Short answer: Oil is a normal part of skin, and oily skin is a skin type, not a fault to scrub away. How much oil you make is shaped largely by genetics and hormones, and it tends to change with age and climate. Harsh cleansers and scrubbing do not switch it off; they tend to leave skin tight and irritated while the shine comes back anyway. A suitable, gentle cleanser, a toner selected for your skin, a moisturizer your skin finds comfortable, daytime sun protection and blotting during the day usually serve oily skin well.
Much of caring for oily skin comes down to the right cleanser and a gentle hand: lukewarm water and light pressure.
What skin oil is for
Oil, or sebum, comes from small glands that open into the pores. It helps keep the surface of healthy skin soft and helps reduce water loss. Some people make more than others, and oil glands are larger and more numerous on areas such as the forehead and chin.
The amount is shaped largely by genetics and hormones. It can rise and fall across life, and it tends to decrease with age. Hot, humid weather can make skin feel oilier, and a cold, dry spell can make the same skin feel tighter.
Why stripping it backfires
You will often read that stripping skin makes it produce more oil to compensate. Dermatology guidance on oily skin does warn that scrubbing can irritate the skin and may lead to more oil. What is clear is that harsh cleansing, hot water and heavy pressure can leave skin tight and irritated, and the oil comes back through the day anyway.
Oily skin can also be short of water at the surface, and harsh cleansing makes that more likely. Dehydrated Skin vs Dry Skin explains how a face can be shiny and tight at the same time.
Cleansing without stripping
The right cleanser. Choose a cleanser suited to your skin and use it according to its directions. With lukewarm water and light pressure, it removes oil, sunscreen and the day’s dirt without taking everything with them. Pat dry rather than rub. Foam tells you nothing about whether a cleanser is gentle or suits oily skin; the complete formulation decides that. Why Your Cleanser Matters covers how to judge one.
The evening cleanse. It takes off everything the day put on your skin. Remove eye makeup first with a dedicated eye makeup remover, then cleanse your face, and go to bed with a completely clean face.
Morning, if your skin wants it. General dermatology guidance is to cleanse up to twice a day and after sweating. Esenté’s approach for most skin is a morning warm-water rinse after a thorough evening cleanse, with a morning cleanser for skin that wants one, which often includes oilier skin. Watch how your skin behaves over several days to judge which suits you. How Often Should You Wash Your Face? goes into this.
After sweating. Cleansing again after exercise or a hot, sweaty day makes sense, particularly if you were wearing sunscreen or makeup.
Toner and moisturizer
A toner selected for you. Toners can be appropriate for every skin type, oily skin included. Cleansing and toning are separate but complementary steps. Which toner suits you, and how often you use it, depends on your skin and the product’s directions.
Moisturizer still matters. Skin that makes plenty of oil can still be short of water at the surface. Choose a moisturizer your skin finds comfortable. Many people with oilier skin prefer a lighter texture, but texture does not decide suitability. Apply it to clean skin with clean fingertips, according to its directions.
During the day
Blot between cleanses. Blotting papers pressed gently against the skin lift surface oil without dragging or spreading it. Washing your face repeatedly through the day, when you have not been sweating, tends to leave it irritated rather than less shiny.
Keep your hands off. Touching your face moves oil and dirt around.
Daytime sun protection. Oily skin needs it as much as any other type. Broad-spectrum sunscreens vary widely in how they feel, so choose one you are happy to wear daily and follow the label directions, including reapplication. Do You Need Sunscreen Every Day? makes the case.
Exfoliation and pores
Oily skin often shows more visible pores, and exfoliation can make them look less obvious when your skin needs it. More often is not better. There is no universal schedule: the interval depends on your skin’s condition, your age, the method and how your skin responds. Avoid combining multiple exfoliating products unless their directions or your skincare professional specifically recommend doing so, and do not exfoliate skin that is currently irritated. How Often Should You Exfoliate? and Large Pores cover both in detail.
Oily skin and breakouts
Oily skin and breakouts are often discussed together, but this article covers everyday care for oily skin, not acne. Breakouts that are persistent, painful or leave marks are worth a dermatologist’s opinion.
Victoria’s approach
Victoria Nash, founder of Esenté Skincare, has been a licensed aesthetician since 2003. She also owns and operates Younger You Clinique and is an experienced skincare educator. She draws on her professional experience at Younger You Clinique when evaluating skincare products and their performance. Victoria’s preferred approach is gentle cleansing with a professional facial sponge, used with an appropriate cleanser, lukewarm water and light pressure. Esenté does not recommend automatic bristled facial cleansing devices for routine cleansing, because their firmness and pressure can cause unintended mechanical exfoliation. Esenté also regards the cleanser as a vital step.
For oily skin, the Citrisal Purifying Cleanser is an example from the Esenté range. Other Esenté formulations may also suit oily skin, depending on your individual regimen. Follow its directions, which include keeping it away from the eye area. Esenté works with boutique manufacturers to develop and select formulations that meet the brand’s ingredient, performance and quality criteria. Unsure which cleanser or toner suits your skin? Ask through the Ask Victoria page.
Frequently asked questions
A gentle evening cleanse, a morning cleanse if your skin wants one, a toner selected for you, a moisturizer your skin finds comfortable and daytime sun protection, each used according to its directions. Blot during the day, and cleanse again after sweating.
Yes. Skin that makes plenty of oil can still be short of water at the surface. Choose one your skin finds comfortable; texture alone does not decide whether it suits you.
Not reliably. Oil comes back through the day, and frequent washing, hot water or harsh cleansers tend to leave skin tight and irritated as well as shiny. A suitable, consistent cleanse tends to do more. Cleansing after sweating is still sensible.
Yes. Toners can be appropriate for all skin types. Which one suits you, and how often to use it, depends on your skin and the product’s directions.
Foaming does not tell you whether a cleanser is gentle or whether it suits oily skin. The complete formulation decides that. Notice how your skin feels over several days of use.
About the author. Victoria Nash, founder of Esenté Skincare, has been a licensed aesthetician since 2003. She also owns and operates Younger You Clinique and is an experienced skincare educator.
Reviewed by Victoria Nash, licensed aesthetician, founder of Esenté Skincare and owner of Younger You Clinique. This article is educational and is not medical advice. Ask your dermatologist or licensed skincare professional about products appropriate for your own skin and medical history.
