17 replies to this topic

[6N4M]

So, on the path to non-oily skin I have come to a fork in the road.

Should I be seeking out new products that absorb oil/hide shine?

Or should I be looking at my current products and trying to find one to point a finger at in blame for my oily appearance?



I frequently see claims that skin that has been damaged or treated in some way shows oil more than normal skin, and that might be the reason skin looks unusually oily despite oil production not being abnormally high.

Claims such as "dry skin can't absorb the oily properly so it sits on the surface and looks oily" or "skin that has been (over)exfoliated doesn't have the dead skins present to absorb/hide the oil".

Are any of them claims valid at all? Is there any science to back up this idea?

Basically, I want to know if it's really possibly to treat oily looking skin (not oil production) without absorbing or physically blocking pores, by instead avoiding products that cause oily looking skin.

Edited by 6N4M, 19 February 2011 - 12:36 AM.

[bryan]

You may not be aware that Kligman and Shelley many years ago discovered that the presence of moisture in or on the skin greatly enhances the appearance of oil (sebum) on the skin.

[tritonxiv]

Hi, I may be able to offer a answer to your question.

I separated perceived oiliness vs actual oil production some time ago. I decided that I wouldn't care how much actual oil was on my skin if I would at least make it -look- normal.

I observed that even after my skin had been completed cleansed of oil (after a hot shower), the dry skin still had quite a shine to it. The texture immediately after showering was taught and uncomfortable, it did not feel healthy, and required moisturizing products during the day which only increased the shine.

For the past four weeks, I have been working on changing my base skin texture with the hope that it would have a beneficial effect on my perceived oiliness. Surprisingly, I have found a method that accomplishes just this.

Facial massage combined with a nightly glycerin/urea soak, have literally transformed my skin texture. The texture is now supple, soft, and most incredibly... matte.

I no longer have to use moisturizer during the day, simply because my skin no longer needs it. The glycerin and urea absorb into the skin during the night and even with accutane and my addiction to long hot showers, my skin feels soft and moisturized all day.

To be honest I don't know how or why it works, but it does. And I'm not complaining. It took about two weeks of this method and the results were gradual but steady.

Edited by tritonxiv, 19 February 2011 - 04:45 PM.

[6N4M]

You may not be aware that Kligman and Shelley many years ago discovered that the presence of moisture in or on the skin greatly enhances the appearance of oil (sebum) on the skin.

Yeah, I was actually glancing through your post history last night and read a few things about that, really interesting stuff. It actually really agrees with my experiences too, as sweating seems to make my face look so much oilier.

Hi, I may be able to offer a answer to your question.

I separated perceived oiliness vs actual oil production some time ago. I decided that I wouldn't care how much actual oil was on my skin if I would at least make it -look- normal.

I observed that even after my skin had been completed cleansed of oil (after a hot shower), the dry skin still had quite a shine to it. The texture immediately after showering was taught and uncomfortable, it did not feel healthy, and required moisturizing products during the day which only increased the shine.

For the past four weeks, I have been working on changing my base skin texture with the hope that it would have a beneficial effect on my perceived oiliness. Surprisingly, I have found a method that accomplishes just this.

Facial massage combined with a nightly glycerin/urea soak, have literally transformed my skin texture. The texture is now supple, soft, and most incredibly... matte.

I no longer have to use moisturizer during the day, simply because my skin no longer needs it. The glycerin and urea absorb into the skin during the night and even with accutane and my addiction to long hot showers, my skin feels soft and moisturized all day.

To be honest I don't know how or why it works, but it does. And I'm not complaining. It took about two weeks of this method and the results were gradual but steady.

Now that sounds like a really intriguing idea. Would you mind given the exact details of what you do? IE, how long you do this glycerin/urea soak thing and such.

Edited by 6N4M, 19 February 2011 - 09:37 PM.

[Jofo]

Facial massage combined with a nightly glycerin/urea soak, have literally transformed my skin texture. The texture is now supple, soft, and most incredibly... matte.

tritonxiv, would you mind going into more detail about this? What do you mean by a "glycerin/urea soak" exactly? Can urea and glycerin be bought as standalone ingredients?

Your post inspired me to read up on urea and there seems to be a lot of positive feedback surrounding it.

[tritonxiv]

Now that sounds like a really intriguing idea. Would you mind given the exact details of what you do? IE, how long you do this glycerin/urea soak thing and such.

I have been putting it on before bed and rinsing it off with my morning shower. However if you only have time to massage it in for ten minutes and then rinse it off with warm water, I find it still keeps the skin hydrated for a surprisingly long time.

tritonxiv, would you mind going into more detail about this? What do you mean by a "glycerin/urea soak" exactly? Can urea and glycerin be bought as standalone ingredients?

Your post inspired me to read up on urea and there seems to be a lot of positive feedback surrounding it.

Pure USP Glycerin can be bought at Wal Mart. As for the Urea, you can buy pure USP grade Urea from various personal formulation websites. It's water soluble so dissolve it a small amount of water, then mix it with the glycerin. I chose these two ingredients because Urea and Glycerin are the two 'active' ingredients in all intense moisturizing products on the market today. (check for yourself if you don't believe me) Combing the two in a cheap effective solution proves to be very effective at moisturizing, evening my complexion, and improving the texture of my skin. This in turn, makes my skin -appear- less oily.

Edited by tritonxiv, 21 February 2011 - 12:54 PM.

[Jofo]

Pure USP Glycerin can be bought at Wal Mart. As for the Urea, you can buy pure USP grade Urea from various personal formulation websites. It's water soluble so dissolve it a small amount of water, then mix it with the glycerin. I chose these two ingredients because Urea and Glycerin are the two 'active' ingredients in all intense moisturizing products on the market today. (check for yourself if you don't believe me) Combing the two in a cheap effective solution proves to be very effective at moisturizing, evening my complexion, and improving the texture of my skin. This in turn, makes my skin -appear- less oily.

Thanks for the details! Would you mind telling which brands of glycerin and urea you used just for reference? I'm currently planning on buying Jacquard Urea and CVS Pure Glycerin.

[tritonxiv]

Thanks for the details! Would you mind telling which brands of glycerin and urea you used just for reference? I'm currently planning on buying Jacquard Urea and CVS Pure Glycerin.

I've been using Humco brand glycerin, but any brand should do as long as it's USP.

As for the Urea, that specific brand is used for color dyeing and isn't processed to be used on humans, so I don't recommend using it. Check this website for an alternative. http://www.personalformulator.com/wvss/pro...products_id=414

[Jofo]

I've been using Humco brand glycerin, but any brand should do as long as it's USP.

As for the Urea, that specific brand is used for color dyeing and isn't processed to be used on humans, so I don't recommend using it. Check this website for an alternative. http://www.personalformulator.com/wvss/pro...products_id=414

Oh, I didn't realize the urea had to be in a certain form. I'll look into that Personal Formulator one. I've also come across some ready-made urea creams with glycerin that sound promising (like Topix Urix 40) so I'm trying to decide which route I want to take. I'll reply with an update in the next few weeks.

[6N4M]

To be honest it just sounds like you're advocating using a light moisturizer, although I suppose I will try it.

Also, to Bryan, although I mentioned I read through some of your post history, the incredible number of posts you have made has prevented me from reading the great majority of them. If there are any other relevant bits of information about this topic that you know of it would be great if you could bring them up.

[tritonxiv]

To be honest it just sounds like you're advocating using a light moisturizer, although I suppose I will try it.

If you were referring to me... I am advocating using -no- moisturizer during the day... and I offered a way to accomplish this without having dry, dehydrated skin.

Oh, I didn't realize the urea had to be in a certain form. I'll look into that Personal Formulator one. I've also come across some ready-made urea creams with glycerin that sound promising (like Topix Urix 40) so I'm trying to decide which route I want to take. I'll reply with an update in the next few weeks.

I'm sure the Tropix product would be effective. Anything with urea and glycerin will be. I personally decided to extrapolate the ingredients that actually give the most benefits, and use them in concentrated form. As a added bonus it is extremely cost effective if you don't mind mixing your own bottles.

Edited by tritonxiv, 24 February 2011 - 01:42 PM.

[Jofo]

I decided to get the glycerin and urea individually instead instead of the Topix Urix cream. The cream has a lot of extra ingredients and I was worried it might break me out. I'll let you guys know how everything goes.

[Jofo]

Hey tritonxiv, what amounts of the ingredients did you use? I've been doing about a 2:1:1 ratio of water to urea to glycerin, but I didn't know if there were specific amounts I should shoot for.

[tritonxiv]

I decided to get the glycerin and urea individually instead instead of the Topix Urix cream. The cream has a lot of extra ingredients and I was worried it might break me out. I'll let you guys know how everything goes.

I tend to start with a 60/40 mix of water/Urea. Shake it to dissolve, then add enough glycerin so when the water evaporates the solution doesn't dry out on your skin (glycerin evaporates really slowly)

The point of the water is to dissolve the urea, and the glycerin prevents the dissolved urea from re-crystallizing on your skin (very uncomfortable).

Like I said, if you don't want to keep this stuff on very long. Just massaging it in then rising off with water and a towel works well for me. My skin continues to improve using just this and no other products.

[Jofo]

I tend to start with a 60/40 mix of water/Urea. Shake it to dissolve, then add enough glycerin so when the water evaporates the solution doesn't dry out on your skin (glycerin evaporates really slowly)

The point of the water is to dissolve the urea, and the glycerin prevents the dissolved urea from re-crystallizing on your skin (very uncomfortable).

Like I said, if you don't want to keep this stuff on very long. Just massaging it in then rising off with water and a towel works well for me. My skin continues to improve using just this and no other products.

Okay, I was afraid I might be using too much urea. I've just been guesstimating the amounts and mixing the ingredients together on a plate every night, but maybe I should use more precise measurements.

One nice thing about this moisturizer that I didn't expect is that, once it dries up, it creates a matte appearance on the skin. I'm pretty sure it's the urea because the effect is more pronounced when I use more urea. The downside is that it starts to create a sort of ghostly white cast on the skin when too much is used. I just need to figure out how to strike the perfect balance of ingredients.

Thanks for sharing this find, tritonxiv. It's only been a few days but I've been pretty impressed with this moisturizer so far. I'll give it another week and then write my full review of it.

[tritonxiv]

Thanks for sharing this find, tritonxiv. It's only been a few days but I've been pretty impressed with this moisturizer so far. I'll give it another week and then write my full review of it.

I hope it works as well for you!

Keep in mind the results for me have been gradual, but they have been incredibly significant.

Edited by tritonxiv, 15 March 2011 - 11:37 AM.

[razorguy]

Thanks for the details! Would you mind telling which brands of glycerin and urea you used just for reference? I'm currently planning on buying Jacquard Urea and CVS Pure Glycerin.

I've been using Humco brand glycerin, but any brand should do as long as it's USP.

As for the Urea, that specific brand is used for color dyeing and isn't processed to be used on humans, so I don't recommend using it. Check this website for an alternative. http://www.personalformulator.com/wvss/pro...products_id=414

Just wondering, but I don't suppose that Urea is harmful when mixed with water? The MSDS sheet says it is an irritant and to rinse it off after skin contact.

[tritonxiv]

Just wondering, but I don't suppose that Urea is harmful when mixed with water? The MSDS sheet says it is an irritant and to rinse it off after skin contact.

A substance labeled irritant on the MSDS has the potential to irritate your skin, just as any commercial product does.

Everyone reacts differently to different ingredients, but personally, it has not caused me any irritation. As far as safety is concerned, many commercial lotions combine water, urea, and glycerin. These are standard moisturizing ingredients. I simply chose to mix my own to avoid the extra chemicals and mineral oils you find in commercial products.

If anything this mixture is less likely to irritate your skin, simply because there no extraneous chemicals laying on your face.