grease monkey here.

yup. mega oily skin.

here are some tips from my dermatologist.

exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. oily skin mean sticky dead skin cells. they don't flake off...they plug the pores.

salycylic acid products to wash face and body like neutrogena acne wash.

make sure you wash your body and face AFTER you wash and condition your hair. conditioner will stick to fine hairs on your body...thus adding more oil...and clogs the pours.

spot treat pimples and the oiliest areas with benzoyl peroxide forumulas. don't start with mega dose of 10%. that is best to just put on a pimple. at our age, we dont want to dry out...just de-grease.

moisturize. yep. you need to add moisture. i use oil of olay definity. i love it. has sunscreen and is really working to fade the brown spots..i have melasma...plus some zit scars are GONE. it's a foam. light weight and goes well under makeup.

makeup can be tricky. you want a good coverage, but not heavy and greasy. the stay put all day types work well, but you really have to wash and wash to get them out of your pours. but..using a sunscreen/waterbased moisturizer ( acne free makes a good one too) under your makeup keeps the makeup from getting into the pores.

i like the powder mineral based makeup. loreal has good prices. and girlfriend...we are in the south. i don't go to my garage without my makeup.

blot blot blot. cheap-o tissue paper works. so does the cheap-o napkins. they soak up the oil, but don't remove your makeup.

now for the picking part. even my dr says that releasing the presure and getting the infection out can help. BUT, it has to be done right. boy howdy do i know how one can hurt. but if it hasn't come to a head...it's not ready.

clean you hands and scrub under your fingernails. use a hand sanitizer. even put some of that on the pimple or blackhead before you mess with it. do not go from one zit to another without using the sanitizer again.

don't mash. a sterile needle to gently prick the pimple...and press down on the sides. a dab of rubbing alcohol to clean it up. if you really make a mess of a big one...use a teeny dab of liquid bandage. it will dry clear and makeup will cover it and not get into it. seals it.

here ya go....some of the info from my dr. i haven't been in a few years. it has really helped. i never had a zit until i got a bad case of stress induced adult acne.

great topic. i'm glad you brought it up.

i'll add later what supplements i take to help my skin.