How to Choose a Mattifying Face Cream, Mask or Toner

How to Choose a Mattifying Face Cream, Mask or Toner People generally don’t like it when their skin gets oily and shiny, and those who have oily or combination skin are constantly looking for reliable ways to control shine. Makeup can conceal greasy shine for a little bit, but it won’t solve the underlying problem; to control skin oil production, you need to choose the right mattifying cream, mask or face toner.

The main cause of oily shine is overproduction of skin oil (sebum) by the sebaceous glands. This overproduction can result from a number of factors, including genetic causes, hormonal changes, external factors, etc. Therefore, to control oily shine, you need to address its specific causes and take a number of measures.

For example, if you initially have oily or combination skin, active sebum production is a peculiar feature of your body caused by increased levels of androgens (steroid hormones responsible for male characteristics, which are present in both males and females). In this case, you should consult an endocrinologist first to figure out whether you need to do something about your androgen levels.

If you’ve always had normal or dry skin but it has recently started to produce more oil all of a sudden, this may be caused by several reasons, including problems with internal organs, stress or using the wrong skincare products. In such a case, you should consult your physician first. If your health is okay, you should try to reduce stress levels and improve your skincare routine to decrease the production of skin oil.

According to experts, increased oil production and greasy shine are most often caused by improper skincare. So before freaking out that you might be sick and asking your physician to prescribe you hormonal treatment, you should review your daily beauty routine and make sure that the products you use don’t irritate or dehydrate your skin and therefore cause it to produce more sebum for protection.

People whose skin tends to get oily often use harsh cleansers, exfoliants and alcohol-based toners to control oily shine, but this tactic actually has the opposite effect. When you cleanse your skin with harsh products, you strip it of moisture and natural protection. In response, the sebaceous glands begin to produce more sebum to restore the skin’s protective lipid barrier, and your face gets even shinier. For this reason, mattifying toners, cleansers, moisturisers and masks should be gentle so that they don’t trigger the skin’s protective mechanisms.

As a result, to choose the right mattifying products for your skin, you should keep in mind a few of their main features.

They Absorb Excess Skin Oil

The main task of all skin mattifying products is to absorb excess sebum from the skin surface because that’s how they mattify the skin and control oily shine. However, if a mattifying product contains too many absorbents, it will absorb more sebum than needed, which will make the skin to produce more oil in order to compensate.

Therefore, a good mattifying product should contain just the right amount of absorbents, which will absorb only excess sebum instead of all the oil you have on your skin. Absorbents that are commonly used in mattifying products include cosmetic clay (kaolin, bentonite, fuller’s earth, etc.), zinc oxide, charcoal, rice powder, mineral mud, etc.

They Regulate the Production of Sebum

The second task of a mattifying cream, mask or toner is to normalise the production of sebum in the skin. Common skincare ingredients that have such an effect include retinoids, azelaic acid derivatives, benzyl peroxide, Zinc PCA, cucumber and lemon extracts, chaulmoogra oil, watermelon seed oil, citrus extracts and essential oils, niacinamide (vitamin B3 or PP), alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric, salicylic), and more.

They Produce an Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Effect

At first glance, it may seem that oily shine doesn’t cause any problems except for purely aesthetic ones. However, if your skin produces too much oil, it becomes an excellent breading ground for various microbes, including Cutibacterium acnes (Propionibacterium acnes), a bacterium linked to the skin condition of acne.

For this reason, mattifying cosmetic products typically contain various antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients. These include various plant extracts and essential oils (for example, tea tree, eucalyptus, sage, calendula, peppermint, lemon balm, aloe vera, citrus fruits, neem, etc.). Retinoids, zinc oxide and azelaic acid are also known to have high antibacterial activity.

They Soothe the Skin

Skin irritation caused by various external factors is one of the causes of increased sebum production. Therefore, mattifying moisturisers, toners, masks and other products usually contain soothing ingredients, for example, green tea extract, peppermint extract, sage extract, thyme extract, chamomile extract, aloe vera leaf juice, allantoin, panthenol, bisabolol, etc. Note that many of these ingredients have both soothing and antibacterial properties.

If you take into account the above-listed functions and properties of mattifying skincare products, you will surely make the right choice. All you’ll need to do is carefully read the products’ ingredients lists to make sure they contain absorbent, regulating, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients. All products sold at our online shop Organic Store have detailed descriptions and ingredient lists, so you’ll easily find a cream, mask or toner that’s just right for you. Thanks to an easy checkout process, secure payment methods and international delivery your online shopping experience at Organic Store will be nothing but pleasant!