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Basically I have an oily t-zone (combination skin), but my nose gets beyond oily to the point where it becomes irritated. I blot it all day long and it comes back with a vengeance. Is there anything else I can try other than blotting it? There's nothing worse than having a shiny nose. I'm thinking about maybe purchasing some mattifying 'invisible' powder, not sure how effective it would be though.
Everywhere else gets a thin layer of oil, but on my nose it's very thick. I'll appreciate any advice and to hear from others who have similar issues.
Only thing that's going to stop it is (low dose) Accutane or something to control your hormones (according to GreenGables on this site)
Nothing else seems to work for a reasonable amount of people. Some have luck with Vitamin D, others with Zinc. But it appears a (low dose) course of Accutane seems like the only "real" solution out there that helps the majority of people.
Hey, thanks. I was considering this, but I'm pretty convinced my doctor wouldn't prescribe me it.
If I were to get an online prescription for 10mg Accutane, how long would it be recommended that I took the medication for?
If you go to your doctor/dermatologist with studies that prove the effectiveness of low-dose Accutane course on patients with over-active sebum glands, I'm sure they'll at least think about putting you on a low dose. I suggest you spend some time gathering information on low-dose Accutane courses. There's tons of info on the internet.
As for duration of the course? Difficult to say. I've read so many articles, forums and Accutane logs that differ in duration. Some do courses that last 3 to 6 months, others do courses of a year or more. Some even take it for 5 to 10 years! It depends on how well you react to Accutane. Sadly, there's a lot of people out there that get the oiliness back almost straight after they stop taking Accutane. For others, it stays away for a couple of weeks/months, some even years. And for some, it never comes back. So it all comes down to how well Accutane works for you. But with regular bloodwork and monitoring, I've read low dose Accutane courses can be continued for a long, long time without any major health problems.
I wouldn't order it online though, mate. Just sounds dodgy to me. Best to get it through the legal and safe route. You don't want to mess about when it comes to serious medication.
All the best and good luck, whatever you do. I hope you get the results you want 
hi, Id recommend you try spearmint. Its natural and easy to get. you just drink spearmint tea (2 cups per day) or take spearmint capsules. Spearmint is proven to reduce oil production by lowering androgens which cause oil production. It may take a few weeks to notice progress but its worth a try and harmless.
I would NOTsuggest you go on accutane, I tried it for a month and it was a nightmare. Yes it can cause hairloss plus a myriad of other side effects, some of which are irreversible. Some people appear to tolerate it OK but a lot dont. So its basically a blind gamble.
I don't mean to dismiss other people's advice, but I would not recommend benzoyl peroxide or spearmint tea. Benzoyl peroxide will probably make your irritated skin more irritated, and mint teas can have an estrogenic effect on the body.
Unfortunately I can't offer any effective long-term remedies, but Milk of Magnesia is good for covering up your oily skin. Also I am always experimenting with different products to reduce the oil on my own nose, so if I stumble onto something I will post about it on the Oily Skin board.
Hi Sorry to hear about your oily nose To be honest i have had to increase the number of times i wash my face to almost 5 times a day. However, i don't use a cleanser every time becuase that dries out my skin way too much. However, you can do it as much as you want with water without harm, and that does help. Good luck!!
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules*
I'm with Jofo, no intention to discount the recommendations of others, since we are all here to help, but I'm trying so hard to get off bp. But I have oily and acne prone. And there is no denying that bp works wonders for my acne. I also agree that maybe accutane isn't the right choice. I've never been on it, too nervous about it since i had a friend who had an unpleasant experience with it. Something with her intestinal tract was damaged. Though, i even say to myself all the time, that each person is different with different products but I'm not ready to make a decision to try it.
Jofo-can you elaborate on the mint teas thing? I drink peppermint tea (cold water and just drop the tea bag in instead of brewing it, it's just faster for me) but I'm wondering about the estrogenic effects you're speaking of.
Honey is a great wash for skin. I used it for a bit but because I wear mascara and don't use make-up remover, i needed something to clean a little bit better because it left me with raccoon eyes. But I think honey for someone who doesn't wear eye make-up (or doesn't mind make up remover) is a great suggestion. I used raw, solid organic honey and that was the best out of the ones I tried, but I hear manuka honey is the best.
I'm reading lately about lemon essential oil for acne and oily skin as well. I don't know much about it, but maybe some research is in order.
Also, I'm using aloe vera juice (Aubrey Organics, found it at the vitamin shoppe) and I'm really loving it. It's the last thing i apply before my make up and not only does it seem to be reducing my oily skin, it's taking care of my redness and inflamed skin caused by acne. It's even working on my old acne scars. which is like a miracle to me because everything else I've tried is only slowly working. I think I will post a new topic and see what the other members here have to say.
Jofo-can you elaborate on the mint teas thing? I drink peppermint tea (cold water and just drop the tea bag in instead of brewing it, it's just faster for me) but I'm wondering about the estrogenic effects you're speaking of.
"Estrogenic" may not have been the most accurate word, but studies suggest that peppermint and spearmint teas can decrease testosterone levels. I haven't done enough research to say conclusively whether or not it's dangerous for men, but I know that women use mint tea for breast enlargement and transsexuals use it for its feminizing effects. I'm not aware of any negative effects that you should be concerned about as a woman.
I found on google what youre talking about. Good to know. Ill be careful with mint teas because it seems to effect the lady parts, especially women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Thanks for the info!
Keep us posted on the products youre testing out. Im hell bent on finding something that helps with oily skin. So far, aloe vera juice is the most productive. I read a little more about lemon oil and it seems like thats worth a shot as well.
Not sure if you use bp, but if you know how to get off of it successfully, let me know. I read a previous post on here that said bp users might be able to use aloe vera as a replacement. Cant hurt to try.
I highly recommend Milk of Magnesia as well. I have been experimenting with it over the last few days, and it works good. It's only a temporary fix and lasts about five hours for me, but it is very easy to apply, it's cheap, and absorbs oil/cuts shine significantly.
If you want to try it, get original (non-flavored, white) Milk of Magnesia. Shake the bottle REALLY well, and then using only the little bit on the inside of the cap, apply to your face with a cotton ball. A little goes a long way; I've been doing it this way and seem to be avoiding the unpleasant white streaks I have heard so much about.
As a guy, I can't bring myself to wear makeup (but I have no problem with guys that do) and this is about as close as I will ever get to doing so. I have light tan/white skin and it only shows as a very,very faint whitish color. It's really not even noticeable if you apply it correctly.
I have done this both when my face was clean and after a workout, and it seems to work well both times. It is quite drying though, so use sparingly.
This works well as a quick fix for if you're going out to dinner/on a date, or just need to not be shiny for a few hours.
How about saw palmetto? It's a herbal supplement but it has a serious enough effect on hormones that doctors recommend it for prostate symptoms. Some people find it also helps acne and oily skin.
Powder probably wouldn't make a huge difference but it might help a bit. My skin isn't as oily as it used to be but at it's worst I had to blot at almost every opportunity. After I blotted I put on some translucent powder and it stopped me from getting oily again quite so quickly. I rarely blot nowadays (thanks to birth control and drying topicals), a dusting of powder keeps me shine free all day. I wouldn't let being male stop you, there are plenty of powders that really are inperceptible. I would recommend going a bit higher end though, the cheaper ones can look very powdery... I'm using a Clarins one at the moment and if I put it on over bare skin you really can't tell I've go anything on even after repeated applications.
How about saw palmetto? It's a herbal supplement but it has a serious enough effect on hormones that doctors recommend it for prostate symptoms. Some people find it also helps acne and oily skin.
Powder probably wouldn't make a huge difference but it might help a bit. My skin isn't as oily as it used to be but at it's worst I had to blot at almost every opportunity. After I blotted I put on some translucent powder and it stopped me from getting oily again quite so quickly. I rarely blot nowadays (thanks to birth control and drying topicals), a dusting of powder keeps me shine free all day. I wouldn't let being male stop you, there are plenty of powders that really are inperceptible. I would recommend going a bit higher end though, the cheaper ones can look very powdery... I'm using a Clarins one at the moment and if I put it on over bare skin you really can't tell I've go anything on even after repeated applications.
Saw Palmetto is a good idea for women, but for guys I'd strongly discourage it.
Some guys experience "feminizing effects" due to the suppression of testosterone and increase in estrogen; I looked into it awhile back and it's risky for a man to take it for any length of time. Side effects like gyno, loss of libido, loss of muscle, increase in fat around the hips/midsection, difficulty getting hard (ED), and a slew of others seemed to be way too prevalent for my liking in reviews and help forums.
To the other users that disagree with the BP:
I should be more clear in my post, it's not the BP that's oil controlling in Clean&Clear's; there's something in it that absorbs oil really well beside the active ingredient being BP. So if somehow there's a product that isolates the BP out, but keeps the oil control ingredients, then I would recommend it over the BP.
I have actually experiment with Milk of Magnesia before too. There's a trick to it to estimate the whitish coating, is to apply a "primer" over it, or any sunblock.
Primer is just a transparent gel that's mostly silicone. But I also found out applying almost anything over the Milk of Magnesia will take away the white coating.
How about saw palmetto? It's a herbal supplement but it has a serious enough effect on hormones that doctors recommend it for prostate symptoms. Some people find it also helps acne and oily skin.
Powder probably wouldn't make a huge difference but it might help a bit. My skin isn't as oily as it used to be but at it's worst I had to blot at almost every opportunity. After I blotted I put on some translucent powder and it stopped me from getting oily again quite so quickly. I rarely blot nowadays (thanks to birth control and drying topicals), a dusting of powder keeps me shine free all day. I wouldn't let being male stop you, there are plenty of powders that really are inperceptible. I would recommend going a bit higher end though, the cheaper ones can look very powdery... I'm using a Clarins one at the moment and if I put it on over bare skin you really can't tell I've go anything on even after repeated applications.
Saw Palmetto is a good idea for women, but for guys I'd strongly discourage it.
Many guys experience "feminizing effects" due to the suppression of testosterone and increase in estrogen; I looked into it awhile back and it's risky for a man to take it for any length of time. Side effects like gyno, loss of libido, loss of muscle, increase in fat around the hips/midsection, difficulty getting hard (ED), and a slew of others seemed to be way too prevalent for my liking in reviews and help forums.
Hmm, I thought it would be ok for men as they do recommend it for prostate symptoms... It is usually marketed more towards men than women...
How about saw palmetto? It's a herbal supplement but it has a serious enough effect on hormones that doctors recommend it for prostate symptoms. Some people find it also helps acne and oily skin.
Powder probably wouldn't make a huge difference but it might help a bit. My skin isn't as oily as it used to be but at it's worst I had to blot at almost every opportunity. After I blotted I put on some translucent powder and it stopped me from getting oily again quite so quickly. I rarely blot nowadays (thanks to birth control and drying topicals), a dusting of powder keeps me shine free all day. I wouldn't let being male stop you, there are plenty of powders that really are inperceptible. I would recommend going a bit higher end though, the cheaper ones can look very powdery... I'm using a Clarins one at the moment and if I put it on over bare skin you really can't tell I've go anything on even after repeated applications.
Saw Palmetto is a good idea for women, but for guys I'd strongly discourage it.
Many guys experience "feminizing effects" due to the suppression of testosterone and increase in estrogen; I looked into it awhile back and it's risky for a man to take it for any length of time. Side effects like gyno, loss of libido, loss of muscle, increase in fat around the hips/midsection, difficulty getting hard (ED), and a slew of others seemed to be way too prevalent for my liking in reviews and help forums.
Hmm, I thought it would be ok for men as they do recommend it for prostate symptoms... It is usually marketed more towards men than women...
It is marketed more towards aging men because a few studies have shown it could ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign cases). Usually the benefit for the prostate will outweigh the risks.
But to take it just for your complexion, as a man? I guess it all depends on how much you are willing to risk. I did a significant anount of research on it because I thought about taking it, and it was very surprising reading first hand accounts and hearing about how it affected different people. You wouldn't know it based on how much companies advertise saw palmetto and the fact that you can get it pretty much anywhere, but it can drastically affect your hormones.
Based on what I've read, as a guy I wouldn't touch it LOL
And if I may say so, Flaxen if that pic is of you I think you could pass for Taylor Swift pretty easily lol
It is marketed more towards aging men because a few studies have shown it could ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign cases). Usually the benefit for the prostate will outweigh the risks.
But to take it just for your complexion, as a man? I guess it all depends on how much you are willing to risk. I did a significant anount of research on it because I thought about taking it, and it was very surprising reading first hand accounts and hearing about how it affected different people. You wouldn't know it based on how much companies advertise saw palmetto and the fact that you can get it pretty much anywhere, but it can drastically affect your hormones.
Based on what I've read, as a guy I wouldn't touch it LOL
And if I may say so, Flaxen if that pic is of you I think you could pass for Taylor Swift pretty easily lol
I did wonder if it might be different in younger men, makes sense I guess.
The pic isn't actually me. I was too afraid of being recognised to put up a real one so I just used a random one that looks a bit like me! - Cos I always imagine people like their avatars...
Just wanted to add to the topicals debate. Bp definitely does reduce oil. My oil problem was only EXTREME when I tried coming off it. But if you don't have acne you may not want to go down that route but how about a topical retinoid? Better than taking accutane! And you can continue to use it and it's generally good for skin - some people use topical retinoids purely for anti-ageing.
There's nothing worse than having a shiny nose.
There are literally millions of things worse
Are you American? You probably don't understand British irony and take everything literal to the extreme.
Saying 'there's nothing worse' is a saying over here, we don't mean it literally, just that it's something unpleasant.
I could say it about numerous things, not meaning that all those are actually the worst things that could happen to me.
Hope that's cleared up.
Haha, lewis! Im american and i gotcha!
In the oily skin world, i AGREE! Nothing is worse than an oily nose. And we are speaking simply about things in oil land. Even oily cheeks or forehead are better.
I had a breakthrough today. No blotting!! The last 3 nights, i put a drop of lemon essential oil in my moisturizer, grape seed oil. Only at night because of sensitivity to sun and only 1 drop. Then bp and then aloe vera juice on my inflamed acne and on my scars and marks. I posted something about aloe vera and no one has responded. 
I really hope someone out there tries it and replies.
So right now im not sure if its the aloe vera or the lemon oil that reduced my oil. Who cares, something is working!
@helton- youre right. While i dont want anyone to get stuck with the bp "addiction" like i have, it works which is why ive used it for 15 years. And i totally agree that if we could isolate the ingredient that reduces oil, it would be awesome! Ive heard some say that bp could result in more oil, i dont think thats the case with me since i put it on after my moisturizer. Also 3 days ago, i decided to make an effort to stop using bp but im sectioning off my face so i dont get that crazy breakout. starting small with just the left side of my forehead using diluted tea tree oil on just that spot. i broke out the 2nd day, but in combo with the aloe, its balancing the inflammation. Ill do this as long as it takes until my skin rights itself and then move onto the next section. Ive read everywhere that the adjustment period for skin to start taking care of itself can be long, but i really believe that i can have healthy skin without all the harsh chemicals. maybe one day, i can get to a point where i wont even need tea tree oil, lemon oil, acv, or anything else. I want to CURE my acne oily skin and i need to have faith that its possible despite genetics or the midwest environment or whatever the hell else is in my way.
@lewis- please try the aloe or the lemon oil. I really want to help you find something to cure your oily nose. 
its cheap and worth a shot. Please let us know in any case if you find something that works for you. We can all benefit from everyones knowledge and experiments.
Retin A + dawn ultra as a face wash
Basically I have an oily t-zone (combination skin), but my nose gets beyond oily to the point where it becomes irritated. I blot it all day long and it comes back with a vengeance. Is there anything else I can try other than blotting it? There's nothing worse than having a shiny nose. I'm thinking about maybe purchasing some mattifying 'invisible' powder, not sure how effective it would be though.
Everywhere else gets a thin layer of oil, but on my nose it's very thick. I'll appreciate any advice and to hear from others who have similar issues.
Retin A + dawn ultra as a face wash
Basically I have an oily t-zone (combination skin), but my nose gets beyond oily to the point where it becomes irritated. I blot it all day long and it comes back with a vengeance. Is there anything else I can try other than blotting it? There's nothing worse than having a shiny nose. I'm thinking about maybe purchasing some mattifying 'invisible' powder, not sure how effective it would be though.
Everywhere else gets a thin layer of oil, but on my nose it's very thick. I'll appreciate any advice and to hear from others who have similar issues.
That's actually a pretty terrible combo. I hope this is a joke; don't try this anyone.
Retin-A has been clinically shown to have oily skin as a side effect due to it's pore unclogging mechanism and how it increases skin cell turnover. And Dawn Ultra has no business being on your face, whether you have acne or not.