One word: accutane

What is your diet like? I know for myself if I eat a lot of sugar and simple carbs it really affects my skin. Try to eat a lot of green leafy veggies, limited fruit, lots of water with lemon, and take large amounts of Evening Primorose, or Borage Seed oil internally as well as B complex, extra biotin, vitamin D3 and magnesium.

Externally, wash gently twice per day, (I haven't tried the regimen but it sounds good) apply vitamin A acid at night along with a gentle oil-free moisturizer that is free of fragrance, dyes excess and additives.

I also have insanely oily skin and had bad acne for years. My skin is now pretty much clear except for small pitted scars left behind.

I would also spot treat each individual pimple or cyst with vitamin A acid AND BP together.....on top of applying a pea-sized amount of vitamin A acid mixed with a small amount of moisurizer over my whole face.

But one of the biggest helpers that I use every day? Cigarette rolling papers! Yes! The kind that pot smokers like to have on hand! Ones that are not too thin. Bascially I blot the oil off my face multiple times per day. This way I am not stripping my skin, over-washing or irritiating my skin. Just gently press the rolling paper into the oily areas until you've absorbed it all. Do this every time your face gets excessively shiny.

I discovered this by accident many years ago and I have been recommending it to people (and make-up artists) ever since.

I'd also recommend topical oil-free hyaluronic acid during the day before moisturizing. Drying out the skin is really counter-productive.

My diet is pretty good. My parents are extremely health consious... so it's rubbed off on me. Also I can't exactly eat dairy.

idk its like with everything i try, it works okay for a month, and then my skin freaks out and produces an insane amount of oil.

and I'm not up for the side effects of accutane.

accutane is certainly not the answer for clogged pores,whiteheads and oily skin.

u will anyway get back the oiliness once u're off accutane.

a mild bha wash.

diet,lifestyle.

I'll say it again, cigarette rolling papers! Or you can get the expensive Shiseido blotting papers which are basically the same thing. But just blot blot blot many times per day when your face it getting too shiny.

I'll say it again, cigarette rolling papers! Or you can get the expensive Shiseido blotting papers which are basically the same thing. But just blot blot blot many times per day when your face it getting too shiny.

u get these at stores named as 'cigarette rolling papers'?

You get them in variety stores that sell cigarettes. And yes, just ask for cigarette rolling papers. Some are too thin and so aren't usefull, so you have to find the ones that are thicker tissue.

I'm in Canada, so I could tell you the good brand names, but they would only be in Canada. I'm sure they have them in India since there are probably people rolling their own cigarettes there too (although probably most people buy them to roll joints with!). I always get strange looks when I buy 5 packs at a time! But my skin is so oily that if I don't blot with them many times a day, my pores will clog and I will look like a huge grease-ball.

You guys have got it right in that accutane is certainly not the answer!

To be honest, If I have people who come into my store with excessively oily skin, I prescribe them about 8000IU of Vitamin A for each day, 1000IU Vitamin D3 for morning and night and a small daily dose of zinc for two months.

They, 80% of the time have come back for the same vitamins after the two months course for another set while thanking me and telling me I saved them.

As for the other 20%, I can't say whether it worked for them or whether they just bought more from another chemist, but this is definitely the way to go for oily skin.

I'm iffy on putting things on your skin to absorb the oil. It takes minor irritation from the pushing on your face of a cig wrapper to clog yet another pore and really any topical treatment doesn't fix them problem.

I repectfully disagree, Zefferson. I know all too well the difference blotting oil has made. It doesn't disturb my make-up or sunblock, it prevents me from having to rewash my face, it leaves nothing behind on my skin (there are blotting papaers you can buy that have powder in them....I tried those and they were not good). In short, they have been a God-send. It is not irritating to blot, and it helps keep my pores clear by keeping excessive oil build-up off my face in a gentle manner. You don't rub, you gently press the paper into the oily area. Otherwise, the sweat and oil and dead skin cells sitting on the face (as it does with people with excessively oily skin) will also help city grime and pollution particulates cling to the face as well.

As for the supplements, I agree with all except the level of vitamin A you suggest. It is a safe short term dosage for the most part, but if someone has any issues with their liver, that dosage can be too high, especially over longer term use. Much better to use topical vitamin A acid. It will deliver the high dosage to the skin topically without the risk of liver issues. 2-5,000 IUs of vitamin A orally along with dietary vitamin A (fish, meats, especially organ meats, etc) and topical vitamin A acid, would be my suggestion. I'd also say 10-25 mg of zinc per day.

I would also take a higher dosage of D3 if you do not receive regualr sun exposure and especially people in northern climates between Oct - May. 4,000 IUs and even up to 8,000 IUs in darker winter months.

Also magnesium and K2, which are VERY important co-factors for oral D use.

Actually, extremely low-dose accutane is a very effective way to control excessively oily skin. In fact, in countries that aren't infested with trial lawyers like the U.S., variations of this treatment are pretty common.

You can diet and wash with whatever all you want, but that's going to slow down sebaceous glands that are out of control.

thank you for the suggestions

unfortunately accutane is not an option for me.

for now im just quiting my skin care routine and just washing my face with oatmeal. sounds really retarded but its actually working and drinking green tea mixed with random stuff.

i'll update and see how it goes.

PUBERTY SUCCCKSSSS

oh and i forgot to add currently i am taking saw palmetto 160 mg and D3 1000 mg twice a day. one in the morning and one at night.

I think you should take a combination of herbal supplements internally

what's with the green tea with stuff?lik ginger or cinnamon u mean?

green tea drink:

- tumeric

- grape seed oil

yeah its a bit random.

forgot to add im using an apple cidar vinegar toner. too soon to tell whether i see improvement

oh and when clearetto comes, i'll let you know how it works.

for the record clearetto has horrible shipping and delivery services.

i ordered like 2 weeks ago and it just said its gonna ship this week, only because i emailed them about it.

Accutane will work great for oil while you're on it, but I guess it's not an option for you. As already mentioned, vitamin A and D supplements could help if you want to try those. That clearetto has some good supplements in it, but it doesn't have much of vitamins A and D. It is mainly for acne, not oil. If you are female, you can try spiro.

A lot of people are saying to just have a healthy diet and lifestyle, or take herbs or use topicals, but none of those are going to get rid of your oil. The most topicals can do is wash off the oil temporarily or absorb some of it as a mattifier.

oh and also... I'm starting to wonder if my acne isn't hormonal...

most of my acne is on my forehead, and inbetween my eyebrows and above my mouth and around my mouth. and some clogged pores on my chin.

CRAZY OILY.

no acne on cheeks or jawline really.

and I have a pretty good diet an I drink craploads of water. I'm told it has to do with my diet, but I swear I don't eat bad. tons of fruit and vegetables... no soda and bad stuff or dairy

I'm at the point of what the heck right now.

AHHH what's going on

also when I went to Korea my face was completely clear. erm.

Malassezia or other types of fungus is the answer to it. I just wonder if you notice you got dandruff at the same time. problem started forehead is typical, can be spreaded from your head. Being oily is traditionally thought to be caused by internal problems, yes, while the root of the problem is internal (immune systems) while the physical actions are you to malassezia deep in the your folicules, they metabolize with enzyme they release create sort of biofilm which consists of oil and dead skin (keratins) to protect them from oxygen and other chemical attacks. Some people may not have oily skin but only flakes even the got malassezia infection ( actually it's a condition rather than an infection), what I guess these people do not have natural oily skin type and the malassezia infection is not deep enough to the oil glands. Large pores are no caused by clogging but inflammation of skin cells. During the inflammation, skin loses hydration and cells around pores, just like a dry orange peels. However malazzia are difficult to treat, many people use topical without success since the location is too deep. For treatment optiions please refer to pityrosporum foliculitis.