A potential upside of oily skin is less tendency to wrinkle. But that’s about the only one. Oily skin is complex to deal with – it can be sensitive, prone to breakouts and enlarged pores, or confined to a T-zone with the rest of the skin having a whole other set of problems. While there are no slick (pun intended) answers for oily skin, there are some treatments, tips and products that can help. So if there are days when you feel that you fry chips on your nose, read on:

Vitamin B5

A good – if unconventional – place to start would be to try vitamin B. For the sensitive and oily, vitamin B (rather than the more commonly prescribed, but usually irritating, vitamin A) can be really helpful. According to a scientist in Hong Kong, if the body has a shortage of coenzyme-A it will allow lipids to accumulate in the sebaceous glands and, as a result, sebum excretion is increased. And how does the coenzyme-A deficiency come about? A shortage of pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5 - so look for this in supplements or topical creams.

Cleansers

Cleansing is essential for oily skin control and there are a few cleansers that I would recommend:

Epicuren Discovery Milk Cleanser (around $25). Talking of panthenol/vitamin B5, this is one of the ingredients in this cleanser. Discovery Milk is, in my experience, super useful for breakouts. One of the most dominant ingredients is kukui nut oil, also known as candlenut. It has a faint smell of moth balls, but don’t let that put you off.

Skin Nutrition’s Cleansing Gel ($45 in TIA shop) and the Toner Spritz ($40 in the TIA shop) are excellent for oily skin and are packed with skin enhancing botanicals. The mildly foaming cleanser is non drying, but does a really good job of refining pores and the toner gives me a refreshing start to the day. After using them my skin looks incredibly clean and restored.

John Masters Organics Bearberry Oily Skin Balancing Face Wash ($22). This cleanser comes in a pump container, and with one squirt, a light foam of bliss is released (no fuss with tubes or gel messes... it's foam!). It gives a gentle and soft lather and your face is squeaky clean afterwards. Expect an invigorating, fresh scent.

Serums

Your Best Face has two that are formulated for oily skin: Defend ($120 in the TIA shop) or Your Best Face Balance ($45 in the TIA shop). They both bring anti-aging ingredients. Defend keeps shine at bay and will not clog pores or cause breakouts. Plus it should even out skin tone and give it a "fresh" appearance. Balance, according reviewer, Lori: “gives me the confidence to know that if I touch my face during the day, my fingers will not slide over a layer of oil.” YBF says it may prevent new breakouts as well as helps to decrease the duration and damage of existing breakouts. It also has carnosine to help extend the life cycle of cells.

Pore closing

It is hard to find a moisturizer for skin that is prone to breaking out – Sevani’s Rapid Renewal Resurfacing Crème ($65 in the TIA shop) could be it. I reach for it whenever the pores on my nose are beginning to crater. In addition to the sugars and fruit acids, responsible for the gentle exfoliating action (and the citrusy smell), there are brighteners in the form of willow bark and licorice.

T-zone

For combination skin where an oily T-zone is offset by the rest of the skin being dry and dull. As I mentioned in an earlier post, both of these conditions will respond really well to a glycolic exfoliator such as Juice Beauty's Green Apple Peel ($39 in the TIA shop) or La Vie Celeste's mask ($60 in the TIA shop).  These will freshen up dull skin and keep sebum under control at the same time.