Hi everyone! I am currently 18 years old.
I've never made an account like this JUST to get some advice about my oily skin. Many people claim to have oily skin, when, I guess they do... But then they don't. I feel like I am the only person on this world who has GENETICALLY oily skin, it is HEREDITARY. My mother and her two sisters have it, my grandmother, and I'm pretty sure my ancestors had it as well. We all also have gigantic enlarged pores! You can see our pores from 5 feet away! NO. JOKE.
I have tried EVERYTHING. From the strongest of salicylic acids (please don't recommend, it doesn't work for me) to the most natural products (from vitamins, natural clay masks, scrubs, essential oils, etc.)
I'm not asking for matte perfect skin, I have accepted the fact that will never happen... I'm just asking for something that can decrease my overactive sebum.
Yes, I have been back and forth to the dermatologist for 6+ years. They have done nothing for me. Most of them just want to shove chemicals down your throat and harsh topicals that damage your skin. I'm not for that.
My final question: Is there anyone else in this world who has genetically/hereditary oily skin? Who can look at their parents, aunts/uncles, or grandparents, and know it's just in our skin permanently?
So please comment, I would love to hear your experience and advice, I will log in everyday to reply!
I am the queen of oily skin!! lol I am 20 years old and have suffered with acne since my early teen years. I actually just recently came across a routine that allows me to go through my day with normal feeling skin. The main products i use include cetaphil for my cleanser, I then use a 10% benzyl peroxide gel from cvs. ---> here's what it looks like http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-Acne-Treatment-Gel?skuId=428504 . This product also is one of the keys to curing my acne, if you struggle with that problem this may help. It may leave your face feeling a little dry if you over do the amount you put on. I think this is the main reason my skin is not normal and balanced out. To top off my routine I add an aveeno moisturizer. It's funny because I spent so much money on dermatologist requested and prescription medications and creams and the thing that has worked best is this simple affordable routine! Another product I use here and there is the DDF Sulfur Mask. works great to absorb oil in my opinion. 
Hope this helps!
@goodz19 : Yes, my grandmother who is in her mid 50's STILL has oily skin. I have tried Differin and Aczone throughout my high school years and it was great with acne! But after a few months, I guess my body built up an immunity to it and it stopped working. As of now, I have very mild acne, like barely anything!
@marjennings : I do use to Cetaphil foam cleanser for oily skin! It helps out with my oil only very little... But at least it's SOMETHING! I am running to Walgreens today to check out this Grisi Sulfur soap bar! I've heard many positive reviews about it and it's only like $2 so it shouldn't hurt. Many reviews I read said that it was an over night treatment to acne!
The products I use:
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne wash (at night)
Cetaphil foam cleanser for oily skin (in the morning)
Cetaphil moisturizer for oily skin (day and night)
Tee Tree Oil for acne, just dab it on the pimple, not all over! (at night)
Bentonite Clay mask (at night, twice a week)
Vitamins I have tried:
B2
D3
Zinc
i too have genetically oily skin...
i think it comes from my mom and aunt.. both of them have acne even thought they are somewhere in their 40s..
i'm only 14 and i seriously am hating my skin... i've tried quite a few products.. none have really worked...
a tip for you.. exfoliate your skin no more 1 or 2 times a week... it really messes up your skin..
I absolutely have hereditarily oily skin too. A few things I've noticed about my own case:
-Trying to dry my face out too much makes it even worse. It's as if my skin fights back even harder and gets even oilier.
For instance, if I wash my face with something drying at night and go to sleep, in the morning I look absolutely ridiculous. Like I've dipped my face in a bucket of oil. If I moisturize my face adequately, it's a lot more moderate in the morning.
-In general as well, when I was using products that were seemingly aimed at my oily skin issue, I had worse skin. I think there are some misconceptions in some cases about what is good for oily skin and what isn't.
Here's what has been working the best for me recently.
-Charcoal soap as cleanser. Cleans beautifully but doesn't dry me out too much.
-I follow up with hyaluronic acid lotion (Hadalabo brand). Keeps the skin hydrated.
-Follow with BP and AHA. I actually kind of want to experiment with removing BP from my routine completely as I've never felt it to be very effective for me. I apply the AHA to trouble spots only, or places with scars.
-Sunscreen, either Elta MD or my new favorite: Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence.
-Moisturizer: Jojoba oil or Tsubaki oil. I occasionally use Egyptian Magic if I'm not going anywhere, or at night. That one will make you look very oily.
As for appearance, I do find I look less oily when I take steps to moisturize and hydrate my skin myself rather than dry it out too much. I feel that causes it to react with overproduction of sebum. I certainly don't avoid a somewhat oily appearance altogether, but I look better and my acne is 10x more controlled than it was before adopting this new routine.
