7 Oily Skin-Care Tips for Men

The downsides of oily skin — greasy patches, enlarged-looking pores, frequent breakouts — are annoying to deal with, for men included. If this is your reality, the good news is that there are ways to keep your oily skin in check. Ahead, find we rounded up the best skin-care tips for men with oily skin, plus product recommendations.

Oily Skin-Care Tip #1: Cleanse Your Skin Daily

The first step in everyone’s skin-care routine —oily skin types and all others — should be to cleanse the skin to clear your pores. Start and end your day by washing your face with a product formulated for oily skin, like House 99 Purefectly Clean, to remove dirt, oil and impurities that could potentially cause breakouts. For an even deeper clean, use the face wash with the Clarisonic Men’s Daily Cleanse Brush Head, infused with charcoal to detox your pores.

Oily Skin-Care Tip #2: Gently Exfoliate Your Skin Once or Twice a Week

Although exfoliating is a major part of keeping your skin fresh and clear, board-certified dermatologist, SkinCeuticals ambassador and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Ted Lain recommends keeping an eye on how often you exfoliate. “Be careful not to over-exfoliate the skin, as dryness and inflammation can lead to excess oil production,” he says. “Using a gently exfoliating cleanser, avoiding those with beads or particles, is best.”

As a rule of thumb, try exfoliating once or twice a week. One of our favorites is the Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Scrub. 

Oily Skin-Care Tip #3: Follow Up With Toner

If you have oily skin, the right toner can help reduce the appearance of shine on your complexion and leave you with a matte finish. Most toners can also remove lingering impurities and residue to ensure your skin is truly clean as it can get. Use a toner post-cleansing and any-time while on the go to beat extra shine. We like Baxter of California Herbal Mint Toner. 

Oily Skin-Care Tip #4: Use Retinol

If excess oil is a real concern, Dr. Lain recommends trying a product with retinol or retinaldehyde in it. We like using SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 at night. Just keep in mind that retinol is a powerful ingredient, so if you’ve never used it before, be sure to introduce it to your skin in small doses and concentrations. Retinol 0.5 is a great starter product; once your skin is acclimated you can switch to SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0.

Oily Skin-Care Tip #5: Use an Oil-Free Moisturizer 

We know it sounds crazy: Apply moisturizer on oily skin? But wait, not so fast. Oil and hydration are not the same thing. Everybody’s skin needs moisture, even oily types, because external aggressors can mess with skin’s moisture levels and lead to a hypersecretion of oil. That’s why Dr. Lain recommends using a daily non-comedogenic moisturizer. Instead of getting rid of an oily complexion by skipping moisturizer, you could actually be making things a lot worse and falling right back at square one. We like CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen for additional sun protection. 

Oily Skin-Care Tip #6: Purify With a Clay Mask

Clay masks are a great way to purify pores, shed dead skin cells and keep excess oil in check, in addition to your daily cleansing. If you need a recommendation, try Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask. The formula combines Amazonian white clay with aloe barbadensis to gently decongest pores, lift impurities and remove excess oil.

Oily Skin-Care Tip #7: Spot Treat Blemishes

If your oily skin is prone to breakouts, try using a spot treatment on problem areas. One of our favorites is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo. Formulated with benzoyl peroxide and micro-exfoliating LHA, it can help visibly reduce all types of acne blemishes and deeply cleanse pores to clear even stubborn blackheads and whiteheads. 

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