Oily skin often begins between the ages of 12 and 14, depending on whether you are a girl or a boy. The skin is shiny at first, then we frequently see small comedones and microcysts appear. Doing scrubs at this time is not ideal, it is better to administer medication straight away.
The exfoliation, once every 15 days, is indicated only at the end of the treatment against acne, when there are a few microcysts left. But I’m not for scrubs during treatment because they irritate the skin too much. It has been shown that when the skin is irritated, the keratinocytes – the majority of skin cells – secrete a substance, a cytokine. This promotes the formation of the horny plug just at the exit of the sebaceous gland. And who says horny plug, says comedone. It is therefore important to be as gentle as possible in our local treatments.
As for masks, I do not recommend doing them too often. By applying a mask, usually based on a sulfur derivative or clay, you will suddenly close your sebaceous gland. It’s good at the time but after 48 hours / 3 days, your sebaceous gland will open again and produce even more sebum. This is called reactive hyperseborrhea. Repeated too often, the masks will therefore worsen oily skin rather than reduce it.
(1) Brigitte Dréno wrote with Olivier Chosidow “Acne: advice for your daily life”. This book was published by John Libbey Eurotext in the Dialogue doctor-patient collection. The two specialists answer in clear language the main questions asked by adolescents and their parents.
