Dealing with that persistent shiny and excess oily skin truly takes a huge effort. They need to tackle excess oil, clogged pores and prevent breakouts on the face. Exfoliation is one key step which helps in shedding the dead skin cells and buildup from the skin along with clearing oil. Now for an oily skin they can opt for either DIY scrub or use a store bought face scrub for their skin.
Each scrub has a different approach on the skin. You need to opt for the best face scrub for oily skin according to your needs. A DIY scrub is a cost effective formula which utilizes your kitchen staple ingredients and are chemical free, you can choose the ingredients according to your needs.
Whereas the store bought scrubs use dermatologically tested ingredients which are meant for actively cleansing the excess oil from the skin. It depends on how well your skin can adapt to chemicals if you want to choose a marketed formulation.
Understanding oily skin and how exfoliation helps
Sebaceous glands are the glands which actively produce sebum in the skin which is an essential secretion for the skin as it protects and moisturizes the skin. When the sebaceous gland gets hyperactive they start producing excess sebum in the skin which makes the skin oily and result in persistent shine on the face.
People with oily skin type usually have hyperactive sebaceous glands. The sebum production in the skin could also get affected due to hormonal imbalance and genetics along with environmental changes. Also diet and stress can trigger more oil production and worsen the case.
How does exfoliation help?
Exfoliation helps in lifting the buildup of dead skin cells and impurities from the skin. By doing this exfoliation prevents clogged pores and acne breakouts in an individual. It also helps in clearing out the excess oil and reducing excess shine from the face which helps a lot for oily skin.
Exfoliation can either be physical or chemical. Physical exfoliants work by opting manual scrubbing method using exfoliating agents and some active ingredients which help in clearing out the excess oil and also helps to lift off the impurities from the face. Most DIY scrubs opt for a physical exfoliation method. Some marketed face scrubs also are physical exfoliants.
Chemical exfoliation method mainly uses mild chemical acids which help in dissolving the bonds of dead skin cells and helps in cleansing them out. They work by penetrating deep into the skin and work chemically to dissolve the bonds of dead skin cells and other impurities inside the pores. They help in controlling the excess oil from the pores. Most marketed face scrubs use chemical exfoliants.
DIY scrub vs Store-bought face scrub
| Factor | DIY face scrub | Store-bought face scrub |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients sourced | Most of the kitchen remedies are used here like oatmeal, sugar, honey, coffee grounds, rose water, milk etc | Can use both chemical and plant based ingredients like salicylic acid (BHA), glycolic acid (AHA), charcoal, clay and plant based like neem face scrub, aloevera etc |
| Exfoliating mechanism | They work by physically exfoliating the buildup of oil and dead skin cells from the face. They need to be manually scrubbed on the face | They can work by both physical and chemical exfoliation. Most scrubs use a chemical exfoliation method which works to dissolve the impurities deep from the pores |
| Cleansing ability | Mostly work on the surface by lifting off the excess oil and buildup from top | Most chemical exfoliants can penetrate deep into the pores and help in dissolving the oil and dead skin cell bonds from the pores |
| Texture | Can be harsh because of coarse particles and can cause micro tears. (opt for smooth exfoliating bases) | Mostly have smooth and round edged particles which do not cause micro tears |
| Cost | Mostly low cost as ingredients are sourced from kitchen | Can be costly or moderate priced |
| Preservatives | No preservatives used | Can contain some preservatives |
| Usage | Need to prepared first then used | Ready to use formulations |
What to select amongst the two?
- If you want a budget friendly option then select for DIY face scrubs.
- If you want to get rid off excess oil deeply then select marketed scrubs.
- If your skin is sensitive to chemicals then choose DIY scrubs.
- If you need proper cleanse then choose marketed scrub.
How to use a face scrub?
- Wash your face with water.
- Let the face remain wet.
- Take a coin sized amount of face scrub.
- Apply it gently to your face by massaging.
- Exfoliate gently on regions with excess oil.
- Continue doing this for a minute or so.
- Rinse off the scrub with water.
- Pat dry the face.
Wrapping up
Choosing between a DIY and store bought face scrub totally depends on your skin requirements. If you want to use a gentle scrub for surface cleansing and have a tight budget then select for a DIY scrub. If you want to stick to natural ingredients then also DIY scrub is best for you. If you want deep oil cleansing and want to achieve proper cleansing and your skin adapts to chemical ingredients then select marketed formulation.
