People with oily skin often feel compelled to wash their face more frequently than those with dry, normal or combination skin. That isn’t necessary if you’re using one of the best face washes for oily skin, which are designed to cleanse while absorbing all that excess sebum without totally drying the skin. Many options, including our top overall pick (the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Cleansing Gel), will even help control future oil production over time using ingredients like salicylic acid.
But no two people have the exact same needs, even if they both have oily skin by nature. That’s because some individuals might have more sensitive skin, or be acne-prone in addition to oily (that’s a particularly common correlation). Budget can also play a role in the hunt for a new oily skin cleanser, and luckily there are terrific picks at both ends of the spectrum. Read on for our own top picks for the best face washes for oily skin.
- Best Face Wash Overall For Oily Skin: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta
- Best Drugstore Face Wash For Oily Skin: La Roche-Posay Effaclar
- Best Luxury Face Wash For Oily Skin: La Mer The Essence
- Best Face Wash For Combination Skin: CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
- Best Face Wash For Sensitive, Oily Skin: Cardon Clay Cleanser
- Best Face Wash For Acne-Prone, Oily Skin: Murad Clarifying Cleanser
- Best Exfoliating Face Wash For Oily Skin: Dermalogica Microfoliant
- Best Purifying Face Wash For Oily Skin: Kate Somerville EradiKate
Best Face Wash Overall For Oily Skin
A Gel-To-Foam Formula That Can Be Used Twice Daily
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta AHA/BHA Daily Cleansing Gel
This oily skinned (and acne-prone) writer has tested a lot of face washes, and Dr. Dennis Gross’ cleanser is a tough act to beat. First, the gel-to-foam formula uses alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate surface cells (and prevent pore clogging). Moreover, it uses salicylic acid—a favorite ingredient of both experts in this article—to balance oil levels, flush out excess sebum from the pores and thus prevent both shine and breakouts. And despite its heavy lifting (and a tingling you can feel as it acts), you can use this twice daily to keep oil levels at bay without irritating skin.
Best Drugstore Face Wash For Oily Skin
A Blackhead-Banisher
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser
If you’re searching for a low-cost cleanser that delivers a deep clean and keep pores clear, La-Roche Posay has this excellent option with salicylic acid as well as lipo-hydroxy acid to carefully exfoliate dead skin cells and prevent future clogging. It is a serious foe of blackheads, and is surprisingly hydrating and nourishing compared to other drugstore face washes.
Best Luxury Face Wash For Oily Skin
A Soothing Cleanser
La Mer The Essence Foaming Cleanser
La Mer’s foaming face wash contains its signature Miracle Broth complex, which in this cleanser helps energize and stimulate skin to promote firmness and counter dullness. While you won’t find the typical roster of oil-excavating ingredients in this recipe (like salicylic acid or clay), remember that your cleanser doesn’t need to be the key active solution against your oiliness. Rather, it should gently flush away that oil without drying skin and without risking further sebum buildup or breakouts. And from that angle, La Mer’s nutrient-dense, skin-soothing recipe might be the most impressive of this list.
Best Face Wash For Combination Skin
A Dermatologist Favorite
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
CeraVe will forever be a favorite of dermatologists, and Dr. Zenovia counts herself a fan of the brand’s gel-to-foam salicylic acid cleanser. “This is a great, cost-effective product that can be used daily to help with oiliness,” she says. It’s especially ideal if your skin teeters between oily and normal, or if it’s oily in some spots and dry or normal in others (also referred to as combination skin). And like all CeraVe products, this formula is enriched with ceramides, which preserve skin’s moisture levels and acts as defense against toxins.
Best Face Wash For Sensitive, Oily Skin
A Clay-Based Formula That Also Hydrates
Cardon Purifying Clay Cleanser
There are two key ingredients in Cardon’s outstanding face wash that make it stand out. Its use of skin-cushioning clay builds a soothing lather while seeping deep into pores to extract excess oil and to clean up surface grime—all while preserving hydration levels, no less. Second is the brand’s go-to hero ingredient, cactus extract, which soothes and calms skin perhaps even better than aloe vera itself.
Best Face Wash For Acne-Prone, Oily Skin
A Multitasking, Skin-Clearing Cleanser
Murad Clarifying Cleanser
Murad’s daily cleanser, which has a medium-grade dose of salicylic acid, helps to keep pores clear and skin smooth, all without overly drying the complexion. In maintaining this balance, it helps regulate oil production to keep skin hydrated but not overly so. It soothes and fights hyperpigmentation too, thanks to the addition of green tea extract.
Best Exfoliating Face Wash For Oily Skin
A Powder-To-Cream Classic
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Dr. Zenovia likes Dermalogica’s daily cleanser because it gently exfoliates the skin with salicylic acid, while abating breakouts and sebum excess. It’s a rice powder-to-cream cleanser that you mix together in your hands with water. It also contains papaya extract, colloidal oatmeal and white tea to promote a softer, brighter complexion.
Best Purifying Face Wash For Oily Skin
A Clinical-Strength Cleanser
Kate Somerville EradiKate Daily Cleanser Acne Treatment
Sulfur is another active ingredient that’s endorsed by Dr. Zenovia, that you can use to prevent and diminish breakouts while also mitigating oil levels in the skin. This gentle but clinical-strength sulfur cleanser from Kate Somerville is a favorite of ours for its airy formula. It includes oat extract to soak up excess sebum and balance oil production, plus botanical extracts to soothe and prevent irritation.
MORE FROMFORBES VETTED
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted beauty team is well-versed in evaluating top skincare products across various categories. Author Adam Hurly has spent a decade covering grooming and skincare topics like the best face washes for acne and moisturizers for men. For this article, he enlisted the expertise of dermatologists Dr. Asmi Sanghvi and Dr. Zenovia Gabriel to identify key ingredients to consider and avoid when choosing the best face washes for oily skin. Deputy editor Jane Sung, who has edited this article, has conducted thorough research on emerging and established beauty brands across various categories for over a decade.
We regularly update this article to verify the accuracy of prices and availability. We also review our product selections and double-check buyer ratings. In this November 2023 update, we added three new products: our top pick from Dr. Dennis Gross, our luxury face wash selection from La Mer and our sensitive skin-friendly option from Cardon.
How We Chose The Best Face Washes For Oily Skin
In our thorough search for the best face washes for oily skin, we tested several picks—and continue to do so as new versions crop up—and delved deep into product reviews and ratings. We also factored in price points, ingredients and formulation variety when making our selections. Finally, we included top product recommendations from experts Sanghvi and Gabriel to ensure our list contained selections from the most professional and reputable sources.
What To Consider In A Face Wash For Oily Skin
Those with oily skin should look for key ingredients in their face wash. Here’s what to consider.
Formula
Gel or foaming formulas are highly recommended by Sanghvi for those with oily skin. She also suggests avoiding cream or milk-based cleansers when it comes to sebum control, since those ones are more geared towards dry skin.
Ingredients To Avoid
When choosing the best cleanser for oily skin, it is important to know which ingredients to avoid—perhaps even more importantly than knowing which ingredients to seek out. Most notably, Sanghvi says to avoid mineral oil and lanolin. “Mineral oil can clog pores and exacerbate oily skin, while lanolin is a heavy and oily ingredient that can trap dirt and oil in pores,” she says. And speaking of clogged pores, there are other ingredients to avoid if you are specifically acne prone. Sanghvi says.,“Coconut oil and cocoa butter are both rich and heavy ingredients that physically clog pores, and isopropyl myristate can increase the penetration of other comedogenic ingredients into the skin, leading to breakouts.”
Key Ingredients
As for ingredients that you want in a cleanser for oily skin, salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that seeps into the pores to balance oil levels while flushing out clogged pores, is at the top. Other common options include charcoal and clay for their purifying and pore-expunging powers.
Sanghvi notes a few additional ingredients that might round out a good cleanser: niacinamide, tea tree oil and green tea extract. “Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that can regulate oil production, reduce inflammation and improve the skin’s barrier function,” she says. “Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent ingredient for acne-prone skin. And finally, green tea extract is full of antioxidants that reduce oil production, prevent acne, and soothe irritated skin.” Dr. Zenovia adds that benzoyl peroxide and sulfur are also terrific ingredients to seek out if you specifically have oily and acne-prone skin, since they can prevent bacterial accumulation and temper sebum levels in the skin.
How Do You Use A Face Wash For Oily Skin?
While no two products are the same, most cleansers for oily skin rely on a foaming or gel formula to remove excess sebum without dehydrating the skin. Be careful to avoid the most common mistakes associated with oily skin cleansing, according to Dr. Sanghvi, which include over washing, using hot water, using harsh cleansers and not moisturizing after cleansing. A good face wash will help control oil buildup, and the use of hot water and harsh cleansers will only dehydrate and irritate the skin. For moisturizers, Sangvhi recommends a lightweight, oil-free hydrator, or one with a very light non-clogging oil like jojoba oil.
How Often Should You Wash Your Face If You Have Oily Skin?
It is important to wash your skin when you wake up in the morning, and again before bed. People with oily skin might feel compelled to wash their face more often, given a buildup of sweat and sebum throughout the day. However, a good cleanser that utilizes salicylic acid, clay, tea tree oil or a similar oil-balancing ingredient will help prevent increased sebum accumulation throughout the day. You could also use a mattifying, oil-free moisturizer after hydrating in order to prevent excess shine. Lastly, it is perfectly fine to wash your face more during the day, so long as you don’t dry out the skin with a harsh cleanser or hot water. Always moisturize after washing to keep skin nourished; it is a common misconception that oily skin types don’t need to proactively add moisture back to their skin, but this is imperative after each cleansing session.
What Ingredients Should You Avoid In A Face Wash For Oily Skin?
People with oily skin should especially avoid mineral oil and lanolin in their cleansers. If someone is acne-prone in addition to having oily skin, then they should avoid comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil, cocoa butter and the chemical compound isopropyl myristate, all of which can lead to clogged pores.