Oily skin struggles are real, especially for women, yet many don’t have access to the right information or products to care for their skin—the body’s largest organ. On beauty forums, women with oily skin often share frustrations about constantly blotting away shine or feeling like makeup isn’t an option for them.
But for Beatrice**, who works as a content creator in Lagos, everything changed when she realized her skin wasn’t just oily—it was actually dehydrated. Once she started using the right moisturizer, what she once saw as a problem became her superpower. In this As Told To, she shares when she first discovered she had oily skin, the challenges she faced, and how she finally took control of it.
This is an As-Told-To Dennis, sponsored by NIVEA.
The first time I realised my skin was different, I was ten years old. It was a humid afternoon, and my friends and I had been playing outside for hours. When we finally sat down to rest, I noticed how their faces were damp with sweat while mine felt slick with oil. I wiped my forehead and stared at my greasy palm in confusion. No one else seemed to be dealing with this. Was something wrong with me?
Growing up, I never felt particularly insecure about my oily skin, but I was always aware of it. It was like an annoying little secret my body kept from me. Why did my face shine so much in pictures? Why did I have to wash my hands after touching my forehead? I didn’t have the answers, but I did know that my skin was different from my mom’s or my best friend’s, and that made me feel a little out of place.
My biggest struggle came when I started wearing makeup. The matte look was everything back then—perfectly flat, powdery skin that looked flawless in photos. I wanted that look so badly. I would carefully apply my foundation, set it with powder, and admire my work. But within an hour, my face would betray me, transforming from matte perfection to an unwanted dewy glow. I felt defeated every time I looked in the mirror. What was the point of even trying?
In my desperation, I experimented with all kinds of skincare remedies. I remember one time I tried a homemade turmeric face mask after reading about its magical skin benefits online. I slathered it on and waited for the glow-up. Instead, I woke up the next morning covered in hives that refused to disappear for a week. That was the last time I put blind faith in DIY skincare hacks.
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It wasn’t until I discovered YouTube skincare gurus that things started making sense. I would watch video after video, trying to understand why my skin behaved the way it did. I also practically lived on WebMD, cross-referencing every ingredient and product. Slowly, I learned that my skin wasn’t the enemy. It just needed the right care.
Day to day, my oily skin doesn’t rule my life, but it does come with its challenges. Finding a good sunscreen, for example, is a never-ending battle. The wrong formulation can leave me looking like I dunked my face in a frying pan, and worse, it transfers onto everything—my phone, my clothes, even my pillows. For a while, I carried oil-blotting papers with me everywhere, dabbing at my face like I was hiding a terrible secret.
Then, I had a breakthrough: dryness made my skin oilier. It seemed counterintuitive at first, but I realized that when I let my skin get too dry, it would overcompensate by producing even more oil. The answer wasn’t to strip away the oil, but to give my skin what it actually needed—hydration.
Now, my skincare routine is simple and effective. I use a fragrance-free cleanser, follow it with Nivea lotion, add a layer of aloe vera gel, and finish with sunscreen. It’s not fancy, but it works for me.
If I could give one piece of advice to someone struggling with oily skin, it would be this: Babe, you need a GOOD moisturizer. Your skin isn’t the problem. It just needs to be understood.
