The skin news that will make anyone with oily skin very, very happy.

Image via iStock.

When you’ve got oily skin and you’re struggling to keep it under control, it can feel like you pulled the short straw.

But a new study has found there could actually be a massive benefit to having oilier skin when it comes to ageing.

It’s long been an old wives tale that people with oily skin get less wrinkles, but the latest researched published in the journal Clinical Anatomy suggests it could be true.

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Japanese researchers analysed the skin on the foreheads and around the eyes of nearly 60 cadavers aged 20 to 90 years-old, reporting on the wrinkles, the number of sebaceous glands which are what actually secrete oil from the skin, and the skin’s elasticity and density.

They discovered a relationship between the depth and length of wrinkles and the amount of sebaceous glands in these areas, finding that the areas with more glands were more likely to have wrinkles that were much shallower. (Post continues after gallery.)

They believe this is because skin with rich sebaceous glands contains more sebum which prevents it from forming dry and deeper wrinkles.

This also explains why wrinkles are more prominent in certain places of our face. Wrinkles like crows feet are more common and noticeable because the area around our eyes tends to be a lot less oily compared to areas like the forehead, which makes the skin easier to wrinkle.

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As well as wrinkles that were shorter and shallower, the results showed that those with higher sebaceous gland densities also had thicker skin and lower degrees of solar elastosis (skin damage) in the tested areas.

Interestingly, the researchers found that while the sebaceous gland density was significantly lower in females than males, “no gender-dependent difference was found in wrinkle depth.”

However, while oily skin certainly plays a part, the researchers advise that it's just one of a number of contributing factors, including the skins thickness and elasticity and of course how you look after it - eating and drinking properly and adequately protecting it from sun damage.

While we're loving the changes our skin makes as we get older, this news has made those of in the office with shiny skin feel a little bit smug.

Do you get frustrated at having oily skin?