Suffer no longer! We’re tackling which ingredients will gel with your skin type.
Living with oily skin can be an eternal struggle. When you’re a teen, you have to deal with acne, so you made it a habit to never put any kind of cream on your face that could trigger a breakout. But then, suddenly, you’re in your mid-twenties and start to see some fine lines drawing their way on your forehead. Yet, you’re still scared to put anything on your skin lest it flares up another breakout.
As you can see, there is no surprise in finding out that people with oily skin are searching like crazy for that “miracle formula” that helps you to prevent and revert signs of aging without bringing acne back to their faces. Don’t worry, we’re here to clear your confusion.
Skincare Ingredients to Add to Your Routine if You Have Oily Skin
According to Joshua Zeichner, the director of clinical and cosmetic surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, those with oily skin want to look for products that will help minimize the appearance of pores. “Products with alpha and beta hydroxyacids are the best because they exfoliate dead cells and remove excess oil from the skin,” he says. Adding a toner that combines both these acids, like Some By Mi’s AHA-BHA-PHA 30Days Miracle Toner, is a smart choice.
He also suggests adding a clay-based mask to your routine to “help with radiance and to remove oil and impurities from the skin.” If you’re looking for a great clay mask, you can’t go wrong with RE:P Bio Fresh Mask with Real Calming Herb—it also soothes irritation and redness plus, moisturizes your skin while pulling out impurities.
Rebecca Tung, a dermatologist in La Grange Park, Illinois, adds that finding products with vitamin C will help those with oily skin ward off aging. “Vitamin C-containing products can help lift unwanted pigmentation. Plus, they are non-acnegenic and can help minimize pores,” says Tung. “They can minimize oil and acne, do a nice job with exfoliation, and reduce fine lines and lighten up hyperpigmentation.” For a vitamin C-packed product, we love the Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum. It has a 5% concentration of vitamin C to moisturize and brighten skin.
Tung also recommends her patients to use retinols, since they work to prevent aging and keep things less oily. “On top of reducing oil production, retinols can reverse the signs of aging and sun damage, like brown spots and fine wrinkling,” she says. Saturday Skin’s Yuzu Vitamin C Sleep Mask is a wrinkle-busting and smoothing overnight mask enriched with retinol and vitamin C.
Skincare Ingredients to Avoid if You Have Oily Skin
Zeichner recommends for those with oily skin to stay away from certain antioxidants. “Vitamin E is oil soluble and may weigh the skin down,” explains Zeichner. “If you have oily skin, stick to a vitamin C option without vitamin E since vitamin C is water soluble, light, and won’t cause breakouts.”
+ Have some skin care questions about oily skin yourself? Share them in the comments below!
