Did you know that people who have Oily Skin tend to have fewer wrinkles?

As long as you understand what causes oily skin and the ingredients that work best with your skin type, you can learn control the shine and manage breakouts.

How to tell you have Oily Skin

You can check out this post which will explain the different skin types and how you can determine which one you are.

Or, you can just check if any of the below sounds like you…

  • Your skin seems to have a shiny glow, especially during mid-day.
  • You always have blotting sheets or mattifying power in your makeup bag.
  • You struggle with makeup because it doesn’t stay put
  • You experience occasional to frequent breakouts.

…you are probably an Oily Skin Type.

Common Myths about Oily Skin

Oil needs to be to be “banished” or “dried up” – in fact, the more you try to cover up the oil and shine to dry up your skin, the more sebum (sebum is just another word for oil) your skin will want to produce.

Oily Skin is Acne-Prone Skin – just because you have Oily Skin doesn’t necessarily mean you definitely have acne. Oily Skin is a skin type, whereas acne is a skin concern. People with dry skin and combination skin can also experience acne. The frequency that Oily Skin type people may experience acne and breakouts may be higher, due to higher sebum production.

Oily Skin does not need moisturizer – this one definitely needs to be addressed. Oily Skin needs moisturizer just as much as Dry Skin – you’ll see why below.

What causes Oily Skin?

Remember what I said in this post about understanding your skin and everything ties back to genetics? Understanding this can help us figure out why your skin is oily:

When genes function like it’s supposed to, they help regulate signals in your body. When it doesn’t, your body may end up sending too little or too much of a particular signal.

Your skin goes into oil over-production mode because it thinks you don’t have enough moisture on your face and is sending a signal for your body to produce more.

What products can I use for oily skin?

The key thing to keep oily skin in check is balance – meaning you want your skin to have just the right amount of oils and moisture so that it doesn’t think you need to produce more or less. You are Goldilocks in search of “just right” skin.

To achieve that perfect balance that your skin needs, you’ll want to keep it hydrated and happy to prevent it from going into oil production overdrive.

Essential Products For Oily Skin Care Routine

Consider adding the following items in your routine:

  1. Cleanser: a mild, pH balanced cleanser will work best for Oily Skin types. After you wash your face, you want it to feel normal, not tight or oily. If it feels too squeaky clean, it might have dried out your skin too much.
  2. Toner: look for a lightweight, hydrating toner that is free of alcohol.
  3. Treatment: A targeted treatment depending on your skin concern can be added before your moisturizer. Targeted treatments can address acne, dark spots, wrinkles, and the such.
  4. Moisturizer: Look for oil free gel-cream formulas to lock in the hydration and keep it
  5. Sunscreen: Finally, sunscreen is a must have no matter what type of skin you have. Look to this post for specific sunscreen recommendations.
  6. Primer: If you’ve ever wondered why makeup doesn’t tend to last throughout the day for you, it may be because of your oily skin type. Here’s a good way of thinking about it: Oil helps to break down makeup – it’s why a lot of makeup removers are oil based. Primers help prevent this from happening by creating a protective layer in between your skin and your makeup, helping your makeup last longer.

Related: If you’re looking for great treatments for Oily Skin, budget-friendly skincare The Ordinary offers some great options. The problem with The Ordinary is that it can be confusing and difficult to shop. This post explains all of the best options for Oily Skin from The Ordinary.

What to look for when shopping for products for Oily Skin types

Key phrases to look for when shopping for your Oily Skin type:

  • Hydrating, lightweight
  • Water, aqua, gel, gel-cream
  • Oil-free, alcohol free, sebum-free
  • Non-comedogenic (means it will not clog your pores)
  • Stay away from: mineral oil, petrolatum, alcohol

A note about mattifying: Mattifying products, when used sparingly, can help control the look of oil and shine.

What you don’t want to do is cake on mattifying products to the point where it sucks up the hydration that you worked so hard to build in your skincare routine. If you take care of your skin and keep it satsfied and hydrated, you should not need to use too many mattifying products.

Next: The best foundations for Oily Skin

To help makeup last longer, you need to pick the right foundation for your Oily Skin type.

This post will break down the 19 best foundations for people with Oily Skin. There are foundation options for every budget and every need – including the best-all around foundation that 5 beauty editors agreed on. Don’t miss it!