Oily skin can be an annoying burden for those affected – that feels like even though you clean three times more than your dry friends, you still struggle with build-up, shininess, increased pores and feeling unclean. This is due to ‘sebum’ production – the natural oils that are important for happy skin health, to prevent dry skin. Too much sebum, however also causes problems. Our skin is designed to work in a biome of its own and everything should be in balance. We can’t have too much moisture and we can’t have too little. 

There are a few factors that increase oily skin – and the more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to struggle with balancing oils: 
 

Higher Testosterone 
(this is for both men and women with higher levels, as this triggers pore growth and production. If you think your oily skin is likely triggered by hormones – it's important to notify your GP or doctor. There could be a couple issues that arise from hormone imbalance so if you note other changes (weight gain, darker hair, mood changes), definitely reach out to a professional for a check-up. 

Hot Weather 
If you live in a humid, warmer climate – chances are you’re more likely to struggle with oily skin than your peers in cooler areas. Higher temperatures stimulate sebum production, in an attempt to help cool skin and balance sweat loss. This means, during hotter times of the year – you have to up your oily skin care game. Dermatologists generally recommend oily skin users cleanse twice daily (morning and night) and more if you’ve been sweating – so it’s important to take that into account when caring for your oily skin in a more humid area.

Genetics 
Sometimes we get to blame our parents for things – and if oily skin runs in the family, you know who to call. Oily skin and increased pore activity is something you can just be born with and you can either ask your family for hot tips on how to take extra care of your skin, or just follow a helpful online article on how to keep your biome in balance. 

So, you’ve got oily skin – it's good to know your skin type and evaluate what you are struggling with. Over the years, you’ve probably already gotten to know your face a little and before you jump into any new routines – it's important to evaluate how you’ve gone so far. If you are struggling with excess oil – the first step is evaluating how you clean your skin:

Cleansing – Balancing Natural Oils and Clearing Pores 

This is an important step for oily skin. You need to protect your natural biome and ensure you are just gently washing out the excess and clearing dead skin cells to refresh your pores. If you wear make-up, sunscreen or feel a lot of extra shine on your face at the end of the day – an oil-based cleanser can be a great help to melt away excess sebum. The trick is it has to be equally balanced with a second cleanser (otherwise the oil can get trapped in pores and lead to breakouts!). 

This is where double cleansing became famous – due to its ability to neatly remove excess oils in a deeper cleanse than single cleansers. We have an in-depth step-by-step here. But essentially, you want to find a cleanser that helps melt away excess oils and a second cleanser to help wash away the excess from your skin. If you are using an oil-based cleanser, your second cleanser must be a good deep cleanse – otherwise you run the risk of just adding pore-damaging oils to your face. 

1. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Double Cleansing Duo 
2. Anua Double Cleansing Duo Set 

If you are looking for excellent stand-alone cleansers that help manage sebum (if double cleansing is too rough for your skin) there are amazing sebum controlling cleansers on the market:

Extra Cleansing Steps 

If you feel your skin is wonderfully clean in the morning, but you are struggling by midday – add an extra cleansing product to your routine (such as toner pads or a cleansing wipe) that just helps refresh your skin. A lot of people use ‘blotting paper’ as this gently absorbs oils away from your skin without affecting or blurring make-up. Our favorite on-the-go skin refreshing pads include: 

Balancing Treatments 

With oily skin, it’s all about creating balance. You can use gentle exfoliants to help remove excess skin cells, but you also have to make sure you are hydrating and caring for your skin. This is the hardest part of your skincare routine is finding this balance – as your skin will produce a unique amount of oils and only you can tell when you’ve found the right balance. 

If you are looking to remove excess oils – there is a few great ingredients to help calm sebum and dry skin: 

Willow bark (BHA) 

AHA, PHA acid exfoliants 

Centella extract/Cica extract 

Green tea extracts 

Azelaic acid 

Tranexamic acid (TXA) 

Niacinamide 

Mugwort 

Witch-hazel 

Start your balancing journey with a great toner for your individual skin needs. This helps finish cleansing, balance pH and leads to a clear improvement in skin oil balance. Read more about toners in our article.

Our favourite toners for oily skin include: 

1. Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner 

2. Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner 

3. Nineless A-Control Azelaic Acid Toner 150ml 

Adding a balancing serum can help gently exfoliate, brighten and refresh your entire look. Here are our favourites for oily skin - to create great balance:

1. Be the Skin BHA+ Pore Zero Serum 30ml 
2. Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum 30ml 
3. Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid 

If you are using exfoliants and stronger cleansers, it is very easy to go to far one way and dry out your skin! It’s important to remember although too much sebum causes problem, it’s a great and natural protectant that our skin needs. If you are finding the above is drying too much, ensure you pull back on how often you are using the products – but also consider adding a light moisturizer to keep your skin barrier healthy and safe. 

Our favorites for oily skin are due to their lightweight ability to meld into your skin barrier without triggering breakouts or causing irritation:

What is healthy, oily skin? 

Oily skin is not at all bad! It just requires a little extra care to ensure you are taking care of your pores, balancing your oily zones with dryer zones and not going too far to change what makes your skin happy! 

Having a light shine to your face, having balanced pore size and limited areas of redness are great signs of healthy skin! You want to have a healthy sebum to your skin as this prevents aging. So, even if you are on the shiny side, you are being protected against pollutants and less likely to develop fine lines! 

If you have large pores or are self-conscious about your sebum – if it’s not leading to irritation or breakouts, that’s all healthy skin! You can add products to help reduce your natural shine, but if you naturally have uniform skin tone - don’t jump into a variety of strong treatments as you are more likely to disrupt what is already a healthy biome. 

If you are looking for more skincare tips dive into our related articles: 
Managing Acne Scarring for More Uniform Skin 
How to Moisturize with Acne 
What is Purging and What Causes It? 

Why Do I Keep Getting Breakouts? 
Acne breakouts are a complicated part of oily skin. The most common mechanism is due to either skin cells or sebum clogging pores. Blackheads occur when this sebum oxidizes (and can be fixed with a good cleanser and patience) and whiteheads occurs when this sebum becomes infected by skin bacteria. This can be managed with a gentle exfoliant (AHA/BHA) to remove excess skin cells along with a soothing anti-inflammatory (such as centella asciatica, tea tree extract or mugwort). 

How do I reduce face shine? 
If you are cleansing and exfoliating well, but still getting an oily look – you can add a refreshing cleansing pad to your bag to carry with you for a gentle refresh or you can add a matte finish product to your routine (such as a matte sunstick) which you can use to refresh your face on-the-go. 

Why are my pores large? 
Oily skin types come with large pores – this is just a natural part of sebum production that enlarges pores. You can reduce pore size with cleansing twice a day, adding a gentle exfoliant to your daily routine (AHA/BHA) and making sure you are wearing SPF+50 at least daily to protect from sun damage. There are products specifically designed to help reduce pore appearance – but make sure you are prioritizing your skin health first and you should notice a difference with time.