Having oily skin myself I feel like I could be an expert in advising people with this type of skin. I remember as a teenager I would buy everything and anything I thought would help and as a result my skin was no doubt over exfoliated and left feeling more sensitive than it really should be.
With Lush we have a range of products to help with the oily and the spotty and all without being aggressive to our skin.
Herbalisim
Herbalisim is a great go-to cleanser for those times when we are feeling shiny and suffering from spots.
Herbalisim is a fresh cleanser made with ground almonds for the lovely soft cleansing milk they provide when mixed with water and for their gentle exfoliating effect. The exfoliating effect is boosted with the rice bran. Other key ingredients include:
- Kaolin to absorb grease and give a deep clean.
- Rose absolute and chamomile oil for their skin balancing effects.
- Chlorophyllin, the green pigment from grass, because it is incredibly beneficial and regenerating to the skin.
Herbalism is made with 100 percent natural ingredients. The product came about because Japanese Lush staff asked for a cleanser that matched the needs of Japanese skin. Often with their skin care they are trying to combat oiliness, remove shine and brighten skin tone. Herbalisim will help with spots, grease, and calm troubled skin.
Herbalisim retails at £6.35 for 100g
Dark Angels
Another wonderful product for our skin is Dark Angels. This product will offer us a deeper exfoliation than Hebalisim care of the charcoal and dark sugar while the rhassoul mud cleanses. On the gentler side of this product, the organic cold pressed avocado oil and vegetable glycerine are used to soften and moisturise the skin. You can use this daily however I like to mix things up and so use Herbalisim for the most part and Dark Angels perhaps 2 days a week to make sure my skin is well exfoliated.
Dark Angels retails at £6.35 for 100g
Coalface
If you would like a more traditional style soap to cleanse with, I offer you Coalface. This soap smells faintly of the black jack sweets we enjoyed as children due to the Liquorice Root Decoction. This same liquorice will also soften the skin as the charcoal helps to absorb grease and exfoliate the skin in a super gentle manor.
With Coalface being a traditional soap we can cut this to the size you request in store from 100g upwards.
Coalface retails at £4.75 per 100g
Tea Tree Toner Water
To tone, our Tea Tree Tonner is just the ticket. Tea tree is a wonder oil for anyone with oily or spot prone skin. It has antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobal properties.
Where the skin needs balancing, where there are spots, gentle tea tree is just the job. You can use this tonner to spray directly onto the skin and wipe off any excess cleanser with a cotton pad or just leave it to dry on the skin prior to moisturising.
Tea Tree Tonner retails at £3.95 for a 100g or £7.50 for a 250g bottle
Vanishing Cream
To moisturise there are two options I feel will work well on oily skin. Firstly there is Vanishing Cream which is an amazing cream that will sink into the skin quickly leaving no signs of moisturiser on the skin. This is a low fat moisturiser that is light in texture and is great if you have an oily t-zone.
Vanishing Cream retails at £17.75 for 45g
Enzymion
The alternate to Vanishing Cream is Enzymion. Oily skin needs careful cleaning and gentle moisturising that won’t strip all the good along with the bad.
In this cream we have fresh fruit, for its alpha hydroxy acids and enzymes. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice will give the skin a matte finish, whilst the enzymes in papaya will help stimulate and brighten the skin.
These active fruits used in exactly the right proportions, along with light oils and cocoa butter, mean that this cream takes away shine but leaves the skin nourished and not over working.
A light bright citrus fragrance finishes this moisturiser off. The essential oils give tone to the face and an uplifting scent.
Great for people with oily skin types who want to wear make up, because this cream helps keep over-production of oil at bay, which means make up has better staying power on the skin.
Enzymion retails at £13.95 for 45g
It’s great to have a 3 step routine to use daily, morning and night but what about those extras that we know will help when we have spots come up? Or to help keep them at bay?
Grease Lightning
Personally I love our Grease Lightning spot treatment. A little pump of this will come out on your finger as a clear gel that if you wanted to you could cover your whole face with it (not that you should do this, I am just advising you how far a little pump will go). My advice is to dab directly onto spots morning and night.
Lush use carrageen moss, a seaweed, to make the clear gel that we base this product on. Seaweed gel is very softening and won’t dry out the skin around your spot. Next they add:
- Aloe vera gel to soothe and moisturise.
- Seawater for its antiseptic properties.
- Grape juice to cool and calm the skin.
- Thyme, rosemary and tea tree herb infusions to be gently antibacterial.
- Witch hazel, an astringent that is great for bruising and helps broken blood vessels shrink and contract.
- Tea Tree oil, a powerful antiseptic.
Grease Lightning retails at £5.95 for 45g
Tea Tree Toner Tab
Our Tea Tree Toner Tabs are an amazingly cheap treat for the skin. The Tea Tree toner tab delivers tea tree oil to your face in a concentration that will be antibacterial without spoiling your skin’s natural defences
When dropped into a bowl of hot water, this tab will fizz into the water and steam will lift the beneficial blend of essential oils for you to steam your face. When the water has cooled, you can use cotton wool or a flannel in the water to wash away any traces of cleanser or dirt from your face, neck and chest.
Tea Tree Toner Tabs retail at £1 each.
Catastrophe Cosmetic
Last but not least we have the fresh face masks. I adore Catastrophe Cosmetic for its wonderful blueberry scent and effectiveness on my skin.
Made with Irish moss gel which will soften the skin and almond oil to moisturise and leave it supple.
Fresh blueberries are full of vitamins and minerals and are anitoxidant. Rose absolute and chamomile essential oil will reduce redness and irritation. Calamine and talc will deep clean and soothe the skin at the same time.
Combined together they provide your skin with a good deep cleanse without causing puffiness – leaving the face cool, clear and calm.
This is a deep cleansing mask that it designed for regular maintenance to keep the skin clean and clear. Regular deep cleaning can avoid spots occurring and keep skin in top condition.
Remember you can return 5 black pots to claim a free face mask.
Fresh Face Masks retail at £5.95 for 75g
This list is by no means exhaustive. There are of course many more products in store that will suit your skin should it be oily or spotty. This blog is just a starting point to guide you in the right direction with your skin care routine. For more information do feel free to ask us or pop into your local Lush store and ask the staff as they will be more than happy to advise you.
Diary Of A Beauty Therapist 