All that Grease: If you have Oily Skin, Will you get Acne?
This is not a cause and effect thing, in the sense that if you have oily skin, you will not inevitably get acne, but the truth is that oily skin provides more incentives to acne-causing bacteria, and hence they flourish. So you could say that a person with oily skin is more vulnerable to acne than one with normal skin. Please note we are not talking dry skin here. That has its unique set of problems, acne among them.
What do we classify as oily skin? Well, the sebaceous glands in our skin produce sebum, or oil. Sebum is necessary to keep skin moisturized and protect it from microbial infections. In its basic state, sebum mainly contains lipids and dead skin cells. The trouble begins when your body produces more than the required amount of sebum. Voila! You have oily skin.
The logical question here is that why do some people have overactive sebaceous glands and others do not? Is it some special punishment for past misdeeds? Not really, and I can’t give you a more definitive answer because none exists, but increased hormonal activity usually triggers excess sebum production. That is one reason why, for instance, many women tend to get oily skin during their periods.
Excess sebum naturally means more oil on the skin, and acne-causing bacteria thrive on that because oil clogs the pores and traps dirt underneath them. So, oily skin needs to be kept clean and dirt-free. No harsh soaps, please, but using a mild face wash and astringent is a must. Oh, and keep those acne cleansers handy.