Oily skin in Mumbai humidity: a practical routine

Key takeaways

• Humidity and heat make oil and sweat sit on the skin, so shine is more visible. Your oil glands are set mostly by genetics and hormones, not the weather alone.
• Washing more than twice a day, scrubbing and alcohol toners irritate the skin and can leave it feeling oilier.
• Oily skin still needs moisturiser and sunscreen. Choose light, oil-free, non-comedogenic textures.
• Blotting paper is a better midday fix than another face wash.
• If oil comes with acne, sudden changes, irregular periods or scalp flaking, it is worth getting checked.

Why is my skin so oily in Mumbai?

See, what happens is, your oil glands are set mainly by your genes and hormones. Androgens, the male-type hormones that women also make, drive oil production. That is why oil peaks in the teens and twenties, rises in some women around their cycle, and can increase with PCOS.

Mumbai does not make your glands bigger. What it does is keep the skin warm and damp for most of the year. Sweat mixes with oil, it does not evaporate easily, and the face looks greasy by 11 in the morning. Add pollution on a train or two-wheeler, and the oil collects dust and looks dull. In the monsoon, the dampness also suits yeast on the skin, so some people get more flaking around the nose and eyebrows.

What routine actually works?

Basically, keep it short. The American Academy of Dermatology's advice for oily skin is simple: cleanse up to twice a day and after sweating, use a gentle foaming cleanser, choose oil-free and non-comedogenic products, moisturise, use sunscreen, and blot during the day. Here is how I translate that for Mumbai.

Many people with oily skin skip moisturiser and sunscreen because they feel heavy. That is the wrong lesson. A light gel moisturiser is fine, and on very oily skin a good gel sunscreen can act as your moisturiser in the morning. More on choosing one in sunscreen for Indian skin.

Which ingredients help oily skin?

• Salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid) dissolves into oil and helps clear blackheads. Use it in a cleanser or a leave-on at night.
• Retinoids (adapalene, tretinoin, retinol) help prevent plugged pores and acne, and make pores look smaller over time. Start slowly. See retinoids explained.
• Niacinamide is gentle and well tolerated, and many people with oily skin like how it feels. I explain what it can and cannot do in niacinamide explained.
• Clay masks once a week can reduce shine for a day. They are a nice-to-have, not a treatment.
• Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sunscreens suit some oily and acne-prone skins. The AAD suggests looking for these and avoiding fragrance and oils in sunscreen for oily skin.

What should I stop doing?

• Washing four or five times a day. Your skin feels clean for ten minutes, then irritated. Irritated skin is not less oily.
• Harsh scrubs, apricot-type grains, and daily exfoliating brushes. They inflame Indian skin, which then darkens.
• Alcohol toners and oil-based cleansers. The AAD lists both as products to skip for oily skin.
• Heavy creams, coconut oil or ghee on the face. These can block pores in acne-prone skin, even if they are fine for the body.
• Sleeping in makeup. Remove it every night.
• Touching your face at your desk or in the train. Hands carry oil and dirt.

Does diet or water intake control oily skin?

Drinking more water does not reduce oil, though it is good for you generally. The evidence on diet is mostly about acne rather than oil itself, with some studies linking high-sugar diets and milk to acne in some people. I would not put anyone on a strict diet for oily skin. If you notice a clear pattern, for example breakouts after sweets or whey shakes, it is reasonable to cut back and watch. That is your call.

When does oily skin need a doctor?

Normally, oily skin is just your skin type, and the routine above is enough. I would see a doctor if: - You have acne that leaves marks or scars, because Indian skin darkens easily after pimples. See dark marks after pimples. - Oil and acne started suddenly in adulthood, or come with irregular periods, scalp hair thinning or new facial hair. These can point to PCOS or other hormonal causes. - You have flaky, itchy patches around the nose, eyebrows and hairline, which may be seborrhoeic dermatitis. - You get itchy, uniform small bumps on the forehead and chest in the monsoon, which may be fungal, not regular acne. - Products keep stinging or burning, which suggests your barrier is damaged.

For people with severe oil and acne, prescription tablets such as isotretinoin or hormone treatments can reduce oil a great deal. These are prescription decisions with real side effects, made after assessment and tests, not something to start from a chemist.

How we approach this at Dr Tvacha

Most of my patients with oily skin do well once we cut the routine down. At a Rs 499 skin consultation I look at your skin and products, check for acne, pigment or fungal problems, and write down a short morning and night routine. If a peel, medical facial or prescription is useful, you see the plan and fee in writing before you pay. The overall approach is on the Second Layer Skin Plan page. Our centres are in Thane, Andheri, Bandra and Dahisar.

Written by

Dr Amit KarkhanisAesthetic Physician · MBBS, Dip. Dermatology (UK) · Reg. No. 2001/02/1124

Founder of Dr Tvacha, practising in Thane since 2005. Leads the weight loss and hair programmes.