How to Build a Skincare Routine for Oily Skin: Our Esthetician Explains All
For those with oily skin, navigating the world of skincare can feel daunting, but with the right guidance, you can achieve clearer, healthier skin. From choosing the best cleansers and treatments to managing excess shine without stripping essential moisture, this guide dives into expert-recommended strategies and product recommendations to help you build a skincare routine that addresses oiliness effectively while promoting a glowing complexion. Whether you're new to skincare or want to improve your routine, this guide will help you embrace and enhance your skin's natural beauty.
Meet the Expert
- Lindsay Holdorf – resident esthetician for Dermstore
In This Article
Morning Skincare Routine for Oily Skin
Step 1: Cleanse
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser: This cleanser effectively removes excess oil and impurities without over drying the skin, helping to maintain a matte finish.
11 reviews
$22.99
Esthetician Tip: When using the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser, massage a small amount onto damp skin using gentle, circular motions. Focus on areas prone to oiliness, such as the T-zone, and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Avoid using hot water, as it can strip the skin of its natural oils and potentially exacerbate oil production.
Step 2: Tone
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner: formulated with niacinamide and antioxidants, this toner helps balance oil production, minimize pores, and improve skin texture. The niacinamide in the toner works synergistically with antioxidants to regulate sebum production and support a more balanced complexion. Incorporating this toner into your morning routine helps refine pores and enhance the overall texture of oily skin, promoting a smoother and more even skin tone throughout the day.
71 reviews
$26.00
Esthetician Tip: After cleansing, apply Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner to a cotton pad and gently sweep it across your face and neck. Allow the toner to absorb fully into the skin before applying subsequent skincare products.
Step 3: Serum
Allies of Skin Prebiotics Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster: combines the benefits of niacinamide with prebiotics to help effectively regulate sebum production, minimize the appearance of pores, and improve overall skin texture. Incorporating this serum into your morning routine provides a lightweight yet potent boost of niacinamide and prebiotics, helping to maintain a balanced complexion and promote healthier-looking skin throughout the day.
6 reviews
$75.00
Esthetician Tip: After cleansing and toning, dispense a pea-sized amount of the Allies of Skin Prebiotics Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster onto clean fingertips. Gently pat and press the serum into your skin, focusing on areas prone to excess oil and enlarged pores, such as the T-zone. Allow the serum to fully absorb before applying any additional skincare products to maximize its benefits.
Step 4: Moisturize
IMAGE Skincare CLEAR CELL Mattifying Moisturizer for Oily Skin: providing effective mattifying properties to control shine while delivering essential hydration without clogging pores. Its lightweight texture ensures comfortable wear throughout the day, while ingredients like salicylic acid help to clarify pores and prevent breakouts, promoting a clearer complexion.
1 reviews
$65.00
$79.00
Esthetician Tip: When applying the IMAGE Skincare CLEAR CELL Mattifying Moisturizer or the BIOEFFECT Hydrating Cream, gently massage a dime-sized amount onto the face and neck using upward strokes. Focus on areas prone to excess oil, such as the T-zone, while ensuring even coverage.
Step 5: Sun Protection
SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50: offering a matte finish and broad-spectrum coverage without clogging pores, ideal for oily and combination skin types.
178 reviews
$40.00
EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46: providing effective sun protection while helping to calm and protect sensitive or acne-prone skin with its lightweight, oil-free formulation.
5211 reviews
$43.00
Esthetician Tip: Ensure even coverage over all exposed areas of the face and neck, including ears and around the hairline. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, especially if outdoors or after swimming or sweating, to maintain optimal protection against UV damage.
Nighttime Skincare Routine for Oily Skin
Step 1: Cleanse
EltaMD Oil-in-Gel Cleanser: effectively cleanses without stripping, hydrates without adding excess oil, and prepares the skin for optimal absorption of nighttime skincare treatments. Its gentle formulation ensures thorough cleansing without stripping natural oils, while its hydrating properties avoid overloading the skin with additional oil.
6 reviews
$35.00
Esthetician Tip: Start by applying the Oil-in-Gel Cleanser to dry skin. Gently massage it onto your face and neck; the gel transforms into a silky oil, effectively removing water-resistant sunscreen, long-wear makeup, and daily pollution. Emulsify by adding water to create a milky texture, ensuring thorough cleansing. If you like double cleansing, use this product first, then follow up with a water-based cleanser (such as La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser above).
Step 2: Exfoliating Treatment
Paula's Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2 BHA Liquid Exfoliant: ideal for nighttime use on oily skin because its beta hydroxy acid (BHA) formulation effectively penetrates pores, removing excess oil, unclogging pores, and smoothing skin texture without causing irritation. Incorporate Paula's Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant into your nighttime routine for oily skin to help refine pores, control excess oil, and promote smoother, clearer skin texture.
856 reviews
$35.00
Esthetician Tip: Start with a once or twice a week application to minimize the risk of irritation.
Step 3: Retinoid
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Retinoid Acne Treatment: effectively targets acne, regulates oil production, and improves skin texture without clogging pores or causing irritation, thanks to its gentle yet potent adapalene formulation.
57 reviews
$35.99
Esthetician Tip: Introduce La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Retinoid Acne Treatment gradually into your nighttime routine for oily skin. Start with a pea-sized amount every other night to allow your skin to adjust to the potent adapalene formulation. Avoid using this product on the same nights you are using other exfoliants to further minimize irritation and dryness.
Step 4: Serum
Allies of Skin Prebiotics Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster: combines the benefits of niacinamide with prebiotics to help effectively regulate sebum production, minimize the appearance of pores, and improve overall skin texture.
6 reviews
$75.00
Esthetician Tip: Incorporate Allies of Skin Prebiotics Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster into your nighttime routine after exfoliating to maximize its pore-refining benefits. Niacinamide helps balance oil production and refine pores, while prebiotics support a healthy skin barrier, promoting a clearer and smoother complexion by morning.
Step 5: Moisturize
SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture: lightweight, oil-free formula that hydrates without greasiness, helps control shine, and supports skin health with antioxidants, all while remaining non-comedogenic to prevent pore congestion. It also provides antioxidant protection, crucial for supporting skin health, ensuring your skin feels refreshed and nourished come morning.
704 reviews
$78.00
Esthetician Tip: Use SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture as your final step in your skincare routine, especially at night, to maintain balanced hydration without feeling heavy or greasy.
Optional Step: Weekly Mask
PCA SKIN Purifying Mask: deeply cleanses and purifies pores, helping to reduce excess oil and prevent breakouts. Its blend of kaolin clay and botanical extracts absorbs impurities while calming irritated skin, promoting a clearer and smoother complexion over time.
37 reviews
$68.00
Esthetician Tip: Apply a thin, even layer to clean, dry skin. Allow the mask to dry completely, typically within 10-15 minutes, before gently rinsing off with lukewarm water. Use weekly to help control excess oil and minimize breakouts, ensuring your skin remains clear and balanced.
FAQs
What's the difference between a morning and nighttime skincare routine?
Developing a tailored skincare routine for oily skin means understanding its needs day and night. Mornings start with a gentle, foaming cleanser to cleanse without drying out skin. Use lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizers with mattifying properties to control shine. Opt for oil-free or matte sunscreens for UV protection. Nighttime focuses on repair with exfoliating salicylic acid or retinoids to unclog pores and regulate oil. Hydrating serums with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or niacinamide replenish moisture without clogging pores. Use oil-absorbing masks occasionally to manage excess oil. Customizing routines helps maintain a balanced, shine-free complexion.
What are the key ingredients in a skincare routine for oily skin?
For oily skin, focus on key ingredients like salicylic acid to clear pores and control oil, and niacinamide for its anti-inflammatory benefits and skin-smoothing effects day and night. Use lightweight, oil-free moisturizers with hyaluronic acid to hydrate without shine. During the day, opt for sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to protect and mattify. At night, retinoids help renew skin and prevent clogged pores, promoting a clearer complexion over time. These ingredients work together to balance oil, shrink pores, and keep skin looking matte and healthy all day.
The Bottom Line
Establishing a consistent skincare routine tailored to oily skin can effectively manage excess oil, prevent breakouts, and promote a balanced, healthy complexion with the right products and habits.
Esthetics has been a lifelong passion for Lindsay. Growing up as a dancer fueled her love of makeup and skin care from an early age, ultimately leading her to pursue esthetics school after college. In over five years of experience as a licensed esthetician, she cultivated a diverse skill set, from running her own makeup artistry business and working in a Forbes-listed resort spa, to collaborating with dermatologists and nurse practitioners in performing medical aesthetic treatments. Since then, she has joined the Dermstore team offering virtual consultation services and more to make skin care education easily accessible for everyone, no matter where they're located.
