Personally, my skin is so oily that it has quite the buildup after only an hour after blotting/washing. I usually make frequent trips to the bathroom to blot with toilet paper or toilet seat covers (these work best), because toilet paper can suck moisture from your face and leave it flaky. I tell people I drink a lot of water if they notice the amount of times I'm visiting the bathroom. I also keep a safety blotter in my back pocket in case I'm out somewhere and need to blot but can't get to a restroom. On a busy day for me I'll blot my face 10+ times.
For the most part I always wait to go in the stall, which is quite embarrassing at bars or heavily crowded places where toilets are first come, first serve. My friends must know by now that I go in the stall to blot my face.
I also avoid occasions where I know I'll be away from a bathroom for too long. These mostly include concerts/festivals, long driving trips, anything with nature (picnic, hiking, exploring), and especially during the summer, when I know the sweat and humidity will increase my oil levels. Movie theaters kind of suck, and whenever I plan any kind of roaming activity, I subconsciously map out times when I will be able to blot/get away from people. It's really only reasonable to use the restroom every 2-3 hours, but my skin is so oily after 1. I went on a tour bus vacation this summer in Europe, and my oh my did it suck being on a bus with no bathroom for 3+ hours daily. I usually put my hood up and hat low when we got off until I could blot...
Can anyone else relate? Or have any insight to leave on how you deal with oily skin throughout your day?
Normally I just lurk here from time to time to see if a new treatment is released. When I saw this post it reminded me of what I have to do on a daily basis -- I definitely have to blot frequently throughout the day and totally understand the awkward/annoying dynamics of trying to sneak by in bathrooms (and avoiding events that require me to be away from bathrooms for a long period of time).
Since you have no problem using toilet seat covers (which you're right about, they're the best) -- one thing that could help are plain old napkins. Specifically, those brown, recycled-looking napkins from places like Chipotle, Starbucks, and elsewhere. Why mention these napkins if the toilet seat covers are the best? Because the napkins are great for public use.
Hear me out -- going to a bathroom stall isn't always possible (for me at least). Sometimes I have no choice but to be in public for long stretches of time without opportunities for privacy. These napkins are handy because I pretend to blow my nose with them (I'm even pretty good at using my mouth to fake the sound of blowing my nose) -- I unfold the napkin and press down on the key parts of my face (nose and cheeks) and make the nose blow sound. I've been doing this for years now and people just think I have bad allergies. It's not the best blot, but usually when I remove the napkin from my face I see the deep dark outline of oil on there -- which is great when you're on the go. Just make sure that the napkins are clean -- the top napkin at these food joints may have been touched by someone else.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I found that using mattifying moisturizers and gels can really help. I use Lab Series Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment as a moisturizer, then follow up with OC8. When I combine these, my skin looks perfect and matte for about two hours. It's expensive, but when it really matters, they work wonders. (Just be careful of a whitening effect -- if you put too much on, it gives a ghost-face look, which is awkward. Sometimes I apply, wait to dry, then carefully pat down with a wet finger to get rid of the white powder effect to look more "natural")
These techniques and products, plus the routine you described in your OP, have held me over for awhile. My skin is still really oily and I'm pretty self-conscious about it. Hopefully the new drugs undergoing clinical trials for acne (which target the sebaceous glands) come to market soon!
On 9/7/2016 at 0:14 AM, TripleTap said:Normally I just lurk here from time to time to see if a new treatment is released. When I saw this post it reminded me of what I have to do on a daily basis -- I definitely have to blot frequently throughout the day and totally understand the awkward/annoying dynamics of trying to sneak by in bathrooms (and avoiding events that require me to be away from bathrooms for a long period of time).
Since you have no problem using toilet seat covers (which you're right about, they're the best) -- one thing that could help are plain old napkins. Specifically, those brown, recycled-looking napkins from places like Chipotle, Starbucks, and elsewhere. Why mention these napkins if the toilet seat covers are the best? Because the napkins are great for public use.
Hear me out -- going to a bathroom stall isn't always possible (for me at least). Sometimes I have no choice but to be in public for long stretches of time without opportunities for privacy. These napkins are handy because I pretend to blow my nose with them (I'm even pretty good at using my mouth to fake the sound of blowing my nose) -- I unfold the napkin and press down on the key parts of my face (nose and cheeks) and make the nose blow sound. I've been doing this for years now and people just think I have bad allergies. It's not the best blot, but usually when I remove the napkin from my face I see the deep dark outline of oil on there -- which is great when you're on the go. Just make sure that the napkins are clean -- the top napkin at these food joints may have been touched by someone else.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I found that using mattifying moisturizers and gels can really help. I use Lab Series Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment as a moisturizer, then follow up with OC8. When I combine these, my skin looks perfect and matte for about two hours. It's expensive, but when it really matters, they work wonders. (Just be careful of a whitening effect -- if you put too much on, it gives a ghost-face look, which is awkward. Sometimes I apply, wait to dry, then carefully pat down with a wet finger to get rid of the white powder effect to look more "natural")
These techniques and products, plus the routine you described in your OP, have held me over for awhile. My skin is still really oily and I'm pretty self-conscious about it. Hopefully the new drugs undergoing clinical trials for acne (which target the sebaceous glands) come to market soon!
Thanks for the reply!
I have actually taken a large amount of brown napkins from the places you've mentioned haha. I never thought about just pretending to blow my nose and quickly blot. Even the action of blotting can seriously reduce any anxiety/stress I have, though I might not see how much oil I actually removed. My skin is very flakey though, so I'll have to be sure I still blot and don't rub.
Thanks for the regimen advice. I'm usually afraid to try complex products like mattifying lotions because I don't want to clog my pores even more.
I also know the new treatments you're talking about. I forget the names, but the one using Nitric (not right word) oxide seems to be the most promising as it is a revolutionary medicine and not a mere tailoring of the same old ingredients like retinoids, SA, and BP. It supposedly reduced oil by 80%. What a godsend that would be.
Hi Tyler -
I've had the same frustrating issue for 10 years now! It's reassuring that there are other people struggling with the same issue. I used to use oil blotting sheets, but it became expensive and the sheets are so tiny. I eventually settled on Puffs kleenex (ultra soft, no lotion). With clean hands (so most likely in the bathroom), I stack several sheets of tissue together. Then I press and hold the top sheet to one part of my face for a few seconds so it fully absorbs the oil, then switch to the second sheet before pressing it to another part of my face. This seems sanitary as it does not transfer oil/bacteria around my face. Puffs have worked well for me (no breakouts), and they make soft packs now which make it easier to transport (link below). Good luck!
(Oh, I also employ the "pretend to blow my nose" technique sometimes haha. The oiliest part of my face is around my nose + surrounding cheek area so this is a lifesaver!)
