Why Is My Face Shiny?

Is Having Shiny Skin Good Or Bad?

Shiny skin isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The natural oils produced by your sebaceous glands protect, hydrate your skin, and help prevent wrinkles as you age. 

They contain vital fat, triglycerides, and ceramides, which form a protective layer on top of your skin’s surface to keep it nourished. Thanks to these natural oils it keeps UV damage, harmful bacteria, and inflammation at bay. So in a sense, shiny skin might indicate good health.

On the other hand, if your skin is very oily, it can contribute to breakouts of acne and other skin conditions.

Also, a shiny, oily-looking face doesn’t help your appearance or confidence. It makes your face look heavy, makes you look stressed, uncomfortable, and unconfident – not your best version of yourself. 

Read more about how this tragically snowballs you into a stressed-out cycle: Why Your Shiny Face Is Ruining Your Confidence

Reasons For Shiny Skin

If you’re asking, “What causes my face to be shiny?” there are several possible reasons. Here are some of them:

Excessive Oiliness

Having oily skin means that your skin naturally releases more sebum. There are two components in sebum: lipids and dead skin cells. Although lipids protect the skin from drying out, excessive amounts can quickly turn the skin from radiant to oily. 

The t-zone area of your face is usually where it gets excessively shiny and greasy-looking. Having big pores might also lead to the overproduction of sebum.

Over-exfoliation

Exfoliation is a great way to keep your skin healthy. However, overdoing it can sometimes make matters worse, like anything else. 

It’s understandable if you’d like to keep your oily skin in check by washing and exfoliating every chance you get. 

However, when you exfoliate too much, your skin will release more oil to compensate for the natural oil that’s constantly washed away.

Over-exfoliation often damages the keratinocytes, which are your skin’s outer layer of cells. This results in a tight sensation in the epidermis and a rise in trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). Light-reflecting cells spread across a smooth surface, causing your skin to shine even more.

Sweat

It’s not just sebum that makes your face look shiny; it’s also the sweat secreted by your skin. Sweating has several positive effects on the skin as a whole. 

Not only does it cleanse pollutants from your skin, but it also secretes a useful natural antibiotic known as dermcidin, which can help defend it from pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. 

However, the bad news is that allowing perspiration to remain on your face for an extended period can cause problems. 

Sweat contains the filth that has gathered in your pores, and it can cause acne, whiteheads, or rashes if it slips back into your face.

External Factors

Your skin might become dry or greasy when exposed to extreme temperatures. For example, when it’s cold outside, your skin’s sebum production is reduced, resulting in dry skin. 

This is particularly the case during extended or severely cold weather. In addition, skin can become dehydrated, dry, and tight when there is a lack of humidity, such as in airline cabins or where there’s central air conditioning. This tightness can leave a shiny look on your face.

On the other hand, sebaceous and sweat glands produce more oil and sweat when it is hot and humid outside. This causes your skin to become shiny or greasy as a result. 

Again, too much sebum can lead to clogged pores and acne. During the warmer months, those with oily skin may notice their complexion appearing even shinier.

Wrong Skin Care Products

If you’re using inappropriate skin care products, you’ll also get shiny skin. 

For example, using a thick moisturizer with petrolatum-based or herbal oils can make your skin look shiny. Using harsh soaps can dry out your skin, causing it to produce excess oil to compensate. 

To avoid a shiny complexion, choose something delicate and simple.

How To Prevent Shiny Skin

Keep in mind that your skin is constantly changing, so it’s normal for your face to shine now and then. 

You don’t need to use harsh treatments or start a new regimen at first sight of a bit of shine on your face. Don’t expect miracles or anything to happen right away. 

Here are some steps you can take to reduce that unwanted shine.

Wash Your Face Regularly (But Not Too Much)

Keeping a consistent routine of washing your face can help reduce the quantity of oil on your skin. 

Use a gentle cleanser with salicylic acid in it for best results. Salicylic acid aids in the breakdown of oil in pores and minimizes pore blockage without over-drying the skin. 

Nevertheless, try a new product on a small portion of your skin to determine how your body responds before using it on a larger area.

It would help if you only washed your face twice a day at most. Wet wipes and face soap bars containing alcohol should be avoided. 

Prevent skin irritation and excess oil production by steering clear of products that include additional scents, moisturizers, or harsh chemicals. 

If you have oily skin, steer clear of loofahs and other abrasive washcloths.

Exfoliate Weekly

Since severe exfoliating might lead the skin to secrete more sebum, you only need to do it once a week. But make sure you don’t go overboard. 

Both effective options are AHA and BHA-based chemical exfoliators or physical exfoliators using activated charcoal. 

Ingredients such as these remove and prevent oil buildup in your pores and help keep them clear, ultimately reducing oil production.

Use Toners

Toners containing glycolic acid and lactic acid can aid in reducing shine by absorbing excess oil. It also makes your pores appear smaller and more refined.

Alcohol-based astringent toners can dry up the skin. Some natural astringents such as witch hazel can have skin-soothing qualities since they contain tannins, which are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. 

Witch hazel is a natural toner preferred by many people with oily complexions.

Using natural astringent toners also helps reduce the appearance of enlarged pores in some people and eliminate particles that could block pores. 

On the other hand, astringent toners may cause some people to experience skin irritation. If this occurs, it could lead your skin to produce more sebum.

Use Vitamins A and D

The skin’s epidermis relies on vitamins A and D to remain healthy, making them critical nutrients for skin health. 

The epidermis’ outermost layer, the stratum corneum, only functions properly when provided with enough vitamins A and D. 

Vitamin A can help minimize the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines when the skin has an overabundance of sebum.

Wear Sunscreen

The key to finding the best sunscreen is choosing one with the proper formula and consistency for your skin type and climate. 

Look for oil-free, micronized zinc oxide formulations in sheer sunscreens. The anti-acne zinc in the mix helps avoid shine or oiliness.

Moisturize

One of the simplest ways to improve your skin is to use a moisturizer. 

Most people believe that moisturizing will increase the greasiness of their skin. However, as we’ve seen, dehydration is a significant contributor to the skin’s shiny appearance.

When you use traditional moisturizers, your face is left looking and feeling oily the whole day. That’s why we’ve created a mattifying moisturizer that solves this problem. 

Besides controlling oil production, it also hydrates and nourishes your skin. It is the only moisturizer you’ll ever need to keep your skin hydrated, looking fresh, clean, and shine-free all day.

The Bottom Line

It can be very depleting if you have oily, shiny skin, and it may be seemingly hard to control, causing your self-esteem to suffer as a result. 

Even if you don’t have oily skin, a shiny look on your face doesn’t help with your appearance or confidence. It’s not a good look on camera, in an interview, or on that hot date.

The cause of shiny skin could be excess oil, over-exfoliation, excessive sweating, external conditions, and using the wrong skin care products. 

The good news is that you can take simple steps to avoid this, such as washing your face regularly, exfoliating weekly, applying toners, taking vitamins A and D, wearing sunscreen, and moisturizing.

Getting rid of unwanted shine can be as easy as using the appropriate skin care products and the advice we’ve shared.

If you’re still worried about your shiny, greasy-looking complexion, d*shine’s Signature Mattifying Moisturizer can help. 

It delivers outstanding moisturizing performance while keeping that matte, shine-free, clean, confident look!