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 

The right men’s skin care routines—for oily skin types and all others— always starts with the cleansing of pores. You could apply cleanser with your hands, but a Clarisonic Alpha Fit can do the job six times better than hands alone. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? The device is designed to clean men’s thicker, oilier skin and—when paired with the Alpha Fit Men’s Daily Brush Head and Alpha Cleanse cleanser—can loosen dirt and oil, remove impurities from pores, and even help to prep skin for a closer, smoother shave.

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. Enter: Kiehl’s Men’s Oil Eliminator Refreshing Shine Control Spray Toner. The ultra-fine toning mist instantly cools on contact to help neutralize excess oil, and reduce the appearance of excess sweat and large pores. Use it post-cleansing and any-time while on the go for noticeable results.

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). 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? That said, the best type of moisturizer for oily skin is one that’s lightweight and oil-free, like Baxter of California Oil-Free Moisturizer. Infused with aloe vera, green tea, and chamomile, the formula absorbs quickly to restore skin’s moisture barrier, protect against free radicals, and leave skin feeling smooth with a shine-free finish.  

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 2pm 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!