Justin Patrie wants to shine on the job, not on his face.
"Whenever I''m out in the sun it just always would create that unattractive greasy look on my face," he said.
Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch explains it's hormones that control our oil output, but environmental conditions like heat and humidity contribute, too. Until now, consumers haven't had many options to combat greasy skin.
"We've really been limited with using things that just kind of soaked up the shine like blotting papers," Dr Hirsch said.
She is excited about new products with something called mattifying agents that are hitting the market. According to Dr. Hirsch, they either serve to decrease the amount of sebum, or oil production in the skin, or alternatively they act as something like a liquid sponge.
The approach has worked for Patrie.
"It just gets rid of the greasy, oily type of skin."
Shine-fighters are popping up in all kinds of products.
"They have been incorporated, the mattifying agents, into the products we use for other things, for sunscreen, for anti aging ointments and even for just treating acne, " Dr. Hirsch said.
That means more options for more people.
"We really find that men are not comfortable using something like a makeup to cover their face during the day but with the ability to absorb shine built into a sunscreen for example or an anti-acne treatment, we really open the door to having this very vexing problem dealt with for a very large array of consumers," she said.
These products are available in a variety of places and price ranges. "Some of the options are prescription. Many of the really good new ones are available at drug stores. They range in cost from 10 to 30 dollars, depending on what the products are," Dr. Hirsch said.
Patrie uses an ointment found in drug stores and he's sold on it.
"It's a great feeling," he said.
It's important to note that while these products can help hide the shine, they won't have any effect on how much oil your skin produces.
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