Men, Here's How to Combat Your Oily Skin

The downsides of oily skin—greasy patches, enlarged-looking pores, frequent breakouts, and more shine than a disco ball—are plentiful, especially for men. If this is your reality, it’s safe to assume that you’re not a huge fan of your overactive sebaceous glands or the culprits that can kick them into overdrive. The good news is that there are ways to help keep your oily skin in check. Even better news? We’re sharing the tips—and product recommendations—you need to keep unwanted excess oil at bay.

CLEANSE YOUR SKIN 

 

The right men’s skin care routines—for oily skin types and all others— always starts with the cleansing of pores. Start and end your day by cleansing your skin to remove dirt, oil, and impurities that can clog pores and cause breakouts. 

GENTLY EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN

Although exfoliating is a major part of keeping your skin fresh and healthy-looking, 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 twice to three times a week instead of daily, and make the switch to chemical exfoliators—which use AHAs and BHAs instead of beads or particles to gently exfoliate the skin— instead of physical ones. One of our favorite chemical exfoliators is the SkinCeuticals Clarifying Exfoliating Cleanser. Through its salicylic acid-filled formula, this exfoliator will help refine texture, brighten skin, and and clear the look of acne blemishes.

FOLLOW UP WITH TONER

If you have oily skin, the right toner can help reduce the appearance of shiny skin and leave you with a matte complexion. Most toners can also remove lingering impurities and residue to ensure your skin is truly clean. Use a toner post-cleansing and any-time while on the go for noticeable results. 

USE RETINOL

If excess oil is a real concern, Dr. Lain recommends applying products with retinol, or retinaldehyde. We recommend using the SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 night cream to give your skin a retinol boost before bed. Keep in mind that retinol is powerful, 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.

USE AN OIL-FREE MOISTURIZER

 

It sounds crazy: Apply moisturizer on oily skin? Pass! Wait, not so fast. Oil and hydration are not the same thing. Everybody’s skin needs moisture. Heat, wind, dry weather, overusing skin care products, and other aggressors can mess with skin’s moisture levels and lead to a hypersecretion of oil (to make up for what the skin thinks is missing), which is why Dr. Lain recommends using a daily non-comedogenic moisturizer. So 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. Got it? 

PURIFY WITH A CLAY MASK

Clay masks are a great way to purify pores, shed dead skin cells, and keep excess oil in check weekly in addition to your daily cleansing. You can raid your girlfriend’s arsenal or stock up on your own. Try SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque. The formula combines two earth clays—kaolin and bentonite—with botanicals, minerals, and a hydroxyl acid blend to gently exfoliate dead surface skin cells, decongest pores, lift impurities, and remove excess oil.

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.  

Tip: To help keep acne at bay, keep your hands off your face! The dirt, bacteria, and debris that accumulates on your fingertips can rub off on your skin and wreak havoc. Same goes for popping those pimples…don’t do it!

MATTIFY WITH BLOTTING SHEETS

Sure blotting sheets don’t fight oil at its root, but you’ll be happy to have them once that 2 p.m. oil slick appears on your T-zone. Store them in your desk, briefcase, and car to help soak up excess grease for an instantly noticeable shine-free complexion. 

Learn more about oily skin here!