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Oily skin is easy to identify — it’s hard to escape that extra sheen, especially around your T-zone. If you’re struggling to keep your sebum under control, you’ll want to make sure you’re using products built for your skin type. Start with this list of the 14 best face cleansers for oily skin in 2024. Sleeping Masks
The pesky substance behind oily skin is sebum, an oil that your skin naturally produces in order to keep itself hydrated and protected. Those with oily skin have more than the necessary amount of sebum, leading to clogged pores and lots of shine. There are a few root causes of oily skin — genetics play a role, of course, but so does your age. That’s because your skin naturally produces less sebum as you get older.
Those living in humid climates are more likely to have oily skin, as are those with larger pores or who eat a diet full of greasy foods. You can also inadvertently trigger excess sebum production by using the wrong skin care products or letting your skin get too dry.
Sadly, you can’t magically change your skin type. What you can do is take care of your oily skin to make sure that the sebum production doesn’t get out of hand. The most important step is finding the right face wash and sticking to a regular cleansing routine. Other key steps involve keeping your skin moisturized so it doesn’t overcompensate and produce more sebum, exfoliating to remove buildup, and adjusting your diet to eliminate fried foods.
When you use a face cleanser, you wash away the excess oil on the surface of your skin, which can instantly cut down on shine. Since oily skin also means your pores regularly get backed up and cause acne, face cleanser can help you clean out all the gunk you’ve accumulated. It’s important to note that cleansing alone isn’t the answer to oily-skin woes. If you cleanse too often (more than twice a day) or don’t follow your wash-up with a moisturizer, you might trigger greater sebum production, making your skin even oilier. It’s all about balance!
On your quest for less oily skin, look for products that contain any of the following ingredients:
● Salicylic Acid. You’ve probably seen this ingredient before, as it’s a go-to if you’re fighting breakouts. It works by removing excess oil from the skin and clearing away dead skin cells, which should help you keep your pores in check. The only issue is that it may dry out skin, so make sure your cleanser also includes a moisturizer.
● Clay. Bentonite clay and kaolin clay are the two most common forms of clay found in skin care products. They consist of fine powders that are extremely absorbent, lifting oil away from your skin.
● Glycolic Acid. This sugarcane-derived alpha hydroxy acid sucks up excess oil and penetrates pores to get rid of buildup, leaving skin squeaky clean.
● Vitamins. Face cleansers often contain vitamins, which provide important nutrients, lightweight moisture and sometimes even sebum-balancing properties. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is a particularly helpful ingredient for those with oily skin.
● Lightweight Moisturizers. As noted above, oily skin still needs moisture. The key is finding lightweight hydrating ingredients that won’t clog pores or add more oil to the skin. These include glycerin, hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
Photo provided by Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Volcanic ash, the star ingredient of this face cleanser for oily skin, is made up of tiny particles that soak up excess oil like a sponge. Since it also clarifies pores, volcanic ash will be your best friend if you have oily skin. To make the formula even better for your skin type, it contains charcoal powder, which eliminates extra sebum while lifting away other kinds of debris.
Hero Ingredients: Volcanic ash, of course, plus antioxidant-rich pomegranate seed oil and lactobacillus ferment filtrate to support a healthy microbiome.
What Sets It Apart: The combination of volcanic ash and charcoal powder is ideal for oily skin, but what really sets the Blu Atlas face cleanser apart is its clean ingredient list, made up of a full 98% ingredients from natural origins. In addition to two alluring scents, the Volcanic Ash Cleanser comes in an unscented version for those with both oily andsensitive skin.
Photo provided by La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Gentle yet effective cleansers in this formula get to work on oil and buildup, clearing them away to leave you with a fresh face. In addition to its purifying properties, the Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser contains lightweight moisturizers that will signal to your sebaceous glands that it’s time to take a vacation. It will certainly protect your skin’s moisture barrier, but won’t leave all that extra oil behind.
Hero Ingredients: Ceramides, which are lightweight lipids that provide moisture ideal for those with oily skin. Plus the brand’s thermal water, loaded with minerals and vitamins to keep skin in top shape.
What Sets It Apart: This simple, oil-free formula doesn’t contain any ingredients that are overly drying. It cleanses, and then leaves skin in good condition thanks to lightweight hydrators and a little nutritional support. What truly sets it apart is the La Roche-Posay thermal water, a star ingredient in all the brand’s formulas.
Photo provided by Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Having oily skin can set you up for breakouts, which happen when follicles get blocked and bacteria grows. The Alpha Beta Daily Cleansing Gel contains farnesol to stop acne-causing bacteria from growing, as well as pore-refining ingredients to provide a deep clean and leave you less prone to blockages. This gel isn’t over-drying, and contains a number of lightweight moisturizers that won’t make your oily skin worse.
Hero Ingredients: Acids to exfoliate and rid the skin of dead cells, jasmine and bisabolol to calm irritation, plus antibacterial willow bark and moisturizing mushroom extract.
What Sets It Apart: The unique blend of ingredients that both exfoliate and soothe, plus an almost unparalleled ability to balance oil in your complexion.
Photo provided by Peach Slices Oil Control Balancing Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: For starters, this product is designed specifically for oily skin, so you know it was created with your needs in mind. Its active ingredients tackle oil production, pore size and inflammation, leaving skin soft, supple and matte. In a study, 98% of participants noticed their skin looked far less oily, which is certainly encouraging.
Hero Ingredients: Two kinds of pine extracts that have antimicrobial properties, a blend of Korean roots that work to reduce sebum production, green tea for a little anti-aging help, tea tree to treat acne and eucalyptus to trap water in the skin.
What Sets It Apart: This water-based formula is remarkably gentle, yet it contains a number of natural ingredients proven to benefit oily and acne-prone skin. It’s Korean skin care at its best!
Photo provided by SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser Gel
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: SkinCeuticals has certainly produced one of the best face cleansers for oily skin with this gel formula, designed to exfoliate and return moisture balance to your skin. It contains mild surfactants, chemical exfoliants and lightweight moisturizers to get you back on track.
Hero Ingredients: Glycolic acid, which helps release dead skin, improving your skin’s tone and texture. Surfactants from fatty acids cleanse easily without stripping away moisture, and glycerin provides lightweight hydration.
What Sets It Apart: The addition of glycolic acid here is important, as it means this wash is particularly good at repairing skin’s texture. It acts as an exfoliant, so you can skip the scrubs if they irritate your skin.
Photo provided by Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Surfactants work by emulsifying oils and fats and lifting away particles of dirt, making it easier to wash these things away from your skin. This Sea Foam cleanser contains a number of coconut-based surfactants, as well as phytonutrients that provide anti-aging benefits.
Hero Ingredients: White tea, which fights signs of aging, calms inflammation, and rehydrates skin. A mix of coconut oil and coconut water encourages hydration, and mangosteen fights bacteria and inflammation.
What Sets It Apart: This wash is exceptionally foamy! The low price also sets it apart, as does the inclusion of white tea.
Photo provided by Paula’s Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Sometimes the key to treating oily skin is a simple cleanse paired with hydration to balance sebum-production levels. That’s the idea behind this product from Paula’s Choice, which is one of the best face cleansers for oily skin. It rids the skin of excess oil and toxins, then replenishes moisture so your skin doesn’t have to create more oil on its own.
Hero Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid provides lightweight but intense hydration. Sunflower seed oil provides a calming effect and moisturization, and ceramides improve the moisture barrier from the inside out.
What Sets It Apart: This cleanser serves as an anti-aging product and moisturizer, and has the ability to reduce the appearance of pores.
Photo provided by Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: For one thing, this classic cleanser from Neutrogena is oil-free, meaning it won’t clog pores by adding oil of its own to the mix. It also contains salicylic acid to head off breakouts, which is accompanied by gentle moisturizing ingredients so it won’t leave your skin feeling dry and cracked.
Hero Ingredients: Salicylic acid (especially important for those with acne), plus a soothing blend of aloe vera and chamomile to ensure skin won’t get irritated.
What Sets It Apart: This is a cleanser you can find in almost any drugstore. It’s simple, inexpensive and effective — there’s nothing fancy about it, but it has what you need, especially if you get lots of pimples.
Photo provided by Herbivore Aquarius Clarity Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: When it comes to the texture of the best face cleansers for oily skin, gel is best. This gel cleanser from Herbivore targets enlarged pores and blemishes to clear away anything you don’t need and leave you with refreshed, soft skin. It’s made with oily skin in mind.
Hero Ingredients: BHAs, a type of acid that works to exfoliate and improve skin’s texture without disturbing your skin’s balance. Blue tansy is great for numerous skin issues, including acne and eczema, and zinc works on your sebaceous glands to stop you from getting that greasy look.
What Sets It Apart: The unique combination of ingredients. Plus, the color is pretty darn cute!
Photo provided by Bioré Oil Control Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: When you have oily skin, sometimes you can feel like your face simply isn’t clean. To get your pores unstuck and give you that satisfying feeling of a clean slate, this cleanser uses charcoal and other ingredients to release oil and buildup, leaving you with a tingling sensation in your pores that lets you know it’s working.
Hero Ingredients: Charcoal powder to purify your pores, salicylic acid to fight acne and glycerin to ensure your skin stays supple.
What Sets It Apart: This cleanser provides a clean that isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s an intense product, but is sometimes just what you need to balance out your skin’s oil production. It’s also a wallet-friendly drugstore option, making it widely accessible.
Photo provided by Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: This is another product that specifically targets your skin type, cleansing, purifying, removing excess oil and leaving behind just the right touch of moisture. In a clinical study, 94% of users claimed this gave their skin a matte look, which is ideal if you’re hoping to get rid of that annoying shine.
Hero Ingredients: Ole Henriksen's special Green Fusion Complex combines super-absorbent botanicals like Irish moss and kelp to remove oil from your face. Neem seed oil delivers matte moisture and AHAs get rid of pore-clogging dead skin.
What Sets It Apart: The unique blend of ingredients in the proprietary complex, which work together to improve the look and feel of greasy skin.
Photo provided by Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: When your skin produces excess oil, that can manifest in larger-looking pores. This face cleanser for oily skin from Kiehl’s works to shrink pores by getting rid of the substance that blocks them. That naturally means reducing oil. It also works to exfoliate the skin, allowing moisturizing ingredients to penetrate.
Hero Ingredients: Amazonian white clay powers this formula, bringing its absorbent and detoxifying powers to the cleanser. There’s also diatomaceous earth, which acts as a natural physical exfoliant to scrub away old skin. Then oat kernel flour and aloe vera provide anti-inflammatory and moisturizing benefits.
What Sets It Apart: The combination of ingredients provides serious clarifying capabilities that few can match.
Photo provided by Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: Gentle exfoliants in GinZing buff away everything your skin doesn’t need, leaving pores clean and your complexion restored. This cleanser also contains plenty of antioxidant ingredients, helping skin ward off signs of aging or damage, which is good for all skin types.
Hero Ingredients: Jojoba beads provide intense exfoliation, producing the desired effect without setting off reactive skin. Caffeine derived from coffee beans energizes tired skin, spearmint targets inflammation and ginseng helps the skin manage its balance of water and oil.
What Sets It Apart: This cleanser is great for those looking for a face wash and scrub in one package. Its blend of botanicals and the inclusion of jojoba beads set it apart.
Photo provided by The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
Why It’s Good for Oily Skin: This gel cleanser is extremely gentle, combining a few different cleansing agents that are suitable for sensitive skin. These ingredients banish oil and dirt without disturbing the skin’s moisture barrier to give you quick relief from an oily face without any dryness.
Hero Ingredients: Decyl glucoside and coco glucoside, which pull moisture into the skin, plus tocopherol to protect skin from free radicals while ensuring moisture.
What Sets It Apart: Oily skin needs moisture, too, and this cleanser provides it, along with a gentle cleanse that acts as a quick pick-me-up when one is needed. This cleanser isn’t a game-changer, but is a dependable daily tool for those with oily skin.
As you take care of your oily skin, here are a few things to keep in mind:
DO wash frequently using one of the best face cleansers for oily skin. Morning and night is best, but you may want to cleanse after a workout, too.
DON’T skip the moisturizer. Sometimes oily skin is overcompensating, so leaving it dry will only make things worse. Just look for moisturizers designed for your skin type or ones with lightweight ingredients.
DO opt for oil-free makeup products if you use any, and be sure to remove makeup before sleeping.
DON’T sleep on dirty pillowcases. These can harbor bacteria and grease, and they get dirty quickly, so make sure to swap yours out regularly (once or twice a week).
DO keep your hands away from your face. Your fingers carry oil, too, and touching or picking at your face can make the oil or acne situation worse.
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Photo provided by Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Cleanser
Photo provided by La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Photo provided by Peach Slices Oil Control Balancing Cleanser
Photo provided by SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser Gel
Photo provided by Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
Photo provided by Paula’s Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
Photo provided by Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
Photo provided by Herbivore Aquarius Clarity Cleanser
Photo provided by Bioré Oil Control Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser
Photo provided by Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
Photo provided by Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
Photo provided by Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser
Photo provided by The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
Photo provided by Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel
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