Slick skin may be a nuisance, but there might be a pretty great upside to it.
In a recent study published in Clinical Anatomy, Japanese researchers found evidence that suggests the oilier the skin, the "shallower" the wrinkles on the face. The study was conducted on Japanese cadavers, aged 20 to 90 years old. Their foreheads, wrinkles around the eyes and skin's elasticity and density were examined along with how many oil glands (or more formally, sebaceous glands) they had.
They discovered that the more glands the people had, the less "deep or long" their wrinkles were. The area around your eyes doesn't tend to be as oily as, say, your forehead, so that could explain why the dreaded crow's feet are fairly universal.
At the same time, these findings don't mean that oiling up your skin can reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Rather, having "thicker," more elastic skin has something to do with how wrinkly a person's face gets, as TIME.com reports. Still, the researchers hope that their findings will aid in developing anti-aging treatments.
Of course, oil glands and skin elasticity are just two contributing factors to radiant skin. Exercising, staying hydrated, eating well and limiting sun exposure are always your skin's best friends.