Q & A: Should I moisturize if my skin is oily?

The answer is a HUGE, resounding YES!!!! One of the reasons why, is that the body wants balance or homeostasis and constantly compensates for internal and external influences in an attempt to achieve that balance. This means that more often than not, an oily skin will actually produce more oil as a defence mechanism to balance out loss of moisture. Another way of putting it is that, when you don’t moisturize an oily skin, you are actually giving your skin the message that it is dehydrating and needs moisture; your skin in turn compensates by producing even more oil...and so a viscous cycle ensues.

Besides the aforementioned reason, moisturizers also create a natural barrier against the influence of outside factors like sunlight, dust, heat etc. Another reason is that moisturisers may also be formulated or have properties in them that help prevent and combat pigmentation; help to prevent lines from forming or may have firming functions. Not all moisturizers are created equal and some benefit certain skin types more than others. I will be chatting about moisturizers specifically with an oily skin in mind in my next Q & A post.