Grooming
Words by Adam Hurly
104 GQ.CO.ZA OCTOBER 2017
How to
degrease
your oily skin
You know how you can pat your pizza
with a napkin to soak up the grease?
Apply that technique to a shiny face
Get your skin toned
After cleansing your skin
(or after shaving), pat some
toner onto your entire face –
just a few drops in the palms,
or onto a cotton pad should do.
It absorbs deep into the pores
to balance pH levels, preventing
excess oil production without
drying out the skin. We like
[1] Kiehl’s Men’s Oil Eliminator
Refreshing Shine Control Spray
Toner (180ml R365), which
works double-time to prevent
any post-shave irritation, and is
a great pick-up for dry-skinned
gents, too. It uses plant-based
extracts to preserve moisture
levels so that the skin doesn’t
get parched.’m a guy with oily
skin who likes to
not look like a guy
with oily skin, even
if I know I’m only
taking off the top layer of sebum
- the stuff that causes you to
look oily – when I address the
matter. Th e problem isn’t just
the sebum, though – it’s that it
refl ects light, which causes you
to look greasy. Somehow, it
always seems to get worse after
a hearty meal.
We’ve got solutions for this.
Th ere are a few products and
steps you can take to balance
your skin’s oil levels without
drying it out. If you have oily
skin (or ‘combination’ skin),
then try these tips.
Mattify while you
moisturise
Guys with oily faces sometimes
think that they don’t need to
moisturise, since their skin
produces so much sebum. Th is
natural oil is nourishing, yes,
but it can clog pores and needs
to be kept under control. Th at’s
why a cleansing routine is so
important (see the next two
tips). As this isn’t an article
about how to stay moist, but
rather how to look less greasy,
I’m telling you to cleanse a lot.
For that reason, you need to
moisturise a lot, too.
Snag an oil-free, mattifying
moisturiser for your post-
cleanser, post-toner
nourishment. A lightweight,
non-greasy moisturiser absorbs
easily and won’t clog pores
(which would otherwise
aggravate the situation by
making you sweat). Pick up a
neutral one, such as [2] Clinique
for Men’s Oil Control Mattifying
Moisturiser (100ml R510). Apply
it morning and night, at least,
and following any cleansing.Cleanse daily
Frequent canvas clearing
is necessary for us greasypeople. Wash your face when
you wake up, since your body
had plenty of time to produce
sebum while you slept. You’ll
need a fresh slate before doing
the rest of your skincare
regimen. Wash your face at
night, too, to fl ush away toxins
and sebum that accumulated
throughout the day. No need to
let your pillowcase absorb all
that grease, or to risk clogging
your pores while you sleep.
Cleanse after any particularly
sweaty activity.Use a gentle cleanser
Since you are cleansing
so much, pick a gentle, oil-free
product that keeps pH levels in
check. You don’t want to risk
drying out the skin, which can
happen even though you
produce lots of sebum. We like
[3] Team Dr Joseph Purifying
Cleansing Gel (200ml R400).Pack a pocket wipe
Since toting a cleanser is
a pain, stock up on face wipes,
like [4] Garnier Pure Active
Purifying Cleansing Wipes (R32),
which work as an on-the-go
cleanser (especially good for the
gym, if you prefer to shower at
home and thus risk letting the
sweat dry inside your pores).In warm weather, go
for oils and serums
In warmer weather, I actually
sweat less when I swap my
moisturiser for a face oil. It’s not
necessarily that the oil prevents
oil production – that’s what
I use toner and cleansers for –
but it makes me sweat less,
since it doesn’t sit atop my
skin and cover my pores. Oils
and serums allow my skin to
breathe more, and since they
absorb so rapidly, they don’t
make me any oilier than I’d
otherwise be. I’m just sure to
apply them to a cleansed and
toned canvas, otherwise I’m
applying it to the layer of excess
sebum. [5] Dermalogica Phyto
Replenish Oil (30ml R1 290)