What causes oily skin?

There is a common misconception about oily skin, namely that it needs more aggressive cleansing and less hydration than other skin types. In fact, the opposite is true. In the quest for clean skin, many people with oily skin focus on drying cleansers and skip the moisturiser. This strips the skin of its essential sebum and lipids, creating a vicious circle in which dehydration actually stimulates sebum production again and worsens the problem.

Oily skin is genetically determined and often linked to the hormone balance, which causes sebum production to be extra stimulated. However, our lifestyle and environment also have an impact on how our skin responds, which means that almost everything we do can potentially affect our skin.

In addition, the latest scientific insights show that healthy skin starts with an optimal balance between a healthy microbiome, a strong barrier lipid layer and sufficient hydration. When one of these factors is out of balance, the skin will become out of balance too.

“What oily skin really needs to stay healthy is a balanced microbiome.”

Research has shown that a balanced skin microbiome (micro-organisms that naturally occur in and on our skin) is the key to healthy skin. This is especially important for oily skin: a good balance supports the skin’s natural barrier function, which regulates sebum production.

Oily skin and the microbiome
First, the terminology we will use: prebiotics are the “food” for probiotics, which are living micro-organisms found in the skin’s microbiome. The great advantage of applying prebiotics to the skin is that this increases the quantity and diversity of probiotics, allowing the skin to maintain a healthy microbiome and contributing to a healthy, strong barrier lipid layer.

Oily skin often has a microbiome that is out of balance. This can arise from various causes: first, an overproduction of sebum leads to overgrowth of the P.acnes bacteria in the microbiome, which makes the skin more susceptible to developing acne. Aggressive cleansers, which are often recommended to people with oily skin, disrupt the skin’s protective lipid layer, causing it to become dehydrated, which also disrupts the microbiome.

New prebiotic skincare: Active Clay Cleanser & improved Active Moist

Specially formulated for oily skin, the new Active Clay Cleanser delivers a powerful prebiotic that nourishes the skin-supporting micro-organisms and thereby contributes to a healthy microbiome and a healthy moisture balance of the skin. In addition, Active Clay Cleanser offers no less than 30% more cleansing power than its predecessor, leaving the skin fresh, revitalised and intensely purified. To complement it, we also have our reformulated Active Moist and, thanks to the addition of a special Prebiotic Moisture Complex, this moisturiser provides the ultimate oil-free hydration and a matte finish. Both combined and on their own, Active Clay Cleanser and Active Moist do more than simply regulate sebum production. They work intensively to purify, protect and actively balance the skin microbiome, supporting you in achieving your healthiest skin ever.