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As anyone with oily skin knows, there’s a thin line between a glowing complexion and a greasy one. And while the idea of eradicating all traces of oil from your skin may sound tempting, it can actually make the situation worse. “The biggest mistake people with oily skin make is overdrying their skin,” explains Dr. Heidi A. Waldorf of Waldorf Dermatology Aesthetics. In fact, it could potentially lead to worsening acne and skin quality, since the dryness “will send a signal to the skin to make even more sebum to compensate, leading to even oilier skin,” says Dr. Michelle Park of Washington Square Dermatology. No thank you.
The key to caring for oily skin is to keep sebum in check. Sebum is essential for healthy skin: A product of the body’s oil-producing sebaceous glands, its function is to protect and hydrate. However, too much sebum can lead to oiliness, clogged pores, and acne. And unfortunately, whether you have oily skin or not has to do with your family tree — so, yes, you can blame your parents for this one.
You can minimize the appearance of oily skin by using specific skin-care products. Formulas that include light peeling agents like glycolic acid and salicylic acid can help control oil production. You’ll also want to avoid harsher cleansers, which “can strip the necessary lipids and proteins that make up the brick-and-mortar structure of a healthy skin barrier,” Waldorf advises. “After washing, the skin should feel supple and soft, not dry and tight.” That means refraining from a routine that includes an anti-oil wash plus a toner plus an astringent plus an exfoliant: “The combination may be too much, especially when people mix and match,” she says.
To find the best oil-controlling (but not skin-stripping) face washes, we asked dermatologists and makeup artists for their recommendations.
Update on December 9, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Best overall face wash for oily skin
When choosing a face wash, Park says to look for something “gentle and foaming, so it can gently remove oil and impurities.” She adds that it should also be oil-free and noncomedogenic (i.e., won’t clog pores). Seven different dermatologists we spoke to all recommend CeraVe’s Foaming Facial Cleanser. “I love this product because the formula has three essential ceramides to cleanse the skin without stripping it in the process,” says board-certified dermatopathologist Dr. Gretchen Frieling. Ceramides, she adds, help skin rebuild and repair the protective barrier to make it more resilient against future damage and signs of aging. It also contains hyaluronic acid, which provides moisture, and niacinamide, which soothes and calms the skin, while sodium lauroyl lactylates give the cleanser its foaming consistency, which helps loosen skin impurities.
Best gentle face washes for oily skin
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, says foaming face washes “more effectively remove oil as compared to cleansing lotions or balms.” But being that foaming washes get deeper into your pores than creamier solutions to remove dirt, oil, and makeup, it has the potential to leave the skin feeling dry. He recommends this gentle daily foaming cleanser from Neutrogena because it contains “hydrophobically modified polymers, which effectively cleanse and remove dirt and oil without disrupting the outer skin layer.”
Four experts we spoke to have vouched for La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Foaming Cleanser. “It removes makeup and oil buildup while still being gentle on the skin, but it’s a nice option for somebody who’s looking for a bit of a deeper, more thorough cleanse,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick. The formula also contains ceramides, which maintain the skin barrier; niacinamide, which can lower sebum excretion rates; and the brand’s signature thermal spring water, a soothing antioxidant.
Another foaming cleanser to consider for your skin-care shelf, this one comes recommended by Dr. Debra Jaliman, a board-certified dermatologist who runs her own practice. She specifically called out the glycerin in its ingredient list. “Glycerin is a moisturizing agent,” she says. “It works to pull water from the air into your skin.” But the best part of this cleanser? It’s gentle enough for those who also use stronger acne products with ingredients like retinoids — the more mild, the less of a chance of drying out, Jaliman explains.
If you find a foaming cleanser too drying, makeup artist Shara Strand recommends trying a cleansing gel, like this one from Mario Badescu. “Any gel is great for oily skin, as gel is really cooling, and it has moisturizing elements to balance out oily skin,” she explains. This particular cleanser includes fruit enzymes that gently remove impurities from the skin. Strand suggests starting with micellar water on a cotton pad to remove makeup, then washing with the gel, then following up with a lightweight moisturizer, since “the less product you use on your face, the less oily your skin will be.”
Best face washes for acne-prone oily skin
According to Park, an excess of sebum can lead to clogged pores from dead skin cells that stick to the sebum, which results in acne. Dr. Hope Mitchell, of Mitchell Dermatology, adds that people with acne-prone oily skin should look for a face wash that contains low amounts of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which can “effectively unclog pores and prevent breakouts.” Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Wash — whose active ingredient is salicylic acid — is a reliable option recommended by multiple experts. The formula blends salicylic acid with ingredients that will dissolve sebum to “improve delivery of the active ingredients, reducing blackheads and breakouts,” Dr. Garshick says. Dr. Jaliman also points out that this wash features aloe, which is soothing to the skin.
Benzoyl peroxide is another antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient that can help unclog pores. Medical cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Claire Wolinsky likes this complexion-clearing wash from Cetaphil that contains benzoyl peroxide because “it’s not super drying” and is still gentle enough for those with sensitivities. It’s also formulated with zinc and licorice root to reduce excess oil and calm irritation.
Dubbed the best cleanser for hyperoily skin by dermatologists in our guide to the best face washes for acne, this foaming cream helps loosen dead cells to unveil newer-looking skin, according to dermatologist and co-host of The Doctors Dr. Sonia Batra. The acids in the cleanser “work to rid skin of common acne concerns such as oiliness, pimples, and blackheads,” Batra says. Because the cleanser transforms from a cream to foam texture when applied, it allows for greater surfactant effect, meaning it more effectively “absorbs and emulsifies the oil, dirt, and residue sitting atop the skin,” according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Divya Shokeen. The result does leave your skin a little tighter and drier, making it perfect “for someone who naturally has really oily skin,” she says.
Best exfoliating face washes for oily skin
According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rebecca Marcus, people with oily skin need a little extra help breaking up the oil deep inside their pores. She recommends BeautyPie’s AcidEnzyme cleanser because it contains a papaya-enzyme complex that helps to effectively clear sunscreen, makeup, dirt, and oil from the skin. “It’s perfectly fine to use it just as a single-step cleanse, so you don’t need to double cleanse. The enzymes remove everything, and you also get the gentle cleansing action of the other ingredients,” including mallow and oat extract, she says. Plus, because it works for both face and body, it streamlines your beauty routine that much more.
According to Dr. Julia Tzu, founder and medical director of Wall Street Dermatology, glycolic acid helps to reduce skin discoloration and cut down on sebum production by speeding up cell turnover and resurfacing the skin. Glytone’s mild gel cleanser contains 4.7 percent glycolic acid to gently even out skin tone and texture. It’s also oil-free, ideal for those oily skin.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Sam Ellis often recommends Skinceuticals’ LHA cleanser to her oily-skinned patients who are looking for deep-cleaning and decongesting benefits but can’t handle overly harsh ingredients. “It has a very gentle blend of salicylic acid and glycolic acid, so you get a light exfoliation. It’s nice for managing oil without overly stripping the skin,” she explains.
Additional reporting by Lauren Ro and Ambar Pardilla.
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