OK, so oily skin just might be in your family tree (sigh), but you can change the quality of the oil itself. What do we mean? Allow us. It’s the overproduction of oil that frequently becomes an issue, where the buildup of sebum actually transforms in quality. “With the overproduction of sebum, that sebum is a little bit different in composition,” celebrity esthetician Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily, tells mbg. “There are more wax esters, it’s a little bit glassier, and the oil can look more yellow versus clear.” That thick, yellowish oil is the substance you might associate with “oily skin,” but the actual amount isn’t necessarily the problem (and no magical number of blotting papers will make it more manageable): All you need to do is transform the oil composition back to its clear, dewy quality. But the real kicker here is the change in composition—instead of thick, yellowish, and greasy, it’s clear and makes your skin look plump. “It’s not just less,” Yoon explains. “The oil composition feels different. Some of my clients will say, ‘I still have oily skin. It just feels better.’” So rather than slathering on purifying and clarifying ingredients to reduce the oil and calling it a day, show the oil some love: Properly hydrate, exfoliate, and hydrate again to ensure your sebum is of the highest quality.
