Any solutions for people with really oily faces?

[LoveCareThinkDo]

My face gets really, Really, REALLY oily. By the end of any normal day my face is so oily that the oil literally gets around my eyelids and burns my eyes. By the next morning, I am a mess. My face and hair look like other people who haven't showered for weeks. The rest of my skin is abnormally dry. What can I say?

Normally, I rinse my face several times a day, just to keep the eye burning at bay. But this uses water.

Naturally, I am looking for a way to stay clean and comfortable while using the least water possible. 

I have been experimenting with face cleansing wipes from the makeup aisle, but they don't really seem to cut it. I have used Noxema and Strident pads and they really remove the oil, but I can't use them on my eyes, which is the most important part. Plus, the oil seems to come back just that much faster. I have tried simply using a damp, microfiber cloth. That helps a little but I have to do it almost twice an hour. Sometimes, I just take one of those plain, recycled napkins from fast food places and wipe the oil from my face. Yeah, that napkin is a fire hazard after that.

All the time that I have lived in my car/RV before has been urban boondocking. So, I had access to a shower every day. But now I'm preparing for living on the road full time and this face-oil thing is one of my biggest concerns. Does anyone have any ideas for me? Any products that have worked for you? 

Thank you so much,
CC

 

[RVTravel]

Wet a rag, wipe your face. You don't need running water?

 

[RoamerRV428]

this is what many do and it helps them but everyone is so individual and you have to hope it works for you

from oily skin website.....zinc + B complex helped me a lot. excessive oil dried up and more normal skin.

Cleanser for oily skin of course. Experiment with a few, one might suit you better than another.

Thing is troubles come from inside us so I would work on internal natural changes that could help oily skin while also just having a damp washcloth around to wipe when needed.

best of luck

 

[Moxadox]

This is a sebaceous gland issue. Sebaceous glands produce the thick oily stuff, and they are activated by testosterone. Topical measures, as you have found, are only temporarily effective and you have to keep chasing the oil.

Have you seen a dermatologist? They are your best bet. Skin is such a delicate organ. As you noted, it can be pouring out oil in one place, and dry as dry in another.

One simple, harmless, and effective remedy is witch hazel extract (used to cost 37 cents a bottle, maybe up to $3 by now!) Just soak a cotton ball or cosmetic pad with it, and wipe the oil off. It will not dry your skin excessively, or clog your pores. It's very soothing. If you get it in your eyes it won't cause any damage.

Another excellent remedy is rose clay. You can buy this online in a powder form. Make a paste with water and cover your face with a thin layer. Let it dry, then rinse it off with a fragrance free wipe saturated with additional water (I recommend Huggies Pure and Natural brand). Follow with a second rinse with witch hazel. Do make sure you get it all off so it doesn't stick to any clogged pores. This mask, after a few rounds, will bring clogs to the surface. It will reduce the quantity of oil present, but since the reason for the increased production is hormones+ genetics, it will not prevent recurrence, only treat the current condition. Better than nothing though. You can use the rose clay mask as often as daily.

The water issue is one you will need to budget for. No way around that. Many of us do have health issues that we need to make allowances for, and this is yours. Water is not difficult to obtain, but of course we all have space issues, so something else might have to go in order to make room. Everything is a compromise....

Hope this helps a bit.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[Dingfelder]

I'm pretty much like you, only not quite to that degree ... but I do get really oily neck and shoulders, too. I've taken to wearing black shirts so I don't stain every collar. And behind my ears gets ... well, nobody wants to hear about that at all.

I find wiping with a paper towel here and there throughout the day is a big help. I need something rough enough to scrape through the oil, not just glide over the top of it. A little exfoliation here and there never hurts either.

I also use a washcloth when washing my face and neck and ears. Same problem -- if I don't want to just glide over the top of my oily skin 100 times without ever taking any of the oil off, I either have to use my fingernails or roughly scrub with a washcloth. Occasionally I'll also just wet a washcloth with rubbing alcohol, sometimes give it a few seconds so some of the fumes disperse, and use that to cut the grease.

I carry in my car and keep separate in my trailer a ziplock freezer bag with dollar store baby wipes in it. They are okay and the cost is minimal, so that's good, but on first opening the wipes' plastic bag (on the short end), I put a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol in there. The wipes dry out even in a ziplock bag, so they need some moisture ... and unlike water, they help with greasy skin.

I also occasionally run a washcloth over my hair between showers. Wetted with water it won't do much, but R.A. will remove oil.

Finally, I've decided to keep my hair very very short. I use clippers and save a lot of money on haircuts that way, plus it always looks okay. I wake up looking like a normal person. Like you, my hair gets crazy oily. Plus, after an overnight sleep, getting rained on a bit, or even in a strong breeze, it tends to get "stuck" in whatever position it gets held in for long and almost impossible to comb straight again without drenching it in hot water. So I get up looking somewhere between terrible and ridiculous with still a bit of terrible in it, and I've had enough of that. Super short hair is ideal for oily-skinned folks like me.

 

[tx2sturgis]

My face gets really, Really, REALLY oily. 

Do you drink a lot of coffee?

 

[RVTravel]

My response was too brief, and I didn't see that you mentioned a wet cloth...didn't finish reading the post. I agree with the others comments. I use these walmart face wipes on some outdoor trips because they don't need much water. You could try a face wipe combined with wet washcloth (on eyes) and see how it does.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Hydrating-Cloths-Everyday-Facial-66-Ct/10322074

If it was me I would consider a dermatologist opinion to make sure I didn't have an underlying condition. No one knows your age, health status, gender, and other pertinent history.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

If it was me I would consider a dermatologist opinion to make sure I didn't have an underlying condition. No one knows your age, health status, gender, and other pertinent history.

Thanks. I'm in my late 50s. I've had the oily face problem since before puberty. I've talked to a couple of doctors when I was a kid. They just said, "That's the way you are. Accept it." There really isn't any special "condition" other than I am just an outlier on the oil production spectrum. 

For some reason, I hadn't thought of wiping my face with a store-bought "wipe" and then going over that with just a damp cloth. I was thinking in either/or mode instead of both/and mode. I'll try that next.

 

[B and C]

Healthcare has come a long ways since the 70's. You might want to try again.

 

[dandman37]

If your going to the RTR I can bring something that may help. I get it from a local farm. in short it is mud. It is from a mudhole that keeps producing a wet clay like mud. many people around here use it as a total skin cleanser. the farmer has even sent it into a lab to see what's in it. anyway all the science aside, you just wipe it on, let it dry, and it pulls all the bad stuff out without hurting your skin with dangerous chemicals. however, it does take a bit of water to rinse off. your skin will feel soft and clean. he gives it away for free to help those with skin problems. anyway, shoot me an e-mail and I'll try to find you at the RTR. Dan

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

Healthcare has come a long ways since the 70's.  You might want to try again.

Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but I just can't afford things like dermatologists these days. 

I'm primarily looking for a good brand of cleansing wipe that I haven't tried. I need to stop at Walmart and get some of that witch hazel extract. I think I've tried that ages ago, but I don't remember.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

Do you drink a lot of coffee?

I do drink more caffeinated soda than I should. I am working on cutting back on that again. However, when I cut back before, I don't recall it having much effect on the oil production. We'll see how things go when I cut way back on the Coca Cola again. 

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

zinc + B complex

So, is this a food supplement?

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

If your going to the RTR I can bring something that may help. I get it from a local farm. in short it is mud. It is from a mudhole that keeps producing a wet clay like mud. many people around here use it as a total skin cleanser. the farmer has even sent it into a lab to see what's in it. anyway all the science aside, you just wipe it on, let it dry, and it pulls all the bad stuff out without hurting your skin with dangerous chemicals. however, it does take a bit of water to rinse off. your skin will feel soft and clean. he gives it away for free to help those with skin problems. anyway, shoot me an e-mail and I'll try to find you at the RTR. Dan

I'd like to avoid the "mud-based" solutions, because I figure they will just use as much water as simply washing my face with soap, if not more. 

However, I think I have found my solution. See the nest post.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

Well, everyone. I think I have found my solution. And I feel like an idiot. It was so simple, but it still took someone else suggesting it for it to click for me. 

I just took one of the makeup removing wipes that I got from Walmart. I hadn't liked those because they left a residue. But I then just wiped over that with a barely dampened microfiber cloth and that took off most of the residue and my face feels great. We'll see how long that lasts.

I am allowed to post links now, so here is a link to the wipe I am using for now: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-B...p-Remover-Wipes-2-packs-of-60-120ct/441568792

If any of you can suggest one that doesn't leave as much residue, that would be great. 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

You could try a face wipe combined with wet washcloth (on eyes) and see how it does.

Turns out, this is actually what worked for me. I'm glad you took a second stab at your answer. 

I don't know why that simple combination was evading me. This oil thing has been such a frustration all my life that I think I have just put up a mental block around it. 

Hopefully, this will do the trick without using hardly any water. I have plenty of microfiber cloths, so I can just rinse them out when I do have access to running water and keep reusing them a bunch of times, till laundry day. 

Thank you so much. 
CC

 

[SheepDog]

Glad you found a solution!

I’ve been known to use perfume free baby wipes from time to time! If I didn’t wipe down babies with them too I’d likely add witch hazel instead of water when I wet them back down. Yes they dry over a few months even in a ziplock bag when stored in the truck, but it’s a bit of water to bring them back in shape!

SD

 

[abnorm]

Well I've been traveling for one year now...…...and I've got a 65 yr old oily guy face

I've gone exclusively to a spray bottle mix of rubbing alcohol and water along with Bounty paper towels.....wet the towel and wash

I use the same spray in an attempt to clean and tame my "pillow hair" in the morning......I spray my hair WET and dry it vigorously with paper towels or normal cloth towel .........and comb into place

I DO NOT like to use micro fiber cloths on my face !

 

[tx2sturgis]

I do drink more caffeinated soda than I should. I am working on cutting back on that again. However, when I cut back before, I don't recall it having much effect on the oil production. We'll see how things go when I cut way back on the Coca Cola again. 

Thanks for the reminder.

Some coffees, and particular methods of preparing coffee especially, have oils that tend to create oily skin in some people...and it can take a couple of weeks to 'clear out' if you stop drinking it.

Or it may be some other food or drink you are consuming with a high oil content. 

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

 

[Margrreet]

My DH has had oily skin his entire life, made worse by certain meds he takes. Paper is absorbent, but makes him break out. So he's finally settled on microfiber cloths he buys in bulk from Amazon, although any supermarket, Home Depot, or auto supply store has them. Very absorbent and they work well. When they stop working, he washes them and we use them for dusting or whatever.