If you were born with honest-to-God oily skin then you know how infuriating it is to listen to women complain about filling up half a beauty blotter sheet by lunch time. Psshhh! I can fill up an ENTIRE sheet fifteen minutes after I finish powdering my nose in the morning, and you can forget how many I can fill up by lunch... I couldn't make enough money in a lifetime of earning to cover how much I would spend on oil blotters if I attempted to keep my face shine-free.
I know some of you out there and nodding right along with me. We know the plight. We've experienced the utter grossness of the dreaded summer makeup melt. We've mopped up puddles of supposed "shine-free and stay-put" goo from our jaw lines halfway through the day. We've tried every "guaranteed" hack available out there on Pinterest, podcasts, blogs, you name it... to dry up our weeping pores (I've even gone so far as to put liquid antacid on my face. The woman in the podcast absolutely SWORE by it. Sadly, it was just another miss.)
We've masked. We've mopped. We've blotted, creamed, medicated, dried, tried, and applied, but nothing ever works. There is no miracle cure for the ones cursed with a constant need to check their eyes for mascara and eye shadow that has suddenly decided to make a run for it. (
Har har har. Pun fully intended.)
In spite of all the struggles that are
oily skin there are a few perks as well. Here are five reasons why having oily skin should be seen as more of a blessing than a curse.
YOU HAVE THE WORLD'S EASIEST MAKEUP REMOVAL
Back when everyone and their mother was hosting Mary Kay parties, I discovered that there is an actual thing women can buy that is guaranteed to remove even waterproof mascara from a girl's face. I was intrigued! Who knew there was an actual
product (aside from a cleansing wash) that women paid money for to get their faces clean at the end of the day! I've never had need for such a concoction. If you have oily skin then you know that your makeup requires nothing more than a gentle wipe of the face to get your skin clean. A little water and a a good oil-cutting wash is all you need to return your natural beauty. Apparently, that's a very desirable trait! No need for removers here!
NEVER FEAR THE MAKEUP BLUNDER
We've all been there... delicately sweeping on mascara after spending a great deal of time and effort getting your shadow applied accurately only to accidentally touch the tip of your brush to your lid, cheek, or whatever. Oops! You're now the proud wearer of a black beauty mark in a rather undesirable location. Never fear! Those of us with oily skin know that a mere rub with a finger tip will remove any stain... even the supposed "waterproof" mascara. Waterproof
shmaterproof. Nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, stays stuck to this skin. A simple wipe with a fingertip will erase any smear and return you to the utter perfection you were before the beauty blunder. Oily people rejoice! It truly is a blessing in disguise and an often overlooked perk.
BUILT IN TANNING OIL
I happen to be a fair-skinned individual, but according to one of my exceptionally oily friends there is little to no need for spending money on tanning oils. She has hers naturally built in. Her face has always been blessed with an even, radiant glow which she accredits to her oily skin. She tans more quickly and more evenly than people who are non-oily. Plus, she says she's less prone to breakouts because she's not applying store-bought gunk that clogs her pores-- something I can't personally vouch for seeing as how I'm as white as a ghost on a good day, but it sounds right.
YOU HAVE A NATURAL GLOW
Speaking of store bought gunk, have you seen the powders with built in skin brighteners? Now, have you TRIED these powders? The ones that are laced with iridescent ingredients designed to enhance your natural glow? I did. And, let's just say that my
glow didn't need any help. Having oily skin means you are blessed with something that women pay big bucks to get. Oil keeps your skin more resilient and able to stand up to the elements of the great outdoors. It fills lines and wrinkles, gently reflects light, keeps your skin more plump, and gives you that natural glow that beauty products and cosmetic procedures simply cannot duplicate. You are blessed more than you know.
YOU WILL AGE GRACEFULLY AND WELL
This was the only thing that got me through the torment of high school when girls made comments about "being able to see their reflections in my forehead." I am descended from a very long line of oily women, and my mother always told me that oily skin leads to fewer wrinkles in the long run. That was little consolation to me at the time, but I always kept it in the back of my mind that the girls I admired and were jealous of would eventually appear to age much faster than I would. Now that we are thirty I am finding that my mother was right. Not only does oil preserve the natural springiness of your skin, but the oil tends to disguise any wrinkles that you might have accrued. Also, as gross as it may be, that very same oil that separates your makeup from your skin now will come in handy when you're trying to prevent things from settling into the crevices around your eyes, mouth, and wherever else. The oil floats on top of your skin (carrying your foundation and powder with it) giving you a more flawless appearance. Yay!
Alas, humidity is not our friend. On the days where you feel like you need a tissue taped to your forehead to keep your makeup from running into your eyeballs it can be a challenge to see anything positive coming from this mess. I can promise you that there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. You WILL bump into people you haven't seen in ten years and realize how much less you've aged.
Maybe it will make up for the years of agonizing over keeping your skin's radiant beam somewhat under control, or maybe it won't, but I bet that someday you'll be grateful for your oily skin and you'll come to appreciate it... even if it is in a love hate kind of way.
