often coincide with poor skin appearance.

Makeup

Most makeup products do not directly cause sebum production. They can, however, exacerbate existing oil problems. For example, cosmetics can clog the pores, resulting in acne flare-ups. Some makeup is oil-based and can add to the overall oil-burden of the face. Noncomedogenic makeup will not reduce sebum production, but it may prevent clogged pores, and therefore, acne breakouts.

Contrary to popular belief, your diet has a limited effect on the oiliness of the skin. A common myth is that oily foods, especially foods like chocolates and peanut butter, may increase the oil production. Alcohol is often thought to be responsible as well. These foods and drinks may contribute to acne and pimple formation due to other factors but does not usually cause an increase in the oil gland activity.

However it is important to note that the the skin, like other organs of the body, is prone to changes in the lifestyle, general health and well being. A balanced diet will always be useful for maintaining healthy skin but does not often impact on the oiliness of the skin, unless there is severe starvation or malnutrition which affects the hormone levels. High quantities of certain herbs that may be consumed as part of a daily diet could affect the hormone levels which may affect the oiliness of the skin but this is rare.