Does Having Oily Pores and skin Assist Stop Wrinkles?
8 min read
I grew up with oily pores and skin at a time when a matte look was all the trend. Even if individuals would inform me my pores and skin was “glowing,” I spent my teenage years furiously powdering my t-zone to carry down the shine. (There was no such factor as glass pores and skin or glazed donut pores and skin, I can let you know that a lot.) Quick ahead a pair many years and dewy pores and skin is all the trend. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve undoubtedly come to understand my pure pores and skin sort extra and have been in a position to see it for its benefits.
No matter the place oily pores and skin has stood in relation to the development cycle, one factor has remained fixed. All through my profession, I’ve seen that individuals are likely to consider having oily pores and skin helps stop wrinkles and different indicators of growing older. However is it true?
I’ll say upfront, I don’t consider one pores and skin sort ages “higher” than one other. In terms of growing older, every pores and skin sort has its personal benefits (and drawbacks). Pores and skin fads might come and go, however on the finish of the day, your pores and skin sort isn’t a development. It’s one thing that dictates how your pores and skin needs to be cared for and what its distinctive wants are.
Understanding your pores and skin’s strengths and weaknesses is the easiest way to create a sport plan that enables it to age in a wholesome, sleek manner. If in case you have oily pores and skin, this publish will educate you the best way to do exactly that.
The Benefits of Oily Pores and skin and How It Can Assist Stop Wrinkles
What does it really imply to have “oily” pores and skin? Folks with oily pores and skin varieties (like Skin Types 1-4) have the next density of sebaceous glands. These are the glands that produce oil, and this oil is liable for offering moisture and shielding our pores and skin from environmental aggressors, micro organism, and extra.
These of us with oily pores and skin are fast to see the downsides, however let’s take a step again and have a look at some advantages you may not have thought of!
Greater Concentrations of Oil Glands Could Imply Thicker Pores and skin
One doable advantage of oily pores and skin is that the excessive density of sebaceous glands means having thicker pores and skin general. This supplies a pure cushion that makes the pores and skin much less liable to creasing or folding, which may also help sluggish or stop the formation of wrinkles and advantageous traces.
Dr. Sam Lam, a board-certified plastic surgeon who sees a variety of pores and skin varieties in his follow on daily basis, echoes this perception: “One of the simplest ways to know the supposed bias towards oily pores and skin is to know how the pores and skin repairs injury, which is the sebaceous (or oil) gland as the principle supply of regeneration. Folks with oily pores and skin might have extra lively oil glands and thereby have extra safety. There might be an affiliation of oil glands with thicker pores and skin, which is much less liable to collagen breakdown.”
He notes that this isn’t one thing that’s been scientifically confirmed, it’s extra of a principle primarily based on a mix of present analysis and his personal observations. After 30 years of working with pores and skin hands-on, I are likely to agree with these observations.
Whereas oily pores and skin varieties might have a leg up with regards to wrinkle prevention, it’s necessary to keep in mind that traces and wrinkles aren’t the one parts of facial growing older. Facial sagging and pores and skin laxity are a pure a part of the growing older course of, and having oily pores and skin doesn’t stop this.
Sebum Offers Pure Moisture and Safety
Having dry or dehydrated pores and skin can contribute to the event of advantageous traces, so that is one other occasion when having oily pores and skin might repay. Our pores and skin has a more durable time holding onto moisture as we age, and having your personal built-in moisture from oil manufacturing can definitely be useful.
Sebum additionally acts as a protect for our pores and skin, so oilier pores and skin varieties might have a bit extra pure safety in opposition to growing older triggers like air pollution, free radicals, and UV injury (however not sufficient to skip sunscreen, after all!). This further little bit of safety means it could be simpler to keep up vibrant, even-toned pores and skin, one other attribute of youthful-looking complexions.
All nice information for greasy pores and skin varieties, proper? Earlier than getting too carried away although, keep in mind that being much less liable to wrinkles isn’t the identical as being immune. One of the simplest ways to capitalize in your pure benefits is correctly caring to your pores and skin with a constant routine (and sure, oily pores and skin nonetheless wants moisturizer).
Widespread Ageing Considerations for Oily Pores and skin (and What to Do About Them)
No matter pores and skin sort, we’re all extra liable to sure facets of pores and skin growing older than others. The secret is understanding which facets we’re liable to and addressing them early on. As they are saying, an oz of prevention is price a pound of remedy.
Under, the commonest growing older issues for greasy pores and skin varieties and the best way to get forward of them.
Pore measurement
Talking from expertise, these of us with oilier pores and skin can battle with pore measurement as we age. When you could have extra sebum flowing by way of your pores it could stretch them out, making them seem greater over time. This may not be tremendous noticeable if you’re youthful, however as we age we begin to lose cushion and quantity in our pores and skin. This cushion helps “plump out” enlarged pores, however because the pores and skin turns into extra lax, giant pores turn into extra apparent.
A clean, even pores and skin texture is one key function of youthful-looking pores and skin and it may be tough to make pores seem smaller as soon as this begins to occur, so that is undoubtedly a terrific factor to start out addressing early on!
How you can Stop Enlarged Pores
- Handle oil manufacturing through the use of the proper substances for greasy pores and skin
- Maintain pores clear by getting common extractions and exfoliating at house
- Use retinol to assist protect your pores and skin’s pure “cushion”
Be taught all about the most effective technique for minimizing giant pores.
Pimples Scars
Whereas not everybody with oily pores and skin experiences pimples, many do—particularly of their youthful years (I do know this was the case for me). Breakouts can fluctuate in severity, however if you happen to’re somebody who’s handled deep nodular or cystic pimples, you understand all too nicely it could go away behind indented scarring. That is by far essentially the most tough type of pimples scarring to cope with, and identical to enlarged pores, it could turn into extra outstanding as we age.
You possibly can handle the results of pimples scarring over time by sticking to a diligent skincare routine that features collagen-stimulating substances. Use a vitamin C serum within the morning to assist construct collagen and forestall additional injury. Use retinol within the evenings and take into account consulting with a dermatologist to work your manner as much as a prescription power since it will give essentially the most dramatic outcomes. Most significantly, put on solar safety each single day, rain or shine (this sunscreen is perfect for oily skin). Whereas each vitamin C and retinol may also help construct collagen, defending in opposition to solar injury is vital to stopping collagen breakdown within the first place.
In case your scarring is extreme, skilled remedies akin to radiofrequency microneedling generally is a game-changer.
Sebaceous Hyperplasia
Final (however not least), having oily pores and skin makes you extra liable to sebaceous hyperplasia as you age. Sebaceous hyperplasias are benign pores and skin growths that seem as flat, barely raised bumps. As I stated, they’re fully innocent, however they could be a nuisance. I’m going to my dermatologist annually to have a lot of these growths eliminated through electrical cauterization.
The Takeaway—Does Oily Pores and skin Age Higher?
As you possibly can see, there are many advantages to having an oily pores and skin sort. Should you’re somebody who hasn’t all the time felt good about having oily pores and skin, I hope studying about these advantages may also help you embrace it! To recap, the next focus of oil glands results in thicker pores and skin, which is extra resilient in opposition to advantageous traces and wrinkles. Greater sebum manufacturing additionally means extra pure moisture and built-in safety from the weather, which could be useful for sustaining vibrant, even-toned pores and skin.
With that stated, having oily pores and skin doesn’t make you completely proof against wrinkles, particularly deep expression traces. It additionally doesn’t defend in opposition to facial sagging, which includes deeper parts of our anatomy like fats and muscle. Oily pores and skin varieties can also battle with pores and skin texture and huge pores as they grow old, extra so than dry pores and skin varieties.
On the finish of the day, the easiest way to keep up wholesome pores and skin and forestall indicators of growing older is a well-rounded skincare routine constructed to your distinctive pores and skin sort. A skincare routine ought to handle ALL of your pores and skin issues—not only a few (and oily or dry is just one a part of the equation). Unsure what your routine ought to seem like? Take this quiz to get started!
Lastly, keep in mind that growing older is a multifaceted course of affected by so many components akin to way of life, setting, and genetics. The best way I see it, do what you possibly can to maintain your pores and skin, your well being, and your happiness, then benefit from the experience 🙂 I consider stability is vital and I attempt to incorporate it into my on a regular basis life.
Up subsequent, be taught why you need to really take into account your self fortunate in case you have pimples!

Movie star Esthetician & Skincare Skilled
As an esthetician educated in beauty chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching pores and skin, educating her viewers, and constructing an award-winning line of merchandise. Her hands-on expertise as an esthetician and trusted skincare professional has created a real-world answer — merchandise which might be formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get precisely what it must feel and look its finest. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives across the globe, her huge real-world data and fixed analysis are why Marie Claire calls her “essentially the most passionate pores and skin practitioner we all know.”