The Ultimate Skincare Guide For Oily Skin

In oily skin, the sebaceous glands produce more sebum (oil) than your skin typically needs. If you’re wondering whether you have this skin type, it can be helpful to know the usual traits. You may have oily skin if:

It often feels greasy and has a shiny appearance, particularly around your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin).

• You’ve noticed enlarged pores — again, this may be around your T-zone as well as across your cheeks.
• You’re prone to frequent blemishes.
• You feel as though your make-up ‘slides off’ throughout the day.

Still not sure if you have oily skin? A handy way to check is to use blotting sheets. To do so, dab one blotting sheet on your cheeks, another on your forehead, and another on your nose, and then hold them up to the light. If all three of the sheets are saturated in oil, it's likely that you have an oily skin type. Note: All skin types will result in some oil on the blotting paper, but the patches will usually be much lighter.

Understanding why you have oily skin is important, as it can help you manage it effectively. On a surface level, oily skin is caused by increased oil production from the sebaceous glands. However, if we dig a little deeper, we’ll find that this can be triggered by a variety of internal and external factors — from genetics to using the wrong skincare products.

Genetics

Oily skin tends to run in families. If one of your parents has oily skin, there’s a chance you have overactive sebaceous glands, too. Although you can’t directly control this, you can adjust your skincare routine to include products designed specifically for oily skin.

Age

Younger skin tends to produce more oil, especially during high hormone fluctuations. While you don't necessarily grow out of oily skin, your skin will produce less sebum as you age. So, if you have oily skin now, the good news is that this may improve in the future. Make sure to switch up your skincare routine as you age to accommodate these changes.

Enlarged Pores

Age, weight fluctuations, and previous breakouts can stretch out your pores, which can lead to higher oil production. Some people also naturally have larger pores. If this sounds familiar, it may be worth looking for skincare products dedicated to oily skin.

Where You Live and The Time of Year

A hot and humid climate creates the perfect environment for oily skin to thrive. Heat causes sebum to go from waxy to oily, and humidity adds even more moisture to the mix. As a result, your skin may appear noticeably more greasy. This can lead to clogged pores and blemishes.

Does Skin Get Oilier During Summer? ​

If heat and humidity increase sebum production, it makes sense that you may find your skin is oilier in the summer. You may find your oil production is fairly balanced in the autumn and winter, but you have more of an oil-prone complexion in the summer.

With this in mind, we recommend adapting your skincare routine as the seasons change — this will help you stay on top of excess oil production in the warmer months. 

Using The Wrong Skincare Products

Identifying your skin type can seem confusing at first, but gaining a deeper understanding of your complexion’s texture, sensitivity, and that all-important oil production can help you find the perfect balance.

Using products designed for a different skin type can lead to excess oil. A common example is mistaking oily skin for combination. Combination skin tends to involve an oily t-zone but normal or dry cheeks. Using heavier face creams, serums, and other products to keep your skin hydrated can lead to clogged pores and even more oil.

At ELEMIS, we’ve carefully formulated product ranges catering to all skin types. We’ll look at our top skincare products for oily skin in more depth shortly, but it’s worth exploring our full oily face treatment range to ensure you’re using products designed for your complexion type.

Overdoing Your Skincare Routine

It might seem counterintuitive, but did you know that washing your face or exfoliating too often can make your skin oily?

Exfoliating and washing your face as often as possible may instinctively feel like the right thing to do. After all, isn’t the goal to get rid of the oil? While it may seem logical, your skin doesn’t quite work that way. Overwashing and exfoliating too regularly can strip your skin of its natural oils, leading it to produce even more oil than usual to compensate.

Skipping Your Moisturiser

In a similar way, it may be tempting to avoid moisturising in a bid to ‘dry out’ excess oil. However, this can lead to the same outcome as over-exfoliating. Without an effective moisturiser, any skin type can become dehydrated. Once again, this triggers your skin to compensate by producing more oil — it can feel like an endless cycle.

With a lightweight moisturiser, however, you can keep your skin hydrated without clogging your pores. Our Pro-Collagen Rose Marine Cream is an excellent example. Its lightweight, gel-cream texture glides on without feeling heavy or greasy. Read on for more top recommendations on the best moisturiser for oily skin.

As you can see, there are some actions you can avoid to help reduce excessive oil production. However, rather than focusing on how to stop oily skin, we like to look at how you can work with your oily skin type to achieve a clear and radiant complexion.

Here are our top tips for nourishing and balancing oily skin:

1. Look For Gentle, Alcohol-Free Products

Harsh ingredients and products, such as alcohol-based cleansers and toners, can strip your skin of essential oils and fatty acids. As we’ve explored, this can increase oil production in the long term as your skin looks to counteract the enforced dryness.

We recommend looking for alcohol-free cleanse and tone formulas that feature botanical ingredients to gently sweep away makeup and visible impurities without drying your skin. 

2. Remember, Oil Can Be Your Friend

The biggest myth when it comes to controlling oily skin is that facial oils will only exasperate the problem. In fact, the opposite is true.

“Believe it or not, oily skin needs oil! ” explains Noella Gabriel, Co-Founder of ELEMIS. 

“It can be a difficult concept to relate to, but oil on oil results in stabilising the oil flow and calming the skin. Look for products with oil-balancing properties. Brazilian babassu oil, moringa oil, lavender, myrrh, willow, nettle and silver birch all stabilise oil flow, reduce shine, and help to heal blemishes.”

3. Hydrate & Nourish

All skin types require hydration. After your cleanser, toner and targeted treatment, layer on a lightweight moisturiser with sebum-balancing actives. This will seal in the nourishment beneath and help to optimise your skin’s natural moisture content.

When searching for the best moisturiser for oily skin, look for highly nourishing ingredients such as Padina Pavonica, the hydration hero at the heart of our best-selling Pro-Collagen Collection.

4. Look For Lightweight Formulas

While rich moisturisers can be intensely hydrating for dry skin types, oily skin is better suited to lightweight formulas. The same goes for any serums, night creams, and masks. You want to give your complexion the nutrients it needs without weighing it down. Lighter gel-creams and products containing prebiotics — such as our Superfood Day Cream — are your best bets.

5. Let Your Skin Breathe

Now, let’s talk makeup. With your oily skincare routine in place, you don’t want your cosmetics compromising the hard work of your skincare. Anything too heavy, oil-based makeup will clog the pores and accelerate oil production.

Instead, opt for water-based and non-comedogenic makeup. You can also apply a smoothing primer beneath your foundation for coverage that won’t slip throughout the day. Our Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser combines a silicone-free formula with fermented ingredients and illuminating microminerals to offer light yet effective moisturisation while priming your complexion for makeup. It can also be used without primer, providing a radiant glow.

6. Turn Down The Shower Temperature

Whether it’s to warm up on a cold winter’s day or to feel refreshed in the summer after a day at the beach, you may be tempted to take a hot shower. While showering can help wash away any excess sebum, water at a very high temperature can have a drying effect on your skin which, once more, leads to the production of more oil to compensate.

In our time creating effective skincare ranges for all complexion types, we’ve come to understand the deep power of balance. ELEMIS skincare products harness gentle yet effective botanical ingredients and utilise scientific innovation without harsh chemicals.

Our collection of skincare products for oily skin includes all the steps you need to embrace an effective daily routine:

The Best Cleanser For Oily Skin

Cleansers for oily skin need to deeply cleanse and purify without upsetting the delicate balance of the skin barrier. Our Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is a 3-in-1 textured cleanser that melts away long-wearing makeup, excess sebum, and visible pollutants.

The addition of Padina Pavonica ensures your skin is left feeling fresh and nourished, while our signature blend of essential oils delivers a subtle yet invigorating aroma. No wonder it’s been voted the #1 Facial Cleanser in the UK* - Just like our Classic formula, Rose aromatic, and Green Fig variety, our most recent addition to the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm collection is free from mineral oils and features oh-so nourishing starflower oil, elderberry and Optimega™ to leave skin feeling soft and supple. Add our Pro-Collagen Black Cherry Cleansing Balm to your daily skincare routine.

Take a look at our Guide to Cleansing Balms for Oily Skin for a more in-depth look at how this type of cleanser can support oil-prone skin. 

For an invigorating double cleanse, follow with our Pro-Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser. This wash offers a deep cleanse to lift away excess oil and promote a clearer-looking complexion.

*Circana

The Best Toner For Oily Skin

After cleansing, a toner can help refine your skin’s texture while reducing shine. With soothing lavender at its core, our Balancing Lavender Toner is the ideal formula. It helps control excess oil flow and maintain your skin’s natural pH level without the use of alcohol or other harsh detergents.

It’s a great choice for balancing and softening, leaving your complexion feeling refreshed.

The Best Facial Oil For Oily Skin

Every ELEMIS oil is formulated for all skin types, but our Superfood Facial Oil is a nutrient-dense blend that is particularly good for controlling oily skin. It has a very lightweight texture that absorbs quickly without leaving any greasy residue. This formula is packed with antioxidant and omega-rich extracts of broccoli, flax seed, and daikon radish, which all promote a balanced, healthy-looking complexion with improved radiance.

The Best Moisturiser For Oily Skin

As we’ve explored, every oily skin routine should include an effective, lightweight moisturiser to help hydrate without clogging your pores.

Our favourite moisturisers for oily skin have to be our Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, which has a delightfully light gel-cream texture, and our vitamin-rich Superfood Day Cream. The former is deeply hydrating without being heavy, and the latter provides a boost of nutrients. Both are designed to nourish without blocking your pores.

The Best Night Cream For Oily Skin

Switch out your heavy-textured night cream for something more lightweight and targeted. Our Superfood Midnight Facial is a replenishing and reviving night cream that works to balance and hydrate as you sleep. Brimming with prebiotics, its gel-cream texture is light yet effective.

The best skincare routines for oily skin work with your complexion. By becoming more in tune with your skin type, you can reduce excess sebum and enjoy a more balanced and radiant look.

Explore the full ELEMIS range of products for oily skin and create a nourishing skincare routine that leaves your complexion looking and feeling fresh.