Skip to content
Help: My Skin Has Too Much/Too Little Sebum! What’s Happening and What to do About It
(Learn more about skin stages and take our free survey here)
Worried your skin feels (and looks) oily? Stressing about that spotty, greasy T-zone? Alarmed by those large pores on your forehead, nose and chin? Finding that you’re experiencing dryness and mild breakout simultaneously? Crikey, a lot is going on. Try not to panic - there could be a number of reasons to blame for these skin problems- but it sounds like your sebum production is unbalanced. That’s right, your skin is presenting typical Skin Stage 2 signs.
A short science lesson
The purpose of sebum production is still something scientists are trying to get their heads around. It’s jolly complex but it seems that the main reason our hair and skin produce sebum is to stop it from losing too much moisture. Luscious locks and silky smooth skin? Yes, please!
Complicating matters, sebum production is linked to your body’s hormones. People of all genders have androgens (male sex hormones, like testosterone) in their bodies, just in varying levels, and it's these androgens that help keep sebum production balanced. Some research suggests that the more active a person’s androgens are, the more sebum they produce, but the jury’s out on this one. Progesterone (a female-specific sex hormone) also plays some role in sebum production, although scientists are still trying to understand the exact role.
When sebum production is unbalanced, sebum glands become overactive, flooding the face with oil, particularly that troublesome T-zone. So it’s about time we sorted out your sebum production.
What to do about skin with unbalanced sebum production
There are some simple things you can do to get sebum production back on track. Making sure you’re getting enough uninterrupted sleep is the first item on the agenda. If you’re someone who gets up to go to the loo in the middle of the night, try and resist the temptation to check your phone, so you’ll find it easier to fall back asleep. While we’re on the topic of phones, cut back on screen time before bed. The blue light from our phones has been proven to limit our body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps control our wake-sleep cycles. Read a book instead.
Excessive stress can also offset sebum production. Mindfulness, yoga and meditation are all helpful methods to reduce the feeling of stress that keeps many of us awake at night.
And you guessed it, the wrong skincare can also impact the body’s regulation of sebum. We have two powerhouse moisturisers that play an instrumental role in controlling sebum production. The hand-crafted blend of our Bold Gold face cream contains juniper berries and sandalwood to calm your sebum factory, and our gorgeous Skin Shrooms face cream harnesses the magical power of mushrooms to achieve the same results. Within six-to-eight weeks of regular use, you’ll start to notice a difference as your sebum production begins to balance out. Trust us, we’re Tiger Lillies Skin Food.
Not sure if sebum production is your skin problem and curious about other skin stages? Take our free Skin Skincare Survey and learn how to achieve your skincare goals.