Scientific Reason to use Moisturizer

[Lorrie 5]

Can anyone give me a good scientific reason/s why we should use moisturizer on our face when we already have oily skin? I have my own opinion but I didnt come to that conclusion from any scientific study. Even if you could direct me to a website stating why, that would be great too. Thanks! Lorrie

[cool as kim deal 47]

None of these address oily skin specifically, but they're all about moisturizers:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_DocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...l=pubmed_DocSum

No conclusion offered here, but I think it's interesting.

[Lorrie 5]

Thank you Snowqueen! Very informative but not exactly what I am looking for. I can find plenty of websites that say you should use a moisturizer to balance it out oily skin but they dont give a scientific reason why. I mean I know with my skin that as soon as I started using a moisturizer, my skin was no longer oily. And I know thats because my skin no longer felt the need to produce so much oil to compensate for all the oil drying products I was using on my face. I just dont know why that it is. I need scientific proof as to why that happens. Ughhh I am so frustrated. I really thought I would come home tonight and see a bunch of replies as to why this happens. Lorrie

[LionQueen 40]

And I know thats because my skin no longer felt the need to produce so much oil to compensate for all the oil drying products I was using on my face. I just dont know why that it is. I need scientific proof as to why that happens.

[Lorrie 5]

Hmmm! I went and read those threads. Interesting. I am not sure about whether washing will reduce or increase oil production. I have always had oily skin no matter how many times I washed or how many drying agents I used. I was actually quite panicky about using moisturizer on my already oily skin. I fell into that myth that moisturizing was the worst thing you could do with oily skin. Why would I want to add more grease to my face? But its turns out that was the best thing I could have ever done.

What I was trying to figure out was why when I started moisturizing my face, my skin was no longer oily. I mean the oil used to puddle up on my face so bad that my boyfriend even commented on it. Now I do not have that problem and I suggested to someone else with the oil problem to try moisturizing and met heated debate from another poster. Maybe my skin is just frickin weird because obviously I am not going to find evidence that moisturizing was why my skin was no longer oily. Maybe it was just coincidence. I am in the beginning stages of menopause and that may have been a factor in the change in my oil production. Heck I dont know. Lorrie

[Ariventa 67]

Tough to say. Your body might be changing and hormones could adapting.

As far as your oil and moisturizer, maybe your oil isn't exactly decreasing but the APPEARENCE is that it is decreasing. Unless you measure it using sebutape or something you may not actually know how much you are producing. It's possible the moisturizer is just improving your skin, its barrier function, texture, tone that is giving the appearence of less oil. Really, there are so many factors that could be influencing your skin that you would be hard pressed to isolate a single cause.

[cool as kim deal 47]

As far as your oil and moisturizer, maybe your oil isn't exactly decreasing but the APPEARENCE is that it is decreasing. Unless you measure it using sebutape or something you may not actually know how much you are producing. It's possible the moisturizer is just improving your skin, its barrier function, texture, tone that is giving the appearence of less oil. Really, there are so many factors that could be influencing your skin that you would be hard pressed to isolate a single cause.

[Lorrie 5]

Good point! I never thought of that. In any case, I am just glad my face doesnt look like an oil spill any more.

[lucky girl 0]

Hi. I'm sorry I am running late to be somewhere so I haven't completely read all of the above so sorry if I am going to reapeat any of the comments of above. I asked my derm after finishing a course of Roaccutane, what moisturizers should I use as my skin starts to produce more sebum again (having always had oily skin previously and then majorly dry). She told me to use an oil-free one and gente cleansers etc still but only moisturize when and where needed. As I always have had an oily T-zone she advised that as my skin gets oilier cut down on moisturizing my T-zone area even with oil-free moisturizer as it won't need it, and just moisturize my cheeks and neck. She also said that if I do get a bit dry there from cleansing to then moisturize but then it may only be that I need it an night as during the day (especially in summer) I may produce more sebum.

I have found this all to be very practical advice and have recently tested it out and found it to be true It's been ten months since I came off Roaccutane and we have had some really hot days here over summer. Anyway, my skin on my chin has been a bit congested so i decided to use AHA serum to exfoliate this area as advised by the derm. I use Eryacne gel for any spot and so the AHA once a week with Eryacne on top of it (as I have started to get a few pimples), just stripped my skin and I broke out worse that I have since coming off roaccutane. This freaked me out, I can't get into the derm until may so thought I would try to think logically and treat it myself. I remembered her above advice and, as I haven't been moisturizing that area while using both these products I realised that was why I had broken out as my skin was drying out and becoming irritated by the products which caused a breakout I was only using the AHA once a week but i stopped it and moisturized for a few nights and was careful only to put the Eryacne gel on the actual spots not the surounding area, and it seems to have been successful. My skin has calmed down and I have had no more pimples for a week no. It is still a bit congested though so I am think now I may use the AHA 10 days apart but moisturisze after it for a few days to settle the drynes it causes

So, in a nutshell, it isn't necessary to moisturize unless you have dry skin or even just dry areas on your skin as if your skin is dry you can break out from being irritated.

[peachesncream 1]

i used to think that dry skin somehow would prompt the sebacious glands to produce more oil as compensation. but if there is no feedback loop then that changes everything. i think that a moisturizer would be good for keeping your skin's barrier in a desirable state so that your skin doesn't become vulnerable to infection and moisture loss (because then you'll end up with many dead skin cells from dehydration that could further clog your pores...). i would recommend ordering 100% pure squalane online [it's a "biological healing oil" derived from olives...skinbiology.com or .ca, with a comedogencity rating of 0, 5 being the worst (based on empiracly data- the only data you should trust)]. i personally do not trust labels on commercial products because i research the ingredients and many are extrememly comedogenic. hope this helps!!

[*Rebecca* 2]

IMO I think moisturizers actually help to lessen oily skin. I say this before alot of times our skin is oily bc essential oils on our skin are stripped away by alkaline products (most soaps and acne washes) and alkaline products are extremely bad for our skin they dry us out and ultimately more acne bc akalkine products destroy our acid mantle. The acid mantle is a layer of skin which is acidic and kills bacteria, without it your face is ultimately vulnerable to alot more acne then before. Anyways .... back to the moisturizer, they are useful bc they help to mimic (sp?) our skin's natural barrier, which means your oil glands will have to work much less and produce alot less oil to get your essential oils and acid mantle back to it was prior to washing your face.

Does that make sense or did I just confuse you? Google "acid mantle" of the skin you will learn alot about how the pH of a product certainly effects hte outcome of our skin.