Oily Skin: Not Quite As Evil As We All Thought

Oil: It’s the root of all acne evil. Well, sort of.

Faking shine on cheekbones for strobing purposes is cool; an all-over oil-spill sheen is not. And though oil, or sebum, is no longer considered public enemy number-one when it comes to your skin (Case in point: “Oil is naturally high in antioxidant vitamin E, so skin tends to show signs of aging later,” says Miami-based dermatologist Leslie Baumann, MD), it does play a contributing role in breakouts.

The key word there is contributing. In addition to overproduction of face grease, there are other factors, such as hormones and genetics, that contribute to acne. We asked a few skin experts to explain why we shouldn’t totally demonize oil, and how to kick the slick.