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Recently, Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine has covered the symptoms and effects of dry skin and esolutions for taming it. However, there are two sides to every coin: if one side is taken up by dry, itchy and rM pulled out the tissue or blotting paper in the girls’ bathroom to dab their faces with, in the hope of getting rid of the shine that sits on their foreheads or cheeks. Additionally, there are powders, creams and other products aimed at reducing the appearance of shine on the face, and with the range of products in pharmacies increasing just about daily, how could anyone possibly know what you’re meant to use? That’s where the pharmacy assistants come in. To understand which products will work best, though, it’s important to know the why and the how, and what’s behind the oily madness. Dr Jo-Ann See is a consultant dermatologist in private practice at Central Sydney Dermatology and the co-chair of the All About Acne website. “The shine is due to the skin’s natural oil or sebum,” she said. “There’s an increased number of sebaceous or oil gland follicles on the face, especially with the T-zone, and this is why the face is often shiny.” Shiny, oily skin is generally most common in adolescents, she adds, “when the sex hormones stimulate the oil glands or pilosebaceous ducts”. But this can also occur in others as “some people inherit the tendency to secrete more oil or sebum” Dr See says. “Other people may have an underlying hormonal disorder, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, which will lead to increased sebaceous flow due to stimulation of the oil gland,” she said. Don’t let it boil, avoid the oil Unsurprisingly, to reduce the appearance of oily skin, it’s best to flaky skin, then the other side must be ... you guessed it, the shiny, oily side. y skin is definitely on the dryer side all year round, but I’ve had many friends over the years who’ve SKIN FIX 57 avoid products that contain a lot of oil. “If you have an oily skin you should avoid oil-based skin care products, as you’re putting too much oil onto the skin surface, which already has an overabundance of natural oil (sebum) and this can trigger acne,” Dr See said. “Oil-based skin care products may be better suited to someone with dry skin or during low humidity \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[in a\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] cooler winter climate.” This means that products such as moisturisers and foundations that include a high proportion of oil will do more damage to the skin. “Consider lighter products and even mineral face powders,” Dr See said. Mattify the skin A common resolution for oily skin is oral contraception. “In general, reduction of oil is by oral medications such as the combined oral contraceptive, antiandrogen medications, or even oral isotretinoin,” Dr See said. However, she adds, there are beauty products that can also help mop up excess oil. These are known as mattifying lotions. “They contain ingredients such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which unclog the pore so that sebum doesn’t accumulate in the opening of the oil gland to produce a pimple,” she said. Accept the shine and reduce it Dr See advises that one should “accept the fact that sebum is natural and try to wash your face twice a day”. “Many of the acne washes available do a great job to remove excess sebum without leaving the skin too dry,” she said. “Try to pick a cleanser that’s a lotion gel or foam rather than a creamy cleanser. “Certainly, some ... moisturisers and skin care products have ingredients that can absorb sebum and take away the shiny look.” Dr See’s advice for pharmacy assistants confronted with customers inquiring about oily and shiny skin includes the following: • Try to familiarise yourself with the acne skin care range available. • The most expensive brand is not always the best. • Get feedback from your customers. • Try to learn about the ingredients in each product. • Visit the All About Acne website at acne.org.au. Reference 1. ‘Top six home treatments for oily skin’. Medical News Today, 2020. Accessed 14/7/20. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321090 Effects of having oily skin can also include: • Very large or obvious pores.1 • Skin that looks thick or rough.1 • Occasional or persistent pimples.1 • Clogged pores and blackheads.1 RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • AUG 2020