Changing Your Diet Can Help Normalize Oily Skin.

If you have oily skin, with medium to large pores, a shiny appearance, and a tendency to have blackheads and blemishes, you may actually need more oil in your diet the kind that contains fatty acids.
"There are two ways to deal with oily skin, externally and internally," says Joni Loughran, an aesthetician, cosmetologist, and aroma therapist in Petaluma, California. Here are some treatments that alternative healers recommend.

FLAXSEED OIL: A Must for Healthy Skin
"Every one of my clients is on a supplement of at least 1 to 3 teaspoons a day of flaxseed oil, an oil rich in fatty acids," Loughran says. These fatty acids, which are found in vegetable oils and seed oils, are a must for healthy skin cells no matter what type of skin you have.

FOOD: Cut Down on Saturated Fats
"People who eat a lot of red meat and dairy products, which are loaded with saturated fat, can end up with oilier skin, clogged pores, and more blemishes," Loughran says. So, for healthier skin, maximize fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and fish, and minimise foods with saturated fat

LECITHIN: Break Up the Fats in Your Body
The food supplement lecithin can help emulsify, or break apart, the saturated fat in your body so that it doesn't make your skin more oily, says Loughran. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label.

AROMATHERAPY: A Natural Cleanser
Adding a drop of the essential oil of neroli to a lavender floral water and spraying the mixture on your skin several times a day is an excellent treatment for oily, overactive skin, says Barbara Close, an aro-matherapist and herbalist in East Hampton, New York.
"Lavender tones and cleanses skin," she explains, "and neroli is considered a skin tonic. It penetrates the skin and helps regulate the production of sebum, or oil. If there's too much sebum, neroli may help normalize production."

HERBS: Tea Is a Perfect Toner
"I recommend using a gentle, astringent (pore-tightening) herbal tea, such as yarrow, sage, or peppermint, to remove leftover cleanser and dirt from oily skin," says Stephanie Tourles, a licensed esthetician, re-flexologist, and herbalist in West Hyannisport, Massachusetts. Here are her instructions.
Boil 1 cup of water and remove the pan from the heat. Add 1 table-spoon of dried herb or 2 tablespoons of fresh herb, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the tea and let it cool, then use immediately. Store left over tea in a squeeze bottle, which you can keep on your bathroom counter for 3 days or in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.

"Apply the toner with a cotton ball or square whenever your skin feels excessively oily or looks shiny," Tourles says. "This herbal remedy won't over dry your skin; you can use it up to 10 times a day." There's one caution, though: Keep it away from your eyes.

AROMATHERAPY: Try This Twice-a-Week Toner
Astringent essential oils are excellent for oily skin, says Close. She recommends using this toner once or twice a week.
Dilute five drops of rosemary, geranium, or juniper essential oil with 1 tablespoon of an astringent base oil, such as apricot kernel or hazelnut. Put three to four drops of the oil onto a clean cotton pad and use it to gently dab any excess oil off your face.
These base oils are very lightweight and will not clog your pores, make your skin more oily, or add a shine to your skin.

HYDROTHERAPY: Sedate Your Oil Glands with Cool Water
"Warm water activates the oil glands, while cooler water slows them down," says Loughran. After you clean your face (once in the morning and once in the evening—gently and never with soap), splash your face well with cool water.

HYDROTHERAPY: Steam Your Pores Clean
"Steaming helps to deep-clean oily skin," Loughran says, and suggests doing it once or twice a week for 8 to 10 minutes. She prefers using a small facial steaming machine to the "face-over-the-pot" method.
"Putting your face over a pot does not provide continuous, gentle steam with a consistent temperature," she says. "The small facial steamers are much safer and more effective."

Start with a clean face, then apply eye cream and lip balm to protect those delicate areas. Follow the instructions for using the machine that you've purchased. After steaming, rinse with warm water, then splash with cool water and pat dry.