It must be remembered that sebum, the skin’s own oils, are one of the main tools the skin uses to slow the loss of moisture from the skin. It has been said that a total lack of the skin’s own oils would lead to a daily loss of 20 litres of water through the skin. Your body perceives dehydration of the skin as a danger; it responds by upregulating its production of sebum.

Oiliness is an indication that the skin is trying to protect itself against moisture loss. The solutions is counterintuitive: if you apply an oil-based moisturizer that ensures long-term hydration the skin will tend to normalize its production of sebum. You should not be afraid of oils in your skin care cream – they are important to the health of your skin.