Zinc Oil Control Cream

Zinc, in a cosmetic salt form, is used in skincare to moderate how oily the skin surface looks and to keep it feeling calm. The evidence behind that is modest. Most of it comes from small studies and from testing run by the ingredient suppliers themselves, and there is laboratory work on how zinc behaves in sebaceous cells that has never been confirmed to matter on a real face. Treat it as a reasonable, well-tolerated ingredient for oily skin rather than a proven one.

The immediate matte finish comes from the base of the cream rather than from the zinc. It is a light, fast-absorbing texture that holds water in the skin without leaving a film, so the shine you lose in the first minutes is a cosmetic effect of the formulation, and it is honest to call it that.

One claim to ignore, including when other brands make it: laboratory data on zinc and 5-alpha-reductase is sometimes stretched into a hair loss claim. A face cream does not treat hair loss, and nothing in this jar will do anything for the hair on your head.

Topical minoxidil is carried in alcohol and propylene glycol, and tretinoin, in the Minoxidil Signature Spray, speeds up skin turnover. Both leave the hairline, the temples and the forehead dry and tight within the first weeks, and that discomfort is one of the common reasons men give up on a treatment early. Oily skin still dehydrates, it simply does it while producing oil, which is why the usual advice to skip moisturiser because you are greasy makes the problem worse.

This is the moisturiser for you if your skin is oily, combination or acne-prone. If your skin is dry, tight or flaking, the Face Hydration Cream is the better choice and there is no reason to own both. It follows naturally from the Zinc PCA Face Wash, and from the Salicylic Acid Face Wash if you get blocked pores along the hairline.

Twice a day, morning and evening, after washing.

1. Cleanse and pat your face dry, leaving the skin slightly damp. A moisturiser applied to damp skin holds on to more of that water.
2. Take a pea-sized amount, about half of what you would use of a richer cream.
3. Dot it across the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, then spread it in a thin, even layer.
4. Bring it up to the hairline and the temples, since that is where a topical treatment dries the skin most.
5. Give it two or three minutes to absorb before sunscreen, a topical treatment, or anything else.

Order matters. Apply the cream first and let it settle, then apply your minoxidil to a dry scalp. Layering a cream on top of a fresh dose spreads it around and wastes it. Keep the cream on your face and off the scalp itself.

The matte finish is immediate and it is a cosmetic effect, so judge that on the first application. Any change in how oily your skin actually gets through the day is slower and smaller, and if it comes at all you would expect to notice it somewhere between two and four weeks of consistent twice-daily use. Comfort at a dry, treated hairline usually improves within the first week. Nothing about this cream will change your hair, and it is not intended to.

For external use only. Avoid the eye area, and rinse with cool water if it gets in the eyes. If your skin is sensitive or reactive, patch test on the inner forearm and leave it for 48 hours before using it on your face.

Do not apply it to broken, inflamed or actively irritated skin. Stop using it if you develop redness, stinging or a rash that does not settle. It contains no sun protection, so use a separate sunscreen in the morning, particularly if you are using tretinoin or a Retinol Night Cream, both of which make skin more sensitive to sunlight.

This is a cosmetic moisturiser and it treats no medical condition. Persistent, painful or cystic acne is worth taking to a doctor rather than managing with skincare. Keep out of reach of children.