62 replies to this topic

[Green Gables]

Yes, most natural anti-androgens are formulated for male prostate health. They have a nice side effect of stopping acne.

Thank you, I'll look into it. But I don't really have much acne luckily. Just looking to curb the oil production.

Well they stop acne largely because they decrease oil production...

[vincevega]

Anybody else know of a way to greatly decrease oily skin?

Also, Green Gables, I've looked up Spiro and a lot of males seem to have horrible side effects when taking it. Is it safe?

[Sum1killme]

Chromium, Saw palmetto, decreased my oil production significantly enough to mention.

[vincevega]

Chromium, Saw palmetto, decreased my oil production significantly enough to mention.

Could you please also tell me how you take or use these products? Thanks.

[Green Gables]

Anybody else know of a way to greatly decrease oily skin?

Also, Green Gables, I've looked up Spiro and a lot of males seem to have horrible side effects when taking it. Is it safe?

Low doses are fine for males, 50mg or below. Most females take 100mg or higher. But there are natural alternatives like saw palmetto that don't have those side effects.

[armadillo]

I'm sorry but my answer is going to be no use to you if you have sensitive skin or inflammatory acne, but if you don't, then you could try my routine:

1.Wash with a sulphate rich cleanser + every 2-3 day scrub with a zinc/salicylic scrub before this step
2. Use a good toner - this one is up to you, but I think toning is one of the most crucial things you can do to control oil topically. Make sure it's formulated for oily skin though!
3. Apply 10% benzoyl peroxide all over your face, not just on problem areas
4. Apply a 10% glycolic acid lotion
5. Apply a good sunscreen. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, {unless it's nighttime] you are putting very harsh chemicals on your face that will expose fresh skin that is very vulnerable to sun damage.

In the evening apply a moisturizer rich in glycerin. I recommend you use an eye cream too and a chapstick, as glycolic acid is notorious for driyng out mucous membranes.

My oiliness has reduced by around 80% since using this combination of treatments and I hope it will reduce even further.

[vincevega]

I'm sorry but my answer is going to be no use to you if you have sensitive skin or inflammatory acne, but if you don't, then you could try my routine:

1.Wash with a sulphate rich cleanser + every 2-3 day scrub with a zinc/salicylic scrub before this step
2. Use a good toner - this one is up to you, but I think toning is one of the most crucial things you can do to control oil topically. Make sure it's formulated for oily skin though!
3. Apply 10% benzoyl peroxide all over your face, not just on problem areas
4. Apply a 10% glycolic acid lotion
5. Apply a good sunscreen. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, {unless it's nighttime] you are putting very harsh chemicals on your face that will expose fresh skin that is very vulnerable to sun damage.

In the evening apply a moisturizer rich in glycerin. I recommend you use an eye cream too and a chapstick, as glycolic acid is notorious for driyng out mucous membranes.

My oiliness has reduced by around 80% since using this combination of treatments and I hope it will reduce even further.

Thanks for your input... but I'm pretty sure that if I applied all that to my face, it would catch fire and burn right off.

[armadillo]

I'm sorry but my answer is going to be no use to you if you have sensitive skin or inflammatory acne, but if you don't, then you could try my routine:

1.Wash with a sulphate rich cleanser + every 2-3 day scrub with a zinc/salicylic scrub before this step
2. Use a good toner - this one is up to you, but I think toning is one of the most crucial things you can do to control oil topically. Make sure it's formulated for oily skin though!
3. Apply 10% benzoyl peroxide all over your face, not just on problem areas
4. Apply a 10% glycolic acid lotion
5. Apply a good sunscreen. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, {unless it's nighttime] you are putting very harsh chemicals on your face that will expose fresh skin that is very vulnerable to sun damage.

In the evening apply a moisturizer rich in glycerin. I recommend you use an eye cream too and a chapstick, as glycolic acid is notorious for driyng out mucous membranes.

My oiliness has reduced by around 80% since using this combination of treatments and I hope it will reduce even further.

Thanks for your input... but I'm pretty sure that if I applied all that to my face, it would catch fire and burn right off.

lol, yeah, I would say my routine would do that to 99% of people who tried it, but there is that 1%

[piwitron]

Hate to burst your bubbles, but doses of Saw Palmetto and Vitamin B5 did not work for me. I tried both separetely over a month and all it did was to empty my pockets and of couse, still get the same nasty oily face.

I've never tried Spiro nor Flutamide, but reading those side-effects, I really don't want boobs in my body nor pockets of fat in my hips.

On the other hand I tried Accutane, and it worked like a Charm. But it's rather expensive and it's a medication that you need to take forever in low doses, because once you stop taking it, it justs stop working.

Seems like we are stuck in this together.

My extreme oily face has made me the biggest self-conciousness jerk ever. It saddens me deeply.

And cosmetics work only temporarily in a limited base, powders and magnesium milk will get you a couple of hours more of an apparently oily-free face, but at the end of the day you look pretty much the same, like an oily turd.

[vincevega]

Hate to burst your bubbles, but doses of Saw Palmetto and Vitamin B5 did not work for me. I tried both separetely over a month and all it did was to empty my pockets and of couse, still get the same nasty oily face.

I've never tried Spiro nor Flutamide, but reading those side-effects, I really don't want boobs in my body nor pockets of fat in my hips.

On the other hand I tried Accutane, and it worked like a Charm. But it's rather expensive and it's a medication that you need to take forever in low doses, because once you stop taking it, it justs stop working.

Seems like we are stuck in this together.

My extreme oily face has made me the biggest self-conciousness jerk ever. It saddens me deeply.

And cosmetics work only temporarily in a limited base, powders and magnesium milk will get you a couple of hours more of an apparently oily-free face, but at the end of the day you look pretty much the same, like an oily turd.

I know what you feel like, it's an absolute pain in the ass. I know oily skin can really get you down, but remember there are far worse things out there and it is only oily skin after all.

What are the side effects like on accutane? Can you still drink beer while on it?

By the way, you're supposed to overdose on B5 for a lot longer than a month, mate. Same goes for Saw Palmetto I think. My latest attempt at curbing the oil is eating 2 tablespoons of turmeric. Hope it works... it tastes really, really, really bad.

Just hang in there, you'll find a cure one day.

[ocean27]

Hate to burst your bubbles, but doses of Saw Palmetto and Vitamin B5 did not work for me. I tried both separetely over a month and all it did was to empty my pockets and of couse, still get the same nasty oily face.

I've never tried Spiro nor Flutamide, but reading those side-effects, I really don't want boobs in my body nor pockets of fat in my hips.

On the other hand I tried Accutane, and it worked like a Charm. But it's rather expensive and it's a medication that you need to take forever in low doses, because once you stop taking it, it justs stop working.

Seems like we are stuck in this together.

My extreme oily face has made me the biggest self-conciousness jerk ever. It saddens me deeply.

And cosmetics work only temporarily in a limited base, powders and magnesium milk will get you a couple of hours more of an apparently oily-free face, but at the end of the day you look pretty much the same, like an oily turd.

I know what you feel like, it's an absolute pain in the ass. I know oily skin can really get you down, but remember there are far worse things out there and it is only oily skin after all.

What are the side effects like on accutane? Can you still drink beer while on it?

By the way, you're supposed to overdose on B5 for a lot longer than a month, mate. Same goes for Saw Palmetto I think. My latest attempt at curbing the oil is eating 2 tablespoons of turmeric. Hope it works... it tastes really, really, really bad.

Just hang in there, you'll find a cure one day.

I do not recommend taking accutane to curb oil production. Yes it does greatly reduce it but the potentially severe side effects are not worth it - hair loss, joint problems, back pain, reduced concentration, dry eyes, liver damage, depression etc the list goes on. Accutane is a last-resort drug for people with severe cystic acne and as someone who has taken it before, it is not a pleasant ride. You also cannot drink any alcohol while on it as your liver will be in overdrive mode by the vitamin A buildup associated with accutane.

Sorry about the rant As you can tel,l I had a rather negative experience during and after accutane..

I've suffered from oily skin since I was in my early teens and I know how much it sucks. Milk of magnesia helps a bit but it can leave a white sheen across the face if over applied. I'm taking zinc tablets at the moment and will keep you posted if it shows good results.

Edited by ocean27, 21 October 2012 - 06:00 AM.

[eggyplants]

I use baby powder (either talc or cornstarch). I pat a thin layer onto my face after I finish Dan's regimen and it controls the shine until evening! I sometimes reapply in the afternoon if I've been running around and my face is shinier than usual. I know some people say that talc is chemically similar to asbestos but use your common sense and don't put yourself in a position where you'll be breathing it in. That being said, you can always use cornstarch powder instead. I was originally worried applying any sort of powder would break me out but it hasn't at all.

[JWaltersRN]

OCM works for me. Check out the threads on here.
I would wake up slimy, wash, then be slimy again before I could even make coffee.
Make up didn't last the commute, and blotting just made me look old and patchy.
I started OCM and within 1 week I could wear make up all day, tiny bit of sheen after 12 hours.
Every pore is clear, small. My skin is soft, glowing and wonderful.
Still working on some cystic acne, but no more blackheads, no more clogged pores!

Took a bit to find the right combo for me, but once I did the oil control and pore de-clogging results were INSTANT>

[litho70]

Using a salicylic acid cleanser (I use daily ritual by serious skin care or Neutrogena oil free acne wash) followed by benzoyl peroxide at night.
Then in the morning after cleansing with daily ritual or oil free acne wash, I use seban liquid. Seban can be purchased at he cooperlabs website.

[FredTheBelgian]

No one cares about cleansers, what's the point anyway, you can wash your skin over and over, the sebum will still return. Sebum must be controlled from the inside.

Edited by FredTheBelgian, 21 December 2012 - 06:17 PM.

[vincevega]

No one cares about cleansers, what's the point anyway, you can wash your skin over and over, the sebum will still return. Sebum must be controlled from the inside.

Very true. I truly don't understand why there's even dermatologists out there who think oily skin can be solved by a topical solution.

[azazel0805]

One thing I tried which helped decrease oil production was to use a mud/clay mask every other day or weekly depending on the weather since doing this too often can dry out your skin. I use either St. Ive's or Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask (any brand that has kaolin clay in it would work) and leave it on for 15 - 30 mins (sometimes more if I forget) then use a sponge or soft face towel soaked in warm water to take it off. I follow this with a mild face wash, then witch hazel applied with a cotton ball, and whichever moisturizer I'm using at the time (sometimes I just use the Aloe Vera Gel from Jason). I do this before going to bed, and in the morning, I just use witch hazel then an oil-free moisturizer before going to work.

If you don't want to use a clay/mud mask, I find that applying Witch Hazel toner/astringent after cleansing works really well on its own. I use T.N. Dickinson's (you can get witch hazel at the chemist / drug store). I also carry facial tissues to blot excess oil throughout the day -- you know the table napkins they have at Starbuck's? Tissues similar to that work the best. They're even more effective at blotting oil than the more expensive blotting papers sold for that purpose (I used to use the tea tree blotting papers from The Body Shop, which worked great but were expensive).

Also, since hormones are the root cause of excessive sebum production, I try not to get too stressed out during the day (which is really hard to do!) and stick to a healthier diet (lots of vegetables, no soda of any kind, tea w/o sugar is my drink of choice). I actually did an experiment and started eating fried chicken again after avoiding it for about a year.... sure enough, my skin became a lot oilier and I started breaking out a week after , When I stopped eating fried food, skin went back to normal.

[NaturelNicoro]

Up until I used a lotion on my face my skin used to be moderately oily. Now only my t-zone gets slightly oily. I'm kind of saddened though.. I hope it gets back to how it used to be. U_U

[armadillo]

Well I never really believed sebum controlling moisturizers work but I bought something recently mainly because it has a relatively high salicylic acid content for the price [i got it on sale but even at full price it's not expensive]

It's called 'Garnier Pure Sebum Controlling Moisturizer'. It works by creating a very thin film that keeps the oil at bay, similarly to Milk of Magnesia, but it doesn't have a white sheen and that 'heavy' feeling. It doesn't feel like you have anything on your face at all, whereas with Milk of Magnesia I'm constantly aware that there's something on my skin.

The main ingredient is kaolin clay and it's meant to absorb the oil as soon as it comes out of your pores. Though, eventually, the oil breaks through, but it lasts a good 3 hours without make up, 4 hours with make up [though that's probably because I use a lot of primer+powder]

It's not a miracle product but it does the job. Personally I found that it controls oil better than Milk of Magnesia. I guess you could use the two together even if you wanted two, applying the Milk of Magnesia first as this moisturizer is a gel consistency.

[JWaltersRN]

I stopped taking every medication, and just use the OCM. It truly, truly works! Also, an oil controlling foundation Primer. Works well for men as well, since there is no color, it just makes the skin look smooth and helps control oil but you don't have color/caking issues. 

For girls, the OCM is fantastic, and I've switched to a clay based, natural cream make up line that has been amazing. I stopped the Differin and the Spiro and have had NO breakouts for 2 weeks. (I used to have 4 new zits per day and 2-3 cysts per week). Truly Fantastic and totally gentle.