OILY SKIN AND HYPERSEBORRHEA

Oily skin is characterized by the accumulation on its surface of excess sebum, a substance secreted by sebaceous glands. Sebum is secreted by sebocytes through a process of cell differentiation and lipid synthesis or accumulation, called lipidogenesis.

Lipidogenesis is dependent on many factors (hormones, food, pharmaceutical active ingredients, xenobiotics, etc.), which can be identified in in vitro experiments. Mature sebocytes undergo apoptosis and burst to release sebum, which travels through the hair follicle to the skin surface. Sebum lubricates the hair follicle and spreads over the surface of the skin at the stratum corneum level.

An overproduction of sebum, called hyperseborrhea, is responsible for oily skin and greasy hair. In some cases, hyperseborrhea can also contribute to the development of acne prone skin.