Oily skin is one of the most misunderstood skin concerns. For years, many women were taught that if their skin felt oily, the solution was simple: wash more, scrub harder, & use stronger products to “dry it out.” But in reality, that approach often creates the exact opposite result.
The truth is, oil production is not inherently bad. In fact, your skin needs oil to stay healthy.
Understanding why the skin produces oil—& what can throw that process out of balance—can completely change the way you approach skincare.
What Is Sebum?
Sebum is the natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin. These glands are located all over the body but are especially concentrated on the face, chest, & scalp.
Sebum plays several important roles:
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Helps prevent excessive moisture loss
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Supports the skin barrier
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Keeps skin soft & flexible
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Protects against environmental stressors
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Supports the skin’s natural microbiome
In other words, sebum is part of your skin’s built-in protection system. Healthy skin is not oil-free skin—it’s balanced skin.
Why Does Skin Become Oily?
Oily skin happens when the sebaceous glands produce more sebum than the skin naturally needs. This excess oil can lead to:
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Shine
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Congested pores
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Breakouts
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Uneven texture
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A heavy or greasy feeling on the skin
But the important thing to understand is this: Excess oil production is often a response to imbalance—not simply “bad skin.”
Hormones Play a Major Role
One of the biggest influences on oil production is hormones. Androgens—hormones that both women & men naturally produce—can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Hormonal fluctuations throughout life may increase oil production during:
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Puberty
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Menstrual cycles
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Pregnancy
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Perimenopause
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Periods of high stress
Stress itself can also increase cortisol levels, which may indirectly influence oil production & inflammation. This is why many women notice changes in their skin during emotionally stressful seasons or hormonal shifts.
Over-Cleansing Can Make Oily Skin Worse
This surprises many people. When skin feels oily, the instinct is often to strip the oil away using harsh cleansers, alcohol-heavy toners, or aggressive exfoliants.
But when the skin barrier becomes overly dry or compromised, the skin may respond by producing even more oil to compensate. This creates a frustrating cycle:
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Skin feels oily
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Harsh products strip the skin
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Barrier becomes disrupted
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Skin overproduces oil
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More irritation and imbalance develop
Many conventional acne products unintentionally contribute to this cycle.
Why the Skin Barrier Matters
Your skin barrier is the outermost protective layer of the skin. Its job is to:
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Retain hydration
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Defend against irritants
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Support healthy skin function
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Prevent excessive water loss
When the barrier becomes compromised, the skin often becomes:
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More reactive
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Dehydrated
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Inflamed
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Sensitive
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Oilier in some areas & dry in others
This is why supporting the skin barrier is such an important part of caring for oily or combination skin naturally.
Oily Skin Can Still Be Dehydrated
One of the most common misconceptions is that oily skin does not need hydration.
In reality, dehydrated skin & oily skin often exist together.
When skin lacks water, it can sometimes compensate by producing additional oil. This is why many women with oily skin still experience:
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Tightness after cleansing
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Flaky patches
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Sensitivity
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Surface dryness beneath excess shine
Proper hydration & barrier support can help the skin feel more balanced over time.
Why Natural Skincare Ingredients Matter
Ingredient-conscious skincare is becoming more important because many women want to understand how products interact with the skin—not just whether they promise quick results.
Certain botanical ingredients may help support oily or imbalanced skin more gently by:
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Supporting hydration
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Helping calm visible irritation
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Supporting the skin barrier
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Reducing the feeling of over-stripped skin
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Helping the skin maintain balance naturally
Rather than “fighting” the skin, many natural skincare formulations aim to support the skin’s existing functions.
Ingredients Often Used to Support Oily or Imbalanced Skin Naturally
Many botanical ingredients are valued because they help support balance without harshness. Some commonly used ingredients include:
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Blue Tansy Essential Oil
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Lavender Essential Oil
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Witch Hazel
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Hempseed Oil
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Frankincense Essential Oil
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Tea Tree Essential Oil
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Aloe Vera
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Jojoba Oil
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Rose Hip Oil
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Beeswax
These ingredients are often chosen because they help support calmer, healthier-looking skin while maintaining hydration & barrier function.
A More Balanced Approach to Skincare
At Rooted For Good, skincare is approached through the lens of nourishment, simplicity, & intentional ingredients.
Instead of focusing on stripping the skin, many products within the Women’s Skincare Collection are formulated with botanical ingredients designed to support healthier-looking skin naturally.
Products featuring ingredients like:
may help support skin that feels stressed, reactive, oily, or imbalanced while encouraging a more nourished complexion.
The Goal Isn’t Perfect Skin — It’s Supported Skin
One of the most freeing things to realize is that oil itself is not the enemy. Your skin produces sebum for a reason.
Often, the goal should not be eliminating oil entirely, but helping the skin feel balanced, hydrated, & supported enough that it no longer feels the need to overcompensate.
Healthy-looking skin usually comes from consistency, barrier support, hydration, & gentler care—not punishment.
Final Thoughts
Understanding oily skin begins with understanding the skin itself.
Sebum is not something the body produces by mistake—it’s part of the skin’s natural protective system. But hormones, stress, over-cleansing, dehydration, & barrier disruption can all contribute to excess oil production & imbalance.
When women begin learning the “why” behind ingredients & skin function, skincare becomes less about chasing perfection & more about supporting the skin thoughtfully and naturally.
And often, that shift alone changes everything.
Brooke Summers