The Best Skin Care for Oily Skin, According to Dermatologists (2024)

Want a balanced complexion that’s all glow and none of the grease? The best skin care for oily skin might be a good place to start if you’re looking to regulate sebum production and keep excess shine at bay with derm-approved products. Beyond the usual face washes and toners that cleanse, tone and gently exfoliate, you’ll also find face masks and treatments designed to replenish skin while keeping the pores congestion-free. Ahead, an edit of the best skin-care products for oily skin, according to dermatologists and Vogue editors.

Our Top Picks

• Best Cleanser for Oily Skin: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, $19
• Best Toner for Oily Skin: Murad Clarifying Toner, $30
• Best Serum for Oily Skin: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum, $6
• Best Retinol for Oily Skin: Lalais The Retinol Renewal, $125
• Best Moisturizer for Oily Skin: Tatcha The Water Cream, $72
• Best Face Mask for Oily Skin: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Shine Control Face Mask, $22
• Best Sunscreen for Oily Skin: EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, $43
• Best for Excess Shine: Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops, $32

In this Article

• Why does someone have oily skin?
• How to Control Oily Skin
• What is the best skincare routine for oily skin?
• What Ingredients to Look for to Control Oily Skin
• Meet the Experts

Best Cleanser for Oily Skin: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

• Why we love it: CeraVe’s gentle cleanser balances out oily skin without stripping away necessary moisture via a co*cktail of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides. Setting the stage for efficacious serums, treatments, and moisturizers, its foamy texture makes for an ultra-refreshing wash.
• Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide
• Size: 12 oz

Best Toner for Oily Skin: Murad Clarifying Toner

• Why we love it: Murad’s dermatologist-developed toner provides skin with a lovely midday refresh. It balances oily complexions by tamping down sebum production, while witch hazel in the formula gives pores a tighter, smoother look in seconds.
• Key Ingredients: Witch hazel, grape seed extract, vitamin E, algae extract
• Size: 6 oz

Best Vitamin C for Oily Skin: SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF

• Why we love it: Formulated for oily and blemish-prone skin, the oil-free vitamin C serum can visibly reduces shine while boosting clarity. The oil-free version of its Vogue Verified counterpart, this one provides powerful antioxidant protection while limiting oil production and reducing breakouts through a potent blend of l-ascorbic acid, silymarin, ferulic acid, and salicylic acid. Dr. Corey L. Hartman, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, told Vogue previously that he’s a fan of this product for an everyday routine.
• Key Ingredients: L-ascorbic acid, silymarin, ferulic acid, salicylic acid
• Size: 1 fl oz

Best Serum for Oily Skin: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum

• Why we love it: In serum form, niacinamide is a worthwhile addition to any oily skin regimen as it boasts anti-inflammatory properties and can control oil production. Of the best options out there, The Ordinary’s formula is fueled by 10% niacinamide plus 1% zinc to boosts brightness and smoothness in eight weeks.
• Key Ingredients: 10% Niacinamide, 1% zinc
• Size: 1 oz

Best Retinol for Oily Skin: Lalais The Retinol Renewal

• Why we love it: Lalai’s entire lineup is designed to treat oily skin with gentle formulations that don’t include harsh actives. Its Retinol Renewal serum is our favorite of the bunch—packed with retinoids, bakuchiol, peptides, and more to clear skin congestion and smooth fine lines. When used multiple times a week, it gives oily and aging skin a fresh, rejuvenated glow.
• Key Ingredients: Oil Control Complex (OCC3), naturally encapsulated pure retinol, granactive retinoid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, anti-aging peptides
• Size: 0.5 fl oz

Best Moisturizer for Oily Skin: Tatcha The Water Cream

• Why we love it: Let’s set the record straight: Oily skin still needs hydration to thrive. You just need weightless moisture that sinks into skin without exacerbating shine—a feat that Tatcha’s The Water Cream achieves with ease. The formula whips ingredients like Tatcha’s Hadasei-3 complex and Japanese leopard lily into a silky, oil-free cream that refines the look of pores to reveal a smooth, glowing complexion.
• Key Ingredients: Japanese wild rose, Japanese leopard lily, Tatcha’s Hadasei-3 complex (green tea, rice, and algae)
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best Night Cream for Oily Skin: Caudalie Premier Cru

• Why we love it: Anyone partial to the French pharmacy approach to skin care will love Caudalie’s Premier Cru. Designed to tackle eight signs of aging from dark spots to fine lines, this blends the brand’s patented TET8 with tightening sugars and hyaluronic acid to treat skin overnight without feeling too heavy or rich.
• Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, tightening sugars, TET8, Viniferine
• Size: 1.6 oz

Best Exfoliant for Oily Skin: Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment

• Why we love it: Sunday Riley's Good Genes cult-favorite serum draws on alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate the skin for a dewy, fresh glow. Licorice, lemongrass, arnica, prickly pear extract, and aloe are featured too, in an effort to balance out the potent actives. Previously recommended by celebrity facialist Angela Caglia and often-used by Vogue beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden, this is one of those formulas nearly impossible not to like.
• Key Ingredients: Purified lactic acid, licorice and lemongrass, prickly pear extract
• Size: 1.7 fl oz

Best Face Mask for Oily Skin: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Shine Control Face Mask

• Why we love it: Face masks are the ultimate skin care pick-me-ups. Got a rogue breakout? Find something packed with salicylic acid to reduce zits. Need to be photo ready? Opt for something with firming and radiance benefits. Someone with oily skin, on the other hand, could appreciate something with shine control like this La Roche-Posay mask. Part of the brand’s Effaclar collection, this clay mask treats acne- and oil-prone skin types through kaolin, glycerin, and vitamin B5 to reveal matte, purified skin following a five minute treatment.
• Key Ingredients: Kaolin, glycerin, vitamin B5
• Size: 100 ml

Best Sunscreen for Oily Skin: Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46

• Why we love it: Most dermatologists I know endorse EltaMD's UV Clear, including Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose who has told Vogue previously that she “frequently recommends UV Clear to [her] acne-prone or oily skin patients for excellent sun protection that won’t promote breakouts.” Why? This sunscreen is non-comedogenic, and features lactic acid and niacinamide for anti-inflammatory and oil production benefits. Plus, it reveals a white cast-free, natural finish perfect for summertime.
• Key Ingredients: Zinc oxide 9%, octinoxate 7.5%, lactic acid, niacinamide
• Size: 1.7 oz

Best for Dark Spots: Naturium Tranexamic Acid

• Why we love it: Say your oily skin leads you to blemishes which turn into dark spots, and you’re looking to treat post-acne hyperpigmentation. Give Naturium's plant-powered serum a go. Though it rings in at just $20, it features an intelligent blend of the market’s best skin tone evening agents like niacinamide, tranexamic and kojic acid to fade discoloration and refine skin texture with ease.
• Key Ingredients: Tranexamic acid, kojic acid, niacinamide, licorice root extract
• Size: 1 fl oz

Best for Excess Shine: Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops

• Why we love it: While reducing excess oil and giving the skin a soft-focus glow, Glow Recipe’s TikTok-famous drops provide a silky smooth makeup base or, as the brand dubs it “satin-pillow skin.” It does so via encapsulated BHA and strawberry enzymes to shrink pore size over time, plus a plant-derived pore minimizer and strawberry leaf extract for mattifying benefits.
• Key Ingredients: Tapioca and rice, encapsulated BHA and strawberry enzyme, plant-derived pore minimizer and strawberry leaf extract
• Size: 1 fl oz

Best Lotion for Oily Skin: La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion

• Why we love it: When skin is feeling extra oily or you plan to layer on the products, you may want to forgo a face moisturizer in favor of a lightweight lotion. La Prairie’s is a personal favorite which drenches skin in hydration, flooding it with 100% active caviar water that lifts and tones while blurring out the appearance of pores. Use after toner and follow with your favorite serum or whatever your skin craves that day.
• Key Ingredients: Caviar water
• Size: 5 oz

Best Peel for Oily Skin: Skin Design London Clear Skin Peel

• Why we love it: Skin Design London’s Clear Skin Peel is another one of Murden’s favorite oily skin treatments for its ability to clear skin congestion in a matter of minutes. Featuring a co*cktail of potent ingredients like BHA, niacinamide, and doic acid similar to that of a professional treatment, this whisks away excess oil to give the complexion a beautifully blurred finish.
• Key Ingredients: Dioic acid, niacinamide, salicylic acid, magnolia grandiflora bark extract
• Size: 1 fl oz

Best Face Scrub for Oily Skin: Lancer The Method Polish

• Why we love it: Sometimes you just need a good face scrub to remove excess gunk from your pores and wake up dull skin. Here, in Lancer’s The Method Polish, enzymes and physical exfoliants sync up to reveal a softer, dewier complexion. All the while, the retexturizing treatment speeds up cell turnover to reduce the appearance of fine lines in four weeks.
• Key Ingredients: Pumpkin and pomegranate enzymes, magnesium crystals, lilac stem cells, salicylic acid
• Size: 4.2 oz

Best Hyaluronic Acid for Oily Skin: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum

• Why we love it: To make hyaluronic acid work for oily skin, it should offer the moisturizing agent in a satin-y, sink-right-in texture—like La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5. Equal parts hydrating, soothing, and nourishing, the French-pharmacy classic restores bouncy volume to the skin while smoothing out fine lines courtesy of pure hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, madecassoside.
• Key Ingredients: Pure hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, madecassoside
• Size: 1.69 fl oz

Why does someone have oily skin?

“Oily skin is a skin type that is often genetic, but at times can be influenced by other factors,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf. “Hormonal fluctuations, stress, your skincare routine, dehydration, and time of year can all make skin more susceptible to oiliness.” She adds that oily skin can be more prevalent during hot and humid months, and in some instances, can also experience an increase in oil production during “pregnancy, post-partum, and menopause.”

How to control oily skin

“To control oily skin, I recommend using a BHA like salicylic acid, which can penetrate pores to exfoliate excess sebum buildup, keeping oil buildup at bay,” Graf says. “I also recommend keeping skin hydrated, because when skin becomes dehydrated it will overcompensate and produce more oil. Finally, you can incorporate oil- production-controlling ingredients into your skincare routine and use lightweight products.”

What is the best skin-care routine for oily skin?

“To build a routine for oily skin, I would recommend finding a cleanser with salicylic acid and AHAs to help gently exfoliate the skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo. “Next, I’d recommend some sort of peel or toner to rebalance the skin and minimize the look of pores. To finish off the routine, look for gel-based [moisturizers] rather than lotion-based as gels won’t add any extra oils to the skin. Also look for products with hyaluronic acid as this is great in aiding in hydration, without feeling heavy.”

What ingredients to look for to control oily skin

When selecting skincare, “The best ingredients to look for if you have oily skin are salicylic acid and AHAs,” says Lupo. “It’s also important to avoid oils, and to look for emollients like hyaluronic acid in hydration products.” Graf recommends toners with salicylic acid, and encourages patients with oily skin to use vitamin C and niacinamide treatments in the morning. Her pick for night: retinol.

Meet the Experts

• Dr. Mary Lupo is a board-certified dermatologist and expert injector based in New Orleans.
• Dr. Jeannette Graf is a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
• Dr. Corey L. Hartman is board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama.