Your Complete Guide to Oily Skin (and Exactly How to Balance it)
Main Image – Hindbouqartacha/Stocksy
Anyone who has an oily skin type will know the struggle is real. From religiously scanning labels for the term ‘oil-free’, to routinely mattifying your makeup mere minutes after first applying it, to treating inevitable breakouts on the regular. (Just me?)
So, fellow greasy skin sufferers, welcome to your complete guide to oily skin. Because whilst we may not be able to do anything about having an oily skin type, we sure as hell can try to understand it better in order to know how to treat it.
With expert tips from dermatologists Dr Hannah Kopelman and Dr Stefanie Williams here, you’ll find out everything you need to know about things like what oily skin actually is, what causes it, how to balance it out and how to adopt a solid skincare routine to help keep pesky oiliness at bay.
What is oily skin?
It’s exactly how it sounds, but why? “This skin type is characterised by an overproduction of sebum (natural skin oil) by the sebaceous glands (oil glands) that are located in the skin’s dermis and release the sebum onto the skin surface,” explains Dr Williams.
Dr Kopelman adds, “While some oil is necessary to keep the skin healthy, too much can lead to shine, clogged pores and breakouts.”
The signs showing you have oily skin
“Oily skin may appear shiny or greasy, especially in the T-zone, and pores may be visibly enlarged,” Dr Williams says. “This skin type can also be prone to open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), and inflamed acne lesions (ie spots/pimples).”
Dr Kopelman adds, “I often hear patients complain about their makeup slipping off or feeling greasy by midday.” Yup, I hear that.
You can detect signs in other ways too. “You are likely to tolerate foaming cleansers without irritation and even if you don’t apply a moisturiser after cleansing, your skin feels fine,” says Dr Williams.
What causes it?
It turns out, some of us have more active oil glands than others. “The main culprit is overactive sebaceous glands, which can be influenced by genetics, hormones, diet and even stress,” explains Dr Kopelman. “I always remind my patients that oily skin can fluctuate based on lifestyle and environmental factors.”
Dr Williams says it can depend on the weather and the environment around you too. “Living in warm, humid climates or during summer months can exacerbate oily skin,” she explains. “Urban air pollutants like particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone can also trigger increased sebum production.”
And finally, age is also a factor. “Oily skin is more prevalent in teenagers and young adults due to higher hormone levels during these years,” says Dr Williams. “Sebum production tends to decrease with age, especially after puberty and after the menopause.”
But Dr Kopelman says it can still happen to anyone. “I often see this skin type in teenagers and adults in their 20s, but it can persist into later years as well.”
Image – Lightfieldstudios/Adobe
Can you reduce oiliness?
There’s good news. “Yes, you can definitely manage it,” says Dr Kopelman. Hallelujah!
Whilst there are some strong retinoids like tretinoin, adapalene or trifarotene available on prescription for severe cases, Dr Williams says for the less severe, “over-the-counter retinoids, salicylic acid and other oil-regulating skincare ingredients can be a great alternative.”
But the key is not to go too far the other way. “I always tell my patients to focus on balancing the skin rather than stripping it,” says Dr Kopelman.
The best ingredients to balance oily skin
Dr Kopelman advises looking for niacinamide. “It is a personal favourite because it helps regulate oil production without drying out the skin,” she says. Additionally, “salicylic acid is great for exfoliating and keeping pores clear. I also recommend lightweight moisturisers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid to maintain hydration.”
Dr Williams reiterates her love for retinoids for oily skin. “They not only regulate excess oil production but also have multiple other benefits including repair of chronic sun damage, stimulation or collagen and elastin with improved skin elasticity and firmness, reduction of lines and wrinkles and evening out irregular pigmentation.”
The ingredients and product types to avoid
“Alcohol-based toners can be too harsh and may lead to over-drying which ironically makes your skin produce even more oil,” warns Dr Kopelman.
And whilst oily skin still needs moisture (believe it or not) an oil formula isn’t typically recommended for oily skin, nor anything else too heavy for that matter. “I always caution against heavy oils or comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil or certain silicones,” she explains.
Other oils to avoid include things like avocado oil, beeswax and jojoba oil, according to Dr Williams. “Facial oils are bad for breakout-prone, congested or oily skin, including those that are (supposedly) ‘especially suitable’,” she says.
“Rich moisturisers and emollients are often high in oils and other lipophilic ingredients, so anything that feels rich, thick, luxuriously creamy or even greasy should be avoided in oily skin.”
Dr Williams also says that you should be wary of oil-based serums too. “Some serums are water-based, and others are oil-based (and others yet are silicone based),” she explains.
“For example, there are water-based vitamin C serums, which are perfect for oily skin and there are oil-based vitamin C serums (containing a lipophilic type of vitamin C derivative). The latter should be avoided in oily skin as should silicone-based serums.”
Anything else? “Hydrating masks,” warns Dr Williams. Wait, what?! “They are essentially the same as super-rich moisturisers so should be avoided in oily skin. Most of them are just glorified moisturisers. And if you are on a balanced skincare regime, there should be no need for added hydrating masks anyway.” Noted.
Image – Irina/adobe
5 tips for creating your perfect oily skin routine
- Don’t over-cleanse: “Washing your face twice a day is enough,” says Dr Kopelman. “Overdoing it can strip your skin and lead to more oil production.” Dr Williams adds, “Avoid all creamy and oil cleansers as well as water-less cleansing and wet wipes.” And speaking of wet wipes, avoid using them on any skin type.
- Don’t skip the moisturiser: “Oily skin still needs hydration, so opt for lightweight, non-comedogenic products,” Dr Kopelman adds.
- But use the right moisturiser: “Using the correct type of moisturiser can make or break a skincare regime for oily skin,” warns Dr Williams. “Choose a lightweight, oil-and-silicone -free moisturiser.”
- Include salicylic acid: “[Use] a gentle exfoliant like salicylic acid to keep pores clear and prevent build-up,” Dr Kopelman says.
- Make active ingredients work for you: “Make sure your skincare products contain active ingredients that can help reduce excess oil production as well as keeping your pores clear,” advises Dr Williams. “Examples of these are retinoids, niacinamide, salicylic acid, AHAs and PHAs (the latter are gentler compared to AHAs).”
The takeaway
So you see? Oily skin doesn’t have to beat us!
With these tips you should be able to get on top of our slippery skin in no time. Don’t forget to include ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid in your regime and avoid things like oils, masks and silicones.
Hydrating face masks, rich, heavy moisturisers and oils are a no-no for oily skin as they can clog pores, and exfoliation is key for buffing and keeping them clear. In fact, anything with the word oil on the label should really be avoided, unless it says ‘oil-free’.
Overall though, think lightweight, non-comedogenic and oil-free and you’ll be on your way to better managed oily skin.
Meet the experts
Dr Stefanie Williams is a dermatologist and medical director of EUDELO Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing Clinic.
Dr Hannah Kopelman is a dermatologist and has completed two clinical fellowships in dermatology and hair loss from Columbia University and skin cancer from Boston University. She is also extremely active on Youtube, Instagram, TikTok and has a weekly dermatology podcast called Derm Club.
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