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Dear Dermalogica Lady

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Here it is: I’d like less moisture and gleam. I would LIKE—for a change–a bit of dry skin. There. I’ve said it. Does it strike you as odd? It wouldn’t if you saw how oily my skin is!
Ever since I was little, I’ve been the girl with the shiny face. I’ve never been acne-prone, however. I’m from a Mediterranean culture where youth (females especially) are cautioned against putting our hands near our face; I believe this is the reason that my skin is blemish-free.

Now that I’m in my 20’s I would like to trade in some of that oil production for a matte look.

Can you help me reduce my shine?

Thanks!

Shiny-Nosed in Shropshire
(Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Has Nothing On Me!)

Dear Shiny Nosed:
I do take your meaning. You have had enough of excess shine and could do with some soft and smooth.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that DON’T work on ultra-oily skin like yours. One, trying to scrub your skin over and over in the hopes your face will throw in the towel and stop all the oil production will not help.

No matter how hard you try to “scrub it away”, oil or sebum is a natural part of your epidermis….in your case, there’s a lot of it, but the good news is that your skin won’t age quite as quickly as, say, a woman with a skin that’s thirsty and parched.

The second practice that doesn’t work is using alcohol-based products, thinking they will dry up your shiny nose (and face). Alcohol is drying and minutely harmful to pores, tiny vessels and capillaries.
You are among the very fortunate ones whose excess fatty acids which accumulate on the skin’s surface don’t conspire to clog your pores, attracting bacteria that form pimples. And, yes, you not “picking” your outbreaks surely helped matters! However, stress and environmental pollutants may contribute to breakouts in oily skin.

So what do we recommend? Don’t give up the ship! There’s no reason to think you’ll live the rest of your life—both youthful and mature years—blotting up excess oil. To manage your oily skin, we recommend you do the following:
Cleanse twice a day and use the Skin Prep Scrub before cleansing to keep your skin smooth and soft, and to prepare it for a deep-down clean.
Don’t worry about clogging your pores with oily residue—the last thing you need is more oil, right?–as the Skin Prep Scrub is made with fine grains of corn cob meal. Too, the mallow and ivy extract to calm the skin.

Next, cleanse with the Dermal Clay Cleanser. You need to break down and dissolve excess oil—this product does the job. Also, it purifies your pores. The bentonite and kaolin clay breaks up congestion and removes impurities, and its menthol cools the skin.

Now smooth on the Active Moist. Its lightweight, non-oily formulation keeps the skin hydrated all day long without the slightest irritation. Botanicals like burdock and watercress supply a delicate astringent. (It’s among the most widely sold products in our line!)

Also, exfoliating is critical, as it will KEEP your skin as smooth and trouble-free as it is now. Dead cells must be removed; sometimes even a hair follicle can irritate the skin. Exfoliating will help avoid this. Try our popular Microfoliant. Its rice-based enzymes micro scrub dulling debris and let your true skin—soft and smooth but not shiny—come through.

Finally, for a quick pick-me-up, try our Multi-Active Toner.

This versatile product comes in handy if you’re freshening up after a long day or just about to apply makeup. It’s meant to infuse the skin with moisturizer…without in the slightest over-stimulating your skin.