Here’s one of the most common misconceptions in skincare: oily skin doesn't need moisturizing. The logic seems sound – if your skin is already too oily, why add more?
But 'oil' and 'moisture' are different things. Skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time – meaning it produces a lot of sebum but lacks water.
This often happens because oily skin is cleansed too aggressively. Strong cleansers strip the skin of its protective oil layer. The skin reacts by producing more sebum to compensate. A vicious cycle ensues: you cleanse, the skin gets oilier, you cleanse again.
Light, non-comedogenic moisturizing can break this cycle. When the skin receives nourishment from outside through biologically compatible fatty acids, sebum production can stabilize.
Tallow is in an interesting position here: it is similar to the skin's own sebum, so its use does not disrupt the sebum regulation signal in the same way as, for example, mineral oil or heavy shea butter.
Several Silky Sage users have reported that oiliness has decreased after a few weeks of use. This is difficult to prove clinically based on individual cases, but the biological mechanism makes it possible.
Trying it out is the only way to know how your own skin reacts!