Oil Blotting Sheets: Do You Need Them?

If you’ve been searching for solutions on how to treat oily skin, you’ve probably heard of oil absorbing sheets. Available in small packages that are easy to stow in your purse or pocket, oil blotting sheets can be used to absorb excess oil on your skin, providing a quick fix to shininess on your nose and forehead that doesn’t result in you having to completely re-do your make-up.

But are these cosmetic assistants really doing anything beneficial for your skin?

 

Why Your Skin is Oily

As is true of most things in skin care, whether oil blotting sheets will help you manage oily skin or not depends on how you use them, and how often.

Many oily skin sufferers believe that the oil is the root of their skin care problems – but this is only half true. In fact, the oil on your skin is an essential part of its natural protective barrier, and provides moisture and nourishment to your skin.

Let me explain. Our skin is full of glands, and these glands supply the oil, or sebum, to your skin.  If you are suffering from excessively oily skin, it means that something in your habits has caused your skin to fall out of its natural balance; the glands are producing too much sebum.

 

Removing Oil Will Produce More Oil

However, simply removing the oil doesn’t really provide anything more than a temporary solution. The underlying issue relates to your skin’s functioning; the excess oil is only a symptom of this imbalance.

This means that using oil blotting sheets too frequently can contribute to the problem. If you are constantly removing the oil that your skin is creating, your glands will detect this lack of sebum on your skin’s surface, and will begin producing even more oil.

 

Oil Absorbing Sheets Should Be Fragrance-Free

If you are considering using oil absorbing sheets to help manage your skin’s oiliness, make sure you are also aware of any fragrances or other additives that may be present on the sheets themselves!

Anything that is pressed or rubbed against the skin has the potential to cause irritation, or upset the skin’s pH balance; read the ingredients carefully and try to find products that are unscented. Unless they come from a natural, non-comedogenic oil, fragrances are almost never a welcome guest on your facial skin!

 

Think of Your Oil Blotting Sheets as a Cosmetic Tool (Not a Skin Care Solution)

It’s important to understand that oil blotting sheets will not provide a real solution to oily skin – and use them accordingly. Their primary use in your skin care should simply be to reduce the shininess here and there when you need to leave your make-up intact or just don’t have the option of cleansing. Think of them more as a cosmetic tool than a skin care solution!

 

How to Treat Oily Skin

If you are looking for lasting, long term solutions on how to treat oily skin, you can check out some great tips from our skin care experts here.

In general, it is best to build your skin care habits around a routine which will includes gentle exfoliation, proper nourishment and hydration, and a soothing toner. Consistent use of a proper skin care program will balance your skin’s natural functions and naturally regulate your skin’s oil production- reducing or even eliminating your need for these kinds of cosmetic aids.

 

So, Do You Need Them?

The short answer is no. A proper skincare routine is a better solution for treating your oily skin!