People with oily skin notice that they tend to have more greasy skin, with larger pores, rougher skin texture, and a higher propensity to break out than other skin types. Despite these tendencies, oily skin when taken care of appropriately can be clear and glowing. This post will serve as a step by step guide to helping you create the best skincare routine for oily skin and keep those oils under control.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea or something …and let’s dive in

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THE BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN

When you have oily skin, It may seem like it is absolutely impossible to get your oil production under control and keep your pores from getting clogged. I feel you.

For the longest time, I struggled to get a skincare routine that was simple, not burdensome, and actually got my skin to act right without drying out my skin and irritating my skin barrier.

It took a lot of trial and error which lead to my skin becoming overly sensitive as a result of damage to my skin

Thankfully though I got the rhythm, and I will be sharing it with you guys today.

I made a blog post on what the skin barrier is, how to protect it and how to repair yours if you are dealing with a damaged skin barrier

Related: Skin Barrier Function- How to repair a damaged skin barrier

              3 Really Simple ways to determine your skin type.

 

A simple skincare routine can be divided into two

• A morning skincare routine
• An evening skin care routine

 

MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN

Your morning skincare routine when compared to how you care for your skin at night, should be more simple and straight forward.

And in reality, the vast majority of people don’t have the time for an elaborate skincare routine in the mornings. That being said, we still need a simple rock solid skincare routine to kick start the day

Why do you need a morning routine?

A morning skincare routine serves the following purposes

• Cleanses the skin
• Hydrates the skin
• Protects the skin from the ultraviolet rays of the sun 
• Gives the skin a fresh start for the day ahead

 

1. Cleansing

Though other skin types may be able to get away with skipping cleansing in the mornings, with oily skin, cleansing in the mornings is essential. This rids the skin of the dirt that might have settled on the skin in the course of the night. It also removes leftover skincare products from the previous night.

Use a mild water-based cleanser that is low pH. This ensures  you are not stripping your skin of its essential natural oils and disrupting the skin barrier

If you’re acne-prone as well, then opt for cleansers with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide

Salicylic acid helps to shed dead skin cells that can clog the pores, it also has anti-inflammatory properties and so, can calm redness and swelling during a breakout. 

Benzoyl peroxide kills the acne forming bacteria on the skin and like salicylic acid, it also has exfoliating properties.

Awesome Product Recommendations

1.Paula’s choice skin balancing oil reducing cleanser 

2.Cosrx low pH good morning gel cleanser 

3.Cerave acne foaming cleanser with 4% benzoyl peroxide 

 

2. Toner

The importance of toners in skincare is now a controversial topic. As a lot of people feel its an optional step

I still swear by toners, I believe it still has a role in our skincare routines

Using a skin toner balances the pH of the skin, tightens the pores, removes leftover dirt, and prepares the skin to absorb the beneficial ingredients in your skincare products.

In the mornings use a mild, calming toner with ingredients like aloe vera, green tea, ginseng, and chamomile.

Awesome Product Recommendations

1. Caudalie Vinopure natural salicylic acid pore-minimizing toner

1. Benton deep green tea toner for oily and sensitive skin

2. Klairs supple preparation unscented toner

 

3.Serums

Don’t forget to use a serum in your morning skincare routine.

This is a vital step especially if you have skin issues that need to be addressed. They are formulated to target specific skin needs, ranging from brightening, antiaging, antioxidant, calming, nourishing to pore cleansing.

Since the morning skincare routine is geared towards protecting the skin from sun damage, then using an antioxidant serum in the mornings is very important.

Antioxidants fight free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules that take an electron from stable molecules to stabilize themselves. they damage the skin at the cellular level giving rise to premature signs of aging.

 Always ensure you use light serums that are easily absorbed so they don’t sit on the skin and clog your pores

An important antioxidant to use in the mornings is Vitamin C

Awesome Product Recommendations

1.Naturium niacinamide serum 12% plus zinc 2%

2. TruSkin vitamin C serum for face with hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, Witch hazel

3. Paula’s Choice resist advanced pore-refining treatment 4% BHA, Salicylic acid and green tea

 

4. Moisturizers

Moisturizing is a step a lot of people with oily skin tend to skip. The reason being that most have experienced more breakouts as a result of it and this could probably have been as a result of using moisturizers not formulated for oily skin.

Skipping the moisturizing step could lead to dryness, which could cause the oil glands to produce more oils to try to balance your moisture levels. Excess oils are not an oily skin’s friend. We don’t want this 

Using oil-free or gel Moisturizers work best for oily skin: they moisturize without clogging the pores, sealing in all your skincare products, and leaving you with that glow we all need.

If you want to be minimalistic with your skincare you can go for a moisturizer with sunscreen. But ensure the SPF is a minimum of 30.

Awesome Product Recommendation

1.Cosrx oil-free ultra-moisturizing lotion

2. Ole Henriksen C-rush brightening gel creme

3.Cerave ultra-light moisturizing lotion with sunscreen SPF 30

 

5. Sunscreen

This should be the last step in every morning skincare routine. This step protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun that cause premature skin aging, age spots, fine lines, and wrinkle formation. Use a sunscreen with an SPF30 minimum to adequately protect your skin throughout the day and reapply every 2 hours ideally.

Awesome Product Recommendation

1. Supergoop unseen sunscreen SPF 40 – oil-free

2. EltaMD UV clear facial sunscreen SPF 46

 

6. Lip Care

Use a lip balm to keep your skin moisturized and prevent chapping of the lips as they are exposed to the elements.

Try- Glossier balm dot com

EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN

The nighttime is when the skin repairs and regenerates itself. the evening skincare routine is aimed at augmenting this function.

This is the time to indulge in your skin. Look at it as your daily mini-spa session. 

1. Cleansing

Sleeping without taking the day’s dirt off your face is a surefire recipe for disaster.

The cleansing process at night is a bit more detailed than the morning routine.

You want to double cleanse at night. starting off with oil cleansing either with natural oils or a cleansing balm to rid your skin of all makeup and excess oil. Next is to follow up with a water-based cleanser to deeply clean and rid the skin of dirt and environmental pollutants that can clog our pores and give the skin a dull complexion

Just as with the morning skincare routine, you can also cleanse at night with a salicylic acid cleanser or one with benzoyl peroxide if you are acne-prone.

Oily skin also benefits from a cleansing brush which would give a deeper cleanse especially at the end of the day

Related Post: The Oil Cleansing Method – A Beginner’s Guide

                      10 Common skincare mistakes that cause acne

Awesome Product Recommendations

1. Farmacy green clean makeup meltaway cleansing balm

2. Heimish all clean balm

 

2.Exfoliation/ Toner

As we know, oily skin is more prone to clogged pores and rough skin texture, so it’s imminent that exfoliation is done regularly to prevent dull-looking skin and keep breakouts at bay.

Exfoliate about 2-3 times a week with products containing AHAs Alpha hydroxy acids) such as glycolic acid and lactic acid and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) such as salicylic acid. These chemical exfoliants mildly slough off dead skin cells while moisturizing the skin. These exfoliators leave the skin more susceptible to sun damage, so always use sunscreen the morning after. As you should always

Awesome Product Recommendations

1.The Ordinary lactic acid 10%

2. Paula’s Choice skin perfecting 2% BHA liquid exfoliant

3.SOME BY MI AHA, BHA, PHA 30 days miracle toner

 

3. Serums/ Treatments

Like in the mornings, serums should also be used at night. The evenings are the best times to use serums targeted at specific concerns. like antiaging, brightening, lightening, hydrating, and whatever skin concerns you are dealing with at the moment .in

Skin ingredients like retinoids and AHAs are best used at night.

Don’t forget to use sunscreen the next morning

Awesome Product Recommendations

1. Cerave retinol resurfacing serum

2. Naturium retinol complex serum

 

4. Eye Creams

The skin around the eyes is very delicate and needs regular TLC. This area is prone to damage from the sun rays and from harsh skincare ingredients. This damage could manifest in the form of dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Awesome product Recommendations

1. Cerave eye repair cream

2. Ole Henriksen banana bright eye cream

 

5. Moisturizers

The last step in the night time routine is a moisturizer. Use an oil-free moisturizer rich in skin barrier repairing ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. This step nourishes the skin while sealing in the other products in 

Awesome Products Recommendations

1. Cerave skin renewing night cream

2. The Bodyshop tea tree anti imperfection night mask

And it’s a wrap for the night!

Related Post: Different Types of Acne and How They are Formed