Essential Oily Skin Tips

Oily skin can be a pain point for many people. Your makeup just never seems to last, you are plagued with blackheads and breakouts, and you can’t seem to shake that pesky shine from your forehead. In this post I will be giving you 9 essential oily skin tips so that you can tackle your oily skin, drama free. Along with oily skin tips, this post will dispel some oily skin myths and helping you understand the causes of oily skin.

The Oily Skin Dilemma 

You may be familiar with this scenario.

You wake up and diligently apply your skincare and makeup for the day. Even rising a little earlier than you would like to, just so you can execute your routine properly.

Feeling fabulous, you head off to work/college/university and go about your day.

By the time midday rolls around, you whip out your compact mirror and suddenly you’re pretty horrified. You are definitely not looking as cute as you remember.

Despite how meticulously you applied your base this morning, your foundation has caked up and broken apart.

Your eye makeup has ended up everywhere but your eyes, and you now resemble a panda – albeit not as adorable when rocking black eyes.

And your forehead and cheeks are so greasy you could fry an egg over your face.

If you can relate to this, chances are you have oily skin.

Oily Skin Agony 

Sure, you’ve heard it before, when people try to console you about your oily skin. “You’ll age slower” you’ve been told. 

Firstly, you should celebrate this fact. Your skin will not appear as visibly wrinkled as your counterparts with dry skin. So celebrate the youthful effect.

But girl, I know the struggle is real.

It can be a pain to have to deal with oily skin on the day to day, when all you really want is to be as low maintenance as possible. No one wants to constantly check whether their face has melted off. You are in need of some oily skin tips and tricks. 

Also, oily skin tends to be more prone to breakouts than dry skin. Isn’t that a pain considering you thought you were over the acne phase after you passed puberty?

So you’re telling me that now I have to deal with acne and wrinkles?! That most certainly does not sound like what I bargained for when I officially graduated from being a teenager. You’re not alone, my friend.

While you can’t actually do anything to drastically alter your skin type overnight – other than changing your hormones or using isotretinoin to dry out your oil glands – there are ways to manage oily skin.

So, embrace your skin for the way it is now and don’t sweat it. I have you covered with these oily skin tips.

Oily Skin Causes

Your skin comprises sebaceous glands. The role of sebum in sebaceous glands is to help keep skin lubricated and protect it. When your sebaceous glands begin producing too much, sebum, this results in oily skin. An excess of sebum not only contributes to oily skin, but also increases the likeliness of clogged pores and acne as sebum plugs up the pore.

Oily skin is primarily dictated by hormones. This is why, during periods where your hormones go crazy, such as during puberty, pregnancy or menopause, you will notice changes in your skin type. This is why, when we think of oily skin, we typically think of greasy pubescent teenagers with acne. Typically, high levels of androgens can trigger excess oil production.

Because your skin type is majorly dictated by hormones, there is only so much skincare can do to treat oily skin types. You may not necessarily be able to have an immediate result in terms of completely eradicating oily skin, but you may find your skin grows less oily with time. As your hormones shift with age, you may experience your oily skin beginning to balance out.

Many women find that as they grow older, their skin becomes increasingly drier. However, there is no telling when exactly your skin will stop being oily. Not all women will automatically experience dry skin as soon as they reach 50 or 60 or whatever age the media considers to be “mature”. Which is why I always express the importance of individualising your routine.

Although I know oily skin can be a pain, try to appreciate it while you have it. On the bright side, it certainly can be seen as a sign of youth.

Skin Care Oily Skin Tips

Your skin care products will be your first line of defence when combatting oily skin.

1. Choose a non-stripping cleanser.

Of all the oily skin tips I could give you, I am going to start with the basics: proper cleansing. Conventional wisdom might tell you to choose only oil-free cleansers, or cleansers specifically for oily skin. But frankly, many cleansers tailored specifically to oily skin can simply be stripping.

During my first stint with skincare, when I hit 10 years old and began developing the occasional spot, I was taken to the only beauty shop that existed at the time in my hometown. The shop assistant insisted I be put on a routine of a bar soap, alcohol-based toner and oil free moisturiser. The moisturiser I was told at the time, was to get rid of the “tight” feeling from the soap. This should have been the warning to me – that “tight” feeling is a sign the soap is stripping my skin!

Of course, I knew nothing about skincare at that age and proceeded with my cleanse, tone, moisturiser regimen that did nothing for my skin except make me increasingly oilier and accrued a whole new family of spots. If you want to hear my take on bar soaps, check out this previous post about blackheads. The article on how to get rid of blackheads also gives a lot of oily skin tips that you will benefit from.

You do not need an antibacterial face wash.

At 13, when I began to experience a full flare up of acne and oily skin, I headed to a dermatologist who of course prescribed antibiotics and a scrub. Nothing more. So, I diligently used this scrub 2 to 3 times per day until my skin was red and raw, for years. Without any moisturiser might I add, because my skin was oily, and I thought it already had enough moisture.

Nearly a decade later, I am somewhat of a chemistry aficionado. I am able to read ingredient labels and understand the substances on an ingredient list, so I realise that this scrub was severely damaging to my skin. This scrub contained what I now know to be an antibacterial agent that has since been banned from use in cosmetics and soap. So, fantastic – I might as well have been scrubbing my face with a suspension of rocks in antibacterial hand wash.

My point is, conventional advice will tell you that your oily skin needs a specific face wash. And because you are oily, the more aggressive the better. You need to hit it with menthol, camphor, acids, alcohol and every ingredient you can to dry out the oil. In truth, bombarding your skin with all these harsh ingredients only aggravates your skin’s response. Your skin is being sensitised. While it initially feels dried out, there’s a reason the oiliness returns so quickly. The result? More oiliness. And so, the cycle continues.

Cleansing is key.

Many people assume that because a cleanser is only in contact with your face for a couple of minutes then rinsed off, the variety you use is not overly important. I beg to differ. Every time I have used a cleanser that my skin does not agree with, it will instantly flare up a bout of redness and rosacea in my skin. This means that using a cleanser that your skin does not tolerate well, could further worsen your skin issues.

Depending on your tolerance to certain oils, you do not necessarily have to go oil-free with all your cleansers. For instance, if you wish to remove your makeup with an oil or balm, it should not aggravate your oily skin, provided you follow up with another cleanser. I would recommend following up an oil-based cleanser with a water-soluble cleanser just to ensure you have not left any residue on your face that could potentially clog your pores.

Unless you are allergic to certain ingredients or oils in a cleanser, I do not think it will do too much in the way of exacerbating oily skin. Even if you are using an oil-free cleanser, it could potentially cause issues for you should you not rinse it off properly. So, provided you are not leaving excess residue on the skin, you should worry more about a cleanser being gentle than just oil-free.

There are certain scrubs that are gentle and would be fine for your skin. Just make sure the beads are perfectly spherical and not so sharp you feel like you are cutting your face. Cleansers with ingredients such as clay, salicylic acid, AHA’s and charcoal are great for oily skin.

Gentle Cleansers to Try

2. Chemical exfoliants.

If you are not already using salicylic acid in your routine and you have oily skin, you must seriously consider it. Salicylic acid is one of the must-do oily skin tips. I have an entire post dedicated to everything you need to know about salicylic acid, so make sure to check that out.

Salicylic acid is oil soluble. This makes it a godsend for oily skin. With oily skin, sebum and waxy substances accumulate in the pore and there is a larger deposit of dead skin cells. Salicylic acid will help dissolve this build up and prevent it from plugging up the pore lining.

Think of it like a plugged drain. Everything is stuck and only accumulates until the drain is de-clogged. Instead of these waxy and sticky substances hanging around your pore lining, using salicylic acid means your oils can flow with ease again.

While you don’t need to be scrubbing your skin on the regular, you should be exfoliating. Salicylic acid and other chemical exfoliants will help slough away dead skin cells, preventing blackheads and acne, and keeping your oily skin under control.

In my complete guide to salicylic acid, I explain the entire process and exactly how salicylic acid works for your skin. Head on over to my salicylic acid post for all the benefits and the exact products I would recommend you use.

3. Use a mattifying or gel moisturiser.

By now, oily skin people should know the importance of adequately hydrating the skin. Forgoing a moisturiser will do your skin no favours as you need to replenish any protective substances lost from cleansing. A mattifying moisturiser can provide you with adequate moisturisation without encouraging a greasy mess. Your makeup will also lay on prepped skin much better than on bare skin.

If you have oily skin, you may not necessarily want to reach for face oils for hydration. There are dry oils that you can use as I explain in this post about my favourite face oil of the moment. However, if your skin is extremely oily, it may be a better option to go with a more mattifying product that will still provide moisture. A gel moisturiser works great for this. Your skin probably does not need additional oil over your pores.

A moisturiser that is oil-free does not necessarily equate to a mattifying moisturiser. Under makeup, a mattifying moisturiser is ideal because it ensures your skin is remaining hydrated but also preventing your face from becoming an oil slick. I actually prefer a mattifying moisturiser to a face primer. But it is worth noting, if you are extremely oily, you may not want to skimp on a mattifying face primer too.

Great Gel Moisturisers

4. Or just use serums.

Serums are a lightweight way to hydrate and deliver beneficial ingredients into skin.

There is this misconception I’ve heard that oily skin needs moisturiser because it somehow tricks your skin into being less oily. Honestly, I cringe whenever I hear this advice, particularly the way I’ve heard some people word it through the grape vine. Especially because this leads people to believe they should reach for any run-of-the-mill occlusive moisturiser as it will somehow cause their skin to produce less oil.

If it were the case that oily skin is overcompensating for a lack of oil in the form of some jar moisturiser, all dry skin people would not have dry skin. As I previously stated, oily skin is mainly the result of hormones. Before skincare products were even a thing, people had oily skin. So, it is not by some virtue that oily skin is caused by a deficiency in face lotion. Moisturising does not have to mean slathering on a thick cream.

Your oily skin may just need a serum.

All skin needs hydration and to retain moisture. It needs skin-replenishing ingredients and antioxidants, much like your body does. You can get all these ingredients from a light serum or other skincare product. It does not specifically have to be labelled “moisturiser”. Even your sunscreen could be used as a moisturiser, rather than thinking you need a designated moisturiser for the simple fact it is labelled as such.

For oily skin, a hyaluronic acid serum may be all you need to attract moisture to the skin. Most are lightweight and absorbs into skin quickly without leaving a film over the skin or adding to your oily skin. Read this complete guide to hyaluronic acid for all the best products and how hyaluronic acid can benefit your skin.

Instead of being rigid with about a step-by-step specific textbook approach to your skin, I encourage you to see what works best for your skin type. You may find that after layering a couple of well-regulated serums, your skin is perfectly well hydrated. You may not need a moisturiser for the sake of using a moisturiser. For more on how to effectively layer skincare, read this post on how to properly layer skincare products.

5. Keep Oil At Bay With Clay.

In my previous post about how to get rid of blackheads, I explained the helpful nature of clay masks. If you are finding your skin is particularly oily, it may be worth using a clay mask every so often to draw out skin impurities and absorb excess oil. Additional ingredients such as charcoal provide extra detoxifying benefits.

Before a special occasion, clay can be especially helpful to eradicate a lot of surface oil from your skin. Apply the clay mask and allow it to do its thing for 20 minutes. Rinse your face and proceed with your base. You will find that if you have trouble with your makeup caking and getting shiny, this will greatly reduce it.

All about that base

Stage 2 of dealing with oily skin is proper, specific makeup application. Oils in the skin can cause makeup to break apart and not wear well.

Luckily, there are a whole host of oily skin tips that will keep your makeup looking as great as possible for as long as possible.

I have listed a few of my favourite oily skin tips for makeup. These oily skin tips will help you keep your makeup locked in place until you actually decide to remove it.

For my male readers, these oily skin tips are also fine to apply to men. Men can forgo the full coverage foundation and just do the mattifying steps alone. Unless you like the bold, full coverage look, then do your thing. 

6. Blot your skin before makeup.

Once you are done with your skincare application, your skin may still be a little slick. Before you apply any makeup or even face primers, simply blot your face first. You can do this by using one ply of tissue paper or a blotting sheet. This will absorb the final layer of oil that could later contribute to your makeup becoming a sliding fiasco.

Follow up with your pore-fillers or mattifying primers and blot again lightly. This also minimises the excess oil and ingredients that could cause slipping.

Before you apply foundation, proceed with a light dusting of translucent powder. I know, *gasp* powder before liquid foundation? Remember I said light dusting, so go easy on it. Ingredients in the powder such as talc, rice starch, silica or cornstarch will help absorb oil and ensure that extra layer of protection throughout the day.

And don’t forget to bring some blotting sheets with you in your handbag for touch-ups.

7. Oil-free Foundations.

This one is a no-brainer. While certain oils in well-formulated skincare products can be beneficial for skin, oils and waxes in makeup tend to mean thick and heavy products. Oily skin and waxy, emollient, stage makeup does not mix. Cream compact foundations or stick foundations, although they make skin look flawless, will not do your oily skin any favours.  

The struggle with oily skin is that oil will break makeup apart. This is why oil cleansing is a thing. It is therefore crucial to properly prep your skin, first and foremost before applying any foundations. This ensures your skin is as matte as possible, for as long as possible. 

Your first thought might be to go completely liquid and oil-free and opt for a dry powder foundation. Many compact powder foundations have the tendency to cake up throughout the day. And with touch-ups, that could mean you are just layering cake upon your face.

There are however, mineral foundations that do play nicely with your oils throughout the day and wear beautifully. Although such mineral foundations will never provide complete full coverage, they are a safer powder option and look more realistic than a “full-coverage” pressed powder.

There is a myriad of bulletproof liquid foundations on the market today that are guaranteed to keep your oil at bay. And, paired with the correct primer and powder, you can rest assured your makeup will not budge.

Best Foundations for Oily Skin

Fenty Beauty Soft Matte Longwear Foundation – This foundation would be great for anyone from combination to oily skin. It provides a matte finish that does not budge. And there is a huge selection of shades to choose from, so you are sure to find the one that suits you just right. For my UK readers, you can order Fenty Beauty foundation here. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear – Double Wear is a relentless, unmoving formula. It will stay on through a 20 hour trek through the tropics (although I would not recommend you do that). There’s a reason it is a holy grail for so many people. If you have a wedding or event where you know you need your makeup to stay in place through thick or thin, this is the foundation to go for. And of course, Estee Lauder provides a whopping 55 shade colours so everyone can try it. You can also shop Estee Lauder at Sephora. 

Cover FX Power Play – This foundation is fully matte, sweat proof, and has completely full coverage. It will cover your deepest secrets. It does not transfer and you do not have to worry about shine peeking through in the middle of the day. You can also get Cover FX at Sephora online. 

Urban Decay All Nighter – When I first tried this foundation, I was pretty shocked at how matte it was. If you aren’t extremely oily, you likely will not need to powder it. Once it sets, it is locked in and will not budge. Shop Urban Decay at Sephora.

More Bulletproof Foundations 

Choosing the correct foundation shade

It is worth noting that oily skin girls tend to have the issue of foundations darkening, due to their skin’s oils. When testing for your foundation shade, swatch it and then wait 15 minutes or so to see how the shade looks. Then match yourself according to that shade. 

Dialling down the foundation coverage

Tinted moisturisers are some of my favourite products because they wear beautifully and keep skin looking radiant throughout the day. Most bases targeting oily skin tend to be pretty heavy and full-coverage. As a result, it can be difficult for oily skin that does not need a tonne of coverage. There are a number of oil-free tinted moisturisers, but they do provide a dewier finish. If you’re oily, I understand it is difficult to embrace the dew.

But it is possible to strategically appear dewy without looking like the bottom of a greasy pizza box. I will be writing an entirely separate article on how to achieve dewy skin without looking oily. Make sure you Subscribe to the Blog so you are alerted about when that post comes out. 

8. Powder away the shine.

Your final step should be a powder. I would suggest opting for a translucent powder to avoid unnecessary additional coverage that could potentially result in further caking.

Very oily skin types are the only group of people I would suggest “baking” to. I use the term very lightly, though. I do not particularly like the trend of smothering your skin in inches of powder and waiting half an hour before dusting it off. This can severely dry out your skin.

If your skin is not very oily and you choose to bake you can run the risk of looking aged by 80 years. It most certainly will emphasise every crevice of your face and draw attention to lines you didn’t even know you had.

At 17 years old, before baking was even known to me, I experimented with piling on some powder to prevent my concealer moving. And holy smokes did I suddenly look 105 years old. And I was 17, without a fine line in sight.

A few years later, the baking trend really took off and I tried it again with several different powders. Still no luck looking under 50. I would therefore not recommend this practice to anyone who is concerned about fine lines.

But don’t go over-the-top with powder.

Instead of the conventional “baking” technique, I prefer to take a different approach. Typically in baking you reach for more and more powder and apply a visible white layer on the face. Rather than smothering your sponge in a jar of powder, dip it in powder and only get as much as your sponge or brush will cover. Then press, roll and distribute into the skin. You do not need to dump a container of powder over your face. A fine veil will be enough to mattify the skin and hold in your oil, without overemphasising all your wrinkles.

Best Translucent Face Powders for Oily Skin

9. Help for Oily Eyelids.

If you have spent time on your eye makeup, you want it to stay on your eyes. As cute as pandas are, that is not the look most of us are going for when we head to work in the morning.

You can apply the exact same protocol to oily eyelids as you did with the rest of the face. Blot your eyelids, apply a primer, blot again, and then apply a powder base. You can then proceed with eyeshadow.

Powdering the tips of your eyelashes will also prevent the dreaded panda eyes from mascara smudges.

These oily skin tips will improve your skin

If you have been struggling with excess oil on your skin, these essential oily skin tips will make a noticeable difference. I hope this post was informative and that you picked up a few oily skin tips to help you devise your plan of action to combat oily skin. 

If your oily skin condition is extreme and you are also dealing with severe cystic acne breakouts, it would be best to seek the help of a dermatologist. Although I would not recommend drugs as a first line of defence, medications such as isotretinoin, birth control and anti-androgens can really help in improving your skin where skincare alone is limited.

Please share this post with anyone you know that is struggling with their skin. Subscribe to the Blog for more skin care advice and tips to help you achieve your best skin ever. You also get instant access to my Skincare Essentials Checklist when you Subscribe!

Let me know, do you have any oily skin tips that you use? Which oily skin tips will you be implementing in your skincare and makeup routine?

Make sure you check out these skin care blog posts that will also provide help for oily skin:

How to get rid of blackheads (for good!)

The Complete Guide to Salicylic Acid

The Complete Guide to Hyaluronic Acid 

How to properly layer skincare products for maximum benefit

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material is strictly prohibited.