The Matte Skin Regimen that will save your Skin this Summer

Dewy, moist skin is everything...am I right?!?  But with the change of seasons, I'm noticing my skin moving from a luminescent glow to being flat out greasy.  Simply put, my oil production is out of control.

I sorta expected it. The warmer the weather gets, the more active our skin typically is. So it's no surprise that my skin is an oily mess by mid-day.  The theory is that heat revs up oil production.  With warmer weather ahead, we have to get ready!

Last year, I remember picking up some oil blotting sheets.  I somehow thought this would be the solution to all my problems.  Sure, they did absorb some of the oil, but they weren't equipped to give me the outcome I was looking for.

What I really needed is something that can absorb the oil before it rises to the surface.  Off I went to Sephora to find the solution to all of my problems.  Since I went on a weekday afternoon, the store wasn't buzzing with people.  After making a few rounds, I finally decided to ask someone for help.  "I'm looking for a product that absorbs oil."  But instead of making an immediate recommendation, the sales associate responded with "what type of moisturizer are you using?"

To be honest, her question caught me off guard.  Why are you asking me about my moisturizer when I'm inquiring about a product?  She went on to reveal something that would alter the course of my life forever.  "If you wan't to focus on oil control, you have to build a regimen around it. This means that the first product that comes in contact with your skin has to be mattifying and all the other products you use as well."

Whoa.....

Was she telling me that I should steer away from an ultra hydrating moisturizer and move towards a mattifying one instead? Are mattifying moisturizers even a thing?

Turns out that mattifying moisturizers are a thing.  In fact there's a whole slew of them out there.  And their sole purpose is to add moisture to the skin while keeping oil at bay.  She gave me a few to sample.   First she rubbed in Korres Balancing Cream-Gel moisturizer then Cane + Austin's Facial Moisture Cream.  The first thing I noticed was how they both fully absorbed without leaving any trace of shine.  Although my skin was hydrated, there was no visible evidence of the product on the surface.

At this point my mind started racing.  I thought about all the products I currently owned that could be recruited to be a part of my new mattifying regimen.  I could hydrate with facial essence and matte moisturizer.  Then I'd mix a little of Skinceutical's SPF with foundation.  This SPF 50 formula is the most mattifying product I know.  The product description even says that it dries to a powder finish.   Too drying to use in the winter, but perfect for this time of year.  Then there's also Murad's Invisiblur which also promotes a matte finish.

If I wanted to get really serious, I could even grab a matte foundation but I think Skinceuticals and Murad might do the trick.  Especially if I set the foundation lightly with a little powder.  I'll play around with different combinations until I have a grasp on how many oil control products I should layer at a time.  Perhaps I go full matte if I'm attending an outdoor summer event and do less when I'm in an indoor, climate controlled environment.

[ The key, she said, was to make sure the product that's in closest contact with my skin be mattifying.  Murad's Oil Control Mattifyer is already in my shopping basket, ready to go.]

This knowledge of fighting excess oil where it starts really excites me. I look forward to fully perfecting a matte skin regimen by summer.

from Relaxed Hair Health http://ift.tt/1U5nGeQ