ME & M@.......FaShioN!!!

Here are some simple ways to keep your oily skin under control.

Have you ever caught a glimpse of yourself mid-day only to notice that your makeup was completely gone and your nose looked like you could see your own reflection in it? Like millions of women, you have been cursed with oily skin. In a nutshell, oily skin is caused by your oil glands working a mile a minute to produce an excessive amount of oil. While oily skin can affect your entire face, more often than not, it is limited to the notorious T-zone. Your T-zone consists of your forehead, nose and chin. If you have ever looked at your own reflection and the words ''Oil Slick'' came to mind, you could probably use some help controlling the oil on your skin.

1) If you are like most women, you hate the thought of having to wash your face before going to bed. It's hard enough forcing ourselves to brush our teeth a full two minutes without throwing a face washing into the mix. When makeup is involved, it can be a tedious process scrubbing the makeup off and then cleansing the skin. Trust me, though, when I say that cleansing your skin is probably the number one thing you can do that will help control your oily skin. You will want to wash your face twice a day, once when you wake up and once before going to bed. However, you do not want to wash your face any more than that. Washing one's face too much causes the skin to dry out, which might make some of you think, great, that's what I need. This is an oil death wish for the skin, however. When the skin dries out, it causes the oil glands to go into overtime producing even MORE oil which is the opposite of what you want.

2) Blotting your face regularly during the day with blotting paper will keep the oil from your T zone down to a minimum. While blotting does not prevent the oil, it lessens the shine. Some stores and salons sell specially designed blotting papers however, if you do not want to shell out money for these blotting papers, here is a neat trick. Simple white tissue paper (the kind you use for gifts) or toilet seat covers (yes, the ones they have at public restrooms) also do the trick, for a fraction of the price.

3) Stay away from any kind of skin cleansers or moisturizers that offer extra moisturizer. Use oil-free products. You do not need to be adding extra moisture to your already oily face.

4) Toners applied after washing the face are great ways to control the production of oil. However, you will want to be certain that the toner does not contain alcohol, as that will only serve to dry out the skin, which, in turn, causes an increase in oil production. Look for a toner that has something more natural like witch hazel as its main ingredient.

5) It's no lie when they say, ''You are what you eat.'' Avoid greasy foods like burgers, fried foods and chocolate as they will tend to affect your complexion. Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day to keep yourself hydrated.

When all else fails, consult your dermatologist who may be able to prescribe a topical medication to apply to control the oil.