In this article
- Sebum isn't the enemy: it's a natural protective film produced by the sebaceous glands.
- What makes skin shine plays out mostly outside of skincare itself: genetics, hormones, stress, climate.
- The most common trap is over-stripping the skin: it often responds by producing even more.
- What research has measured about sebum and the ingredients involved, with four linked studies.
- The Jaina approach for oily skin: cleanse without stripping, purify with clay, regulate gently with Rosy Veil Unveil, Petal and Rain, and Luminous Rose.
The instinct is to silence oily skin with harsh, drying products. Often the opposite is what's needed. Shine rarely comes from a lack of cleansing: it tells a story of genetics, hormones, season, and balance. Here's what actually causes excess sebum, and what to do, concretely, for oily skin without ever forcing it.
What Is Oily Skin?
All skin produces sebum. It's an oily substance made by the sebaceous glands, nestled at the base of hair follicles, composed of lipids such as squalene, glycerides, and cholesterol. This film limits water evaporation, keeps the surface supple, and helps defend the skin barrier.
Skin is called oily when these glands produce more than average. The skin looks shiny, especially in the center of the face, pores are more visible, and makeup doesn't hold as well. It isn't a hygiene failing, it's a type of terrain. And like any terrain, it needs to be understood before it can be addressed.
What Causes Excess Sebum
The scientific literature keeps pointing to the same major factors.1 Genetics first: the size and activity of the sebaceous glands are inherited, a bit like eye color. Looking at your parents' skin often tells you more than a rushed diagnosis.
Hormones come next. Androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands, which explains breakouts during adolescence, fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, and the effect of certain treatments. Stress adds to this: cortisol drives sebum production while weakening hydration, so skin can shine and feel tight at the same time.
Climate matters too. Heat and humidity wake up sebaceous activity, and the same skin doesn't behave the same way in a dry winter as in a humid summer. And finally, skincare habits themselves: over-cleansing, over-stripping removes the protective film, and skin sometimes responds by producing more to compensate.
Oily Skin, What to Do: The Jaina Approach
The idea isn't to dry the skin out, but to regulate it and respect the barrier. Three steps are enough, and none of them aim to make the skin squeak.
Cleanse with oil first, which often surprises people. Rosy Veil Unveil dissolves sebum and impurities by affinity, then rinses off like a milk. The skin is clean without being stripped, which avoids the rebound effect of over-cleansing. Stick to two cleanses a day, no more.
Purify next, once or twice a week, with Petal and Rain. This powder mask relies on kaolin, a clay that captures excess sebum, along with tepezcohuite and rose to soothe. It refines skin texture and tightens the look of pores without aggression.
Regulate, finally, every day, with the Luminous Rose serum. Its bakuchiol is studied as a gentle alternative to retinol, including on acne-prone skin, where retinol can be irritating. A light texture is enough; oily skin also needs hydration, without which it compensates by producing more oil.
On combination skin, the drier zones appreciate a touch of Amazonian Alchemist in the evening, applied only where the skin feels tight. Adapt as needed, rather than applying it everywhere as a rule.
What Research Is Studying
A review devoted to oily skin surveyed the causes of hyperseborrhea, highlighting the role of genetics, androgens, and environment, along with skincare maintenance options.1
A clinical study evaluated a bakuchiol cream on acne-prone skin and measured an improvement in lesions over the course of treatment, with good tolerance reported.2
Experimental research on bark extracts of Mimosa tenuiflora, tepezcohuite, evaluated their antimicrobial properties in the lab.3
On sangre de drago, a study identified taspine as the wound-healing principle in Croton lechleri extract, observing stimulated fibroblast migration.4
1. Endly, D. C., Miller, R. A. "Oily Skin: A review of Treatment Options." The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2017. PubMed
2. "A Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Topical Bakuchiol (UP256) Cream on Facial Acne." Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2021. JDD
3. Lozoya, X. et al. "Experimental evaluation of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. (Tepescohuite) I. Screening of the antimicrobial properties of bark extracts." Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 1989. PubMed
4. Vaisberg, A. J. et al. "Taspine is the cicatrizant principle in Sangre de Grado extracted from Croton lechleri." Planta Medica, 1989. PubMed
These studies are referenced on PubMed and Google Scholar, under the entries oily skin, Psoralea corylifolia, Mimosa tenuiflora, and Croton lechleri.
In the Ritual Objects
The oil dissolves sebum by affinity and rinses off like a milk. It cleanses without stripping, which limits the rebound effect on oily skin.
Kaolin captures excess sebum, while tepezcohuite and rose soothe. Texture refines and the look of pores tightens, used once or twice a week.
Bakuchiol, a gentle alternative to retinol, provides light regulation and hydration that keeps skin from compensating by producing more oil.
For combination skin, a touch in the evening on just the zones that feel tight. Target the area, don't cover the whole face.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you avoid oils if you have oily skin?
No. A cleansing oil dissolves sebum by affinity, then rinses away. The real problem is stripping the skin with overly harsh, detergent-based products, since it can respond by producing even more sebum.
Should you cleanse your skin more often when it shines?
Two cleanses a day are enough, morning and evening. Cleansing more often weakens the skin barrier and often feeds the cycle of over-cleansing followed by a sebum rebound.
Does oily skin need to be hydrated?
Yes. Oily skin can be dehydrated, and dehydrated skin sometimes compensates by producing more sebum. Light hydration and a suitable serum help restore balance.
Does climate really change sebum production?
Yes. Heat and humidity stimulate the sebaceous glands' activity, so the same skin can be oilier in a humid summer than in a dry winter. Adapting your routine to the season makes sense.
What can you actually do about oily skin?
You don't "cure" oily skin, you work with it: it's a type of terrain, not a passing flaw. Cleansing without stripping, purifying with clay once or twice a week, and regulating with a gentle ingredient like bakuchiol, kept up over time, noticeably eases excess sebum, without ever eliminating it completely since it's part of the skin's nature.
Related Ritual Objects
This page presents the physiology of sebum and the scientific research devoted to the plants named for informational purposes; it does not constitute a claim about the effects of our Ritual Objects and does not replace the advice of a health professional.