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Are you sick of feeling like a greaseball by noon, no matter how much you wash your face? Fear not, because we’ve got the scoop on the 10 best face washes for oily skin in 2023! Say goodbye to shine, clogged pores, and breakouts, and hello to a fresh, matte complexion that lasts all day long. From gentle foaming washes to solid face cleansers, we’ve rounded up the ultimate lineup of products that leave your skin feeling clean, balanced, and oh-so-refreshed. So get ready to find your new favorite face wash!
What causes oily skin?
Sometimes oily skin is unavoidable—either you’re born with it, or it’s caused by something that you can’t control. However, occasionally it might be in response to environmental factors, in which case you might be able to improve it. Here are some of the main causes of oily skin:
- Overactive sebaceous glands (which are usually a genetic trait) cause oily skin by producing more sebum than is required.
- Hormonal changes are among the main culprits of oily skin. We all know that puberty can make you more prone to pimples, but other stages of life can lead to increase in oil production too. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, around your period, and during menopause can also be to blame.
- Have you ever noticed you’re more prone to breakouts in summer? This is because hot and humid weather can cause the skin to produce more oil. The extra bacteria from the sweat doesn’t help either!
- Some skin care products can clog the pores and lead to excess oil production. Sunscreen is a big cause of this, as are heavy moisturizers and foundations.
- Some medications can cause an increase in oil production, including steroids and the birth control pill. If you’re noticing an increase in oil production on your skin, it’s worthwhile checking if any new medications might be to blame.
What are the challenges of oily skin?
While every skin type comes with its own challenges, oily skin is certainly no walk in the park. Some of the challenges unique to oily skin include:
- If you’re a makeup lover, it can be hard to keep your foundation, blush, and eyeshadow in place when you have oily skin. Sometimes it feels like the makeup just slides straight off your face!
- Unfortunately, oily skin is often accompanied by acne and breakouts owing to all that excess sebum clogging up your pores.
- Finding skin care and makeup products that work for oily skin can be a real challenge. Many products are too heavy or greasy, which can lead to even more oil production. Products designed for oily skin can often be stripping and drying, which conversely leads to more oil production. It’s like you just can’t win!
- Finally, let’s not forget about the emotional toll that oily skin can take. It’s hard not to feel self-conscious when you’re constantly worried about your skin looking shiny or breaking out.
What to look for in a face wash for oily skin?
If you’re struggling with oily skin, choosing the right face wash can make a world of difference. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for the perfect product:
- First and foremost, look for a face wash that’s specifically designed for oily skin and is oil-free. When you already have excess oil on your face, you don’t want to be adding in more!
- Salicylic acid is a miracle ingredient for oily skin. It helps unclog pores and exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving your skin looking fresh and blemish-free.
- While you want a face wash that’s tough on oil, you don’t want one that will strip your skin of all its natural moisture—this can conversely lead to more oil production! Look for a product that’s gentle yet effective and won’t leave your skin feeling tight or dry.
- Check out whether the face wash is non-comedogenic. This means that it won’t clog your pores, which can lead to breakouts and acne.
- Oily skin can be sensitive and prone to redness, so look for a face wash that contains calming ingredients like chamomile, aloe vera, or green tea.
- Clay is an excellent ingredient to look for in a face wash for oily skin. Bentonite is a unique type of absorbent clay that helps dry up excess oil. Other types of clay are also effective.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to find a face wash that’s perfect for your oily skin. Read on to find our top picks for a face wash that will help to get your oily skin under control!
1. Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser
Look, we know that trying to find the perfect face wash when you have oily skin can be a daunting task. Sometimes it might feel as if you’ve tried every product on the market searching for something to get your oil under control. But look no further because Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser is here to solve all your skin care woes!
This volcanic ash face cleanser is specially formulated to deep clean your face without stripping it of essential oils. This daily face wash helps remove dirt, excess oil, and impurities from your skin while balancing its pH levels.
What sets this face wash apart is its unique blend of powerful ingredients. The volcanic ash (bentonite) is known for its absorbent properties, making it effective in removing excess oil from the skin—perfect when you struggle with excess oil production. It also helps to remove impurities and tighten pores, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and renewed.
Another star ingredient is the lactobacillus ferment filtrate, which has been shown to support the skin’s microbiome and strengthen its ability to defend against environmental stressors. This makes your skin less prone to breakouts thanks to your microbiome being able to protect you from unwanted bacteria.
And let’s not forget about the pomegranate seed oil, which is loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as omega fatty acids. This potent ingredient provides regenerative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging benefits for your skin.
But that’s not all! The face wash comes in three delightful scents—classic, coconut apricot, and fragrance-free—so you can choose the one that suits your preference. If your skin is particularly sensitive, we recommend the fragrance-free option.
To use, simply apply a dime-sized amount of the cleanser to your face, gently scrub in a circular motion, and rinse off for a deep, satisfying clean. With all these benefits, it’s no wonder that Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser is our top pick for the best face washes for oily skin in 2023. Give it a try and see the difference for yourself!
2. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser
You can’t go wrong with Kiehl’s—it’s among the most respected and trusted brands in the skin care industry for a reason! This oil-free cleanser is no exception—it does exactly what it says on the packet. Specifically formulated with oily skin in mind, the lightly foaming cleanser washes away dirt, oil, and other impurities, leaving your skin feeling clean and balanced. But don’t worry, it won’t leave your face with that overly dry, tight feeling that some oil-free cleansers do. This product is designed not to strip or over dry your skin.
The ingredients are the real stars of this product. It contains desert plant extracts and lemon fruit extracts, both of which are known to naturally reduce excess oil in the skin. The desert plant extract even helps your skin to retain moisture more efficiently, meaning the extract prevents that unpleasant dry feeling throughout the day.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser is made without parabens, oil, sulfates, fragrance, or any other of those nasty ingredients, making it a great option for people with sensitive skin.
In fact, it’s gentle and safe enough to use twice a day, both morning and night. This is especially important for oily skin, which needs regular cleansing so that your pores don’t get clogged.
3. Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam
Another face wash from a tried and true brand that has a great reputation! Clinique’s Anti-Blemish Solutions Cleansing Foam is a great option for people struggling with oily skin. This product is made by dermatologists and is designed to soothe oily skin while clearing your pores of excess oil, sebum, and debris.
This product contains the star ingredient—salicylic acid—which is an essential ingredient when trying to get on top of your oily skin. This beta-hydroxy acid is designed to penetrate your pores, enabling a deeper clean.
As oily skin is often also sensitive, it’s important to ensure that any face wash you use isn’t going to cause inflammation. This product is fragrance-free and alcohol free, which means it avoids drying and irritating your skin.
This product is also proven to be effective—when used in conjunction with other Clinique products as a part of their patented Clear Skin System the appearance of blemishes is reduced by 36%.
Thanks to its gentle formula, you can use Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution Cleansing Foam both day and night as part of your regular skin care routine, without worrying that it will damage or dry out your skin.
4. skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash
If you’re looking to splurge a little in your search for the best face wash for oily skin, consider trying skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash. It may not be the most budget-friendly option on our list, but it’s definitely effective. This hydrating, foaming cleanser works to remove oil and impurities from your skin without stripping your face of its natural oils.
The ingredients are what really sets this product apart. As the name indicates, it contains a blend of Icelandic glacier water, which features six essential minerals. These minerals work in tandem to detoxify the skin and improve your circulation, leaving your face with a healthy, youthful glow. To target oily skin, the cleanser contains Icelandic kelp, which not only revitalizes the skin, it targets inflammation, something that’s known to be a problem with oily skin types. Another star ingredient is willow bark, which reduces breakouts and clogged pores as well as soothes any irritation on your skin.
Now, it can be common for facial cleansers aimed at oily skin to end up going too far in the other direction and causing dryness. That isn’t something you need to worry about with skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash. It’s formulated to be a balanced cleanser, which leaves your skin perfectly clean and balanced, without that tight, dry feeling that some cleansers have.
If your skin is sensitive to certain ingredients, no need to worry. This cleanser is made without parabens, silicones, or fragrance. It’s also certified vegan!
This cleanser is gentle enough to be part of your everyday skin routine. Simply dispense some product into damp hands and rub them together to form a lather before massaging it into your face and rinsing. Your skin will feel better than ever, and you won’t regret the price tag for a moment!
5. Ethique Deep Green Face Cleanser
Solid face cleansers are having a moment, thanks to their plastic-free packaging and natural ingredients. This offering from Ethique is gentle yet effective, and did we mention that it smells absolutely amazing?
The beauty of this cleansing bar is that it doesn’t strip your face of all your natural oils, meaning that you finish your morning routine with your skin feeling clean and fresh instead of dry and irritated.
The natural ingredients are really what makes this product unique—first and foremost the French clay. This ingredient is known for its ability to cleanse away excess oil and impurities, which makes it ideal for oily skin types. The sea salt in the bar also helps to reduce oil. It works by absorbing excess oil on your face and reducing unwanted shine.
When it comes to cleansing properties, you can’t beat castor oil. Castor oil is completely non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores, and it is excellent at removing impurities from the skin. Lastly, sweet orange oil is not just used for its delicious scent! This essential oil brightens and freshens the complexion, which is especially helpful for people with oil-prone skin.
The bar format is convenient, especially when it comes to travel. And did you know that a single bar can be used up to 120 times before running out? It’s easily gentle enough to be used twice a day as part of your regular facial cleansing. If you’re new to cleansing bars, don’t be put off—they’re incredibly easy to use. Simply rub the bar between your hands to transfer some lather onto them, then rub that lather gently over your face.
One other benefit is that you can feel smug about saving the environment by choosing a plastic-free alternative to a liquid facial cleanser. Win–win!
6. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser
Some brands don’t need an introduction, and La Roche-Posay is one of them. This brand is famous for its simple, effective, and affordable skin care solutions, and the Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser is a perfect example. The foaming formula gently yet effectively removes dirt and impurities from your skin, leaving your face feeling bright, shining, and fresh.
This product is specifically designed for oily, acne-prone skin and it really shows—just a few days of using this product and you’ll start to see a difference. It’s formulated to cleanse without causing irritation, which is especially important for sensitive skin.
A key ingredient in the formula is its soothing thermal spring water. This, combined with the carefully crafted pH level of 5.5, means that it respects your skin’s natural balance.
As with all La Roche-Posay products, this cleanser is tested by dermatologists to ensure it’s safe for sensitive skin, and is so gentle it can even be used if your skin is classified as hypersensitive or if you have skin allergies.
This cleanser can be used daily as part of your regular routine, and is also a great option to use in place of a makeup remover. It effectively removes any makeup residue from your pores without causing irritation.
7. Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser
If you’re looking for a cleanser that’s as good at soothing inflammation as it is at removing oil, then Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser is the right product for you! Formulated with aloe vera, this cleanser works to soothe and calm skin that’s stressed and irritated from the tolls of everyday life. As well as the aloe vera, this face wash contains calamine, a mixture of zinc oxide and iron oxide. This product has been used throughout history in skin care products thanks to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
The salicylic acid takes care of the excess oil, exfoliating deep inside your pores to remove bacteria and sebum. This not only removes oil from your face, but also prevents future outbreaks and pore congestion by clearing debris and bacteria from your pores.
This cleanser is so gentle it can be used daily. Just remember to avoid the super sensitive eye area when applying. With regular use, you’ll find that your oily skin is looking better than ever, and is even less acne prone.
Lastly, if cruelty to animals is an issue that matters to you, you’ll be pleased to know this cleanser is completely vegan and doesn’t contain any animal products. Not only can you get on top of your oily skin, you can do it with a clear conscience!
8. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser
This cleanser is another one that’s a bit of a splurge, but we think it’s worth it! It’s suitable for both oily and combination skin types, so whether your skin is oily all over or just on the T zone, this product is right for you.
A wide array of natural ingredients is what gives this cleanser its edge. First up we have sage leaf, a powerful antioxidant that helps to cleanse your skin thoroughly. The lemon is added to clarify your skin while improving the texture and tone. Lastly, the sweet cherry extract in this cleanser is rich in phytonutrients and vitamins, which allows the cleanser to fight free radicals, which damage your skin.
With all of these amazing ingredients, it’s no wonder this cleanser smells absolutely amazing! In fact, it would be worth the price tag for the smell alone! However, the results will speak for themselves if you try this cleanser. You’ll find that your skin is hydrated but not oily, clearer, brighter, and more evenly toned. You’ll also find that your skin breaks out far less frequently once you start using this cleanser.
You’ll be glad to know that Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser doesn’t contain any hidden nasties that can damage your skin; it’s free of parabens, petroliam, silicones, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and dyes, as well as being 100% cruelty-free.
9. REN Clean Skincare Clarimatte™ T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel
This face wash is another great candidate for our list of the best cleansers for oily skin in 2023. Made specifically with oily skin types in mind, it helps balance excess sebum, reduces the size of your pores and makes your face appear less shiny.
Despite its effective cleansing properties, it won’t strip your skin of its natural oils or leave it feeling uncomfortably dry or tight thanks largely to its use of natural ingredients. This cleanser uses oat amino acids as its main cleansing agent, which allows it to clean your skin gently but effectively.
The addition of willow bark extract has been shown to shrink pores thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, leaving your skin smooth and perfect. If you’re prone to breakouts caused by excess oil, don’t despair! The mayblossom extract in REN Clean Skincare Clarimatte™ T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel helps keep the skin clear of breakouts. This product isn’t just a treat for the skin, the addition of blue cypress essential oil is like free aromatherapy, soothing the senses and relaxing the mind.
This cleanser is made without alcohol, parabens, oil, phthalates, sulfates, gluten, or silicones, so you can feel confident that what you’re putting on your face is good for you. Perfect for everyday use, this product is ideal as the first step in a skin care routine to help prepare the skin for subsequent products.
10. First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser With Red Clay
When you first squeeze this product out of the tube, don’t be alarmed! Despite its jewel-bright red appearance, it won’t stain your face! The color is from the red clay, which is famous for its ability to absorb excess oil from the skin—perfect for people who are prone to excess oil.
Although this product is last on our list, it’s definitely not least—and it’s certainly unique! A great advantage of the bright color is that it’s easy to see exactly where you’ve used the product, so you can ensure you don’t miss a single inch of your face with this amazing cleanser.
As well as the red clay, this face wash includes rosemary leaf oil, which has antibacterial properties that can help prevent blemishes and promote a clearer complexion. This is particularly good for people with oil-prone skin, as oily skin often goes hand in hand with a propensity for blemishes.
We’ve already talked about how one danger of a face wash designed for oily skin is that it can be too drying. The formula created by First Aid Beauty combats this with glycerin, a humectant that helps hydrate and smooth the skin without leaving it feeling stripped or dry. It leaves the skin feeling thoroughly cleansed, supple, and pure without leaving any residue behind.
First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser With Red Clay is free from a wide range of potential irritants, including parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, mineral oil, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and more. It’s also cruelty-free, which is becoming increasingly important for consumers.
The takeaway
We know that having oil-prone skin is challenging, but the products listed above are a great starting point. From the superb Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser to the shockingly red First Aid Beauty Skin Deep Cleanser With Red Clay and everything in between, this list has something for everyone.
And remember, if you try a product off this list and it doesn’t work for your skin, don’t despair! Not every product works for everyone. Just because something is formulated for oily skin, doesn’t mean it will necessarily suit your oily skin.
So don’t be afraid to experiment and try out a few products before you find the one that fits you. We promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Not done shopping? Explore more of our favorite finds below:
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