Top 5 Outstanding Face Washes for Oily Skin to Combat Excess Shine
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no extra cost to you. Please read our disclaimer for more information.
Are you currently sick and tired of wasting money on numerous face washes only to find that they’re causing your oily skin to become even shinier post cleanse (I mean, how does that even happen?)? Or perhaps you’ve tried a few facial washes that make your skin feel really tight straight after cleansing and then before you know it you’re back to your pre-cleanse shine again! We’re about to help you discover the best face wash for oily skin that will be your forever go-to and will seriously combat excess shine and keep your skin feeling soft, supple and controlled of excess oils for the rest of the day (and night).
The 5 facial cleansers we’ve rounded up for you are not only the best of their kind for oily skin but are also crazy affordable and can be found at the drugstore. The best thing about drugstore skin care is that most of the time they will have 3 for 2 offers (or similar promotional offers), so once you’ve found your absolute favourite face wash for your skin type, whether it be combination or oily skin, dry or sensitive skin, you can simply stock up well ahead of time so you’re never in desperate need of your daily cleanse
(Top tip: Never skip on cleansing – it’s the first and most important part of your skincare routine to set the foundation for the rest of your skin care products. If you skip on cleansing, you aren’t providing your other skincare products a good enough canvas to penetrate their key ingredients into, making your skincare routine ineffective and void, basically).
If you’re super eager to go ahead and add one of our leading face washes for oily skin to your shopping cart, here’s our line up:
- Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser (overall best face wash for oily skin) or Cera ve Renewing SA Cleanser (best face wash for oily skin and pimples)
- Origins Check and Balances (best balancing face wash for oily and dry skin)
- Biore Charcoal Cleanser (best face wash for oily skin and blackheads)
- La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel (best face wash for sensitive skin)
- Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel (best exfoliating face wash with AHA’s)
For those eager to learn more about the key ingredients in truly effective products for oily skin and acne, learn more about our top 5 line up including the most hyped best face wash for oily skin and acne as well as discover a game-changing product that everyone must have no matter their skin type (stay tuned till the end), then keep on reading!
When it comes to all the various skin types, we can’t seem to ever catch a break. But oily skin in particular can be an absolute nightmare to deal with and can even lead to new issues, most commonly in the form of breakouts. In order to minimise acne breakouts and keep all excess shine from oily skin at bay, it’s important to invest in the best skincare products for your skin type but particularly your daily face wash. Incorporating the right cleanser for oily skin into your morning and evening skincare routine will ensure that your skin is constantly kept clean, under control and well balanced.
The ingredients you should be looking out for in your search for a face wash for oily skin include:
- Salicylic Acid – a form of Beta Hydroxy Acid that exfoliates the surface of the skin removing all dead skin cells, breaking down excess oils and is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties which works great for reducing redness and breakouts;
- Niacinamide – a hero ingredient for practically every skin concern! Great for banishing and keeping pesky breakouts at bay and reducing excess sebum;
- Hyaluronic Acid – to provide and lock in hydration as other targeted ingredients for oily skin can leave your skin feeling overly dry after use; and
- Activated charcoal and clay – deep cleaning ingredients that draw out oil and dirt trapped in your pores.
We scoured the internet and did a whole bunch of due diligence to discover the absolute best face washes for oily and acne prone skin and then went through our usual elimination process to finally reach our top 5 Haul of Fame superstars. These 5 cleansers are not only the most effective when it comes to combatting oily skin and reducing acne but have proved themselves to be worthy of our pennies (and much more).
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING WE GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH OUR LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFORMATION.
1. CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
With over 14,000 global reviews and a rating of 4.7/5 on Amazon (16oz size), it’s clear that this is one of Cerave’s hero products (along with the renowned CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser!).
The CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is formulated with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide which ensure that your skin is not left feeling tight after use.
This daily face wash is great for anyone with oily skin generally that may not necessarily struggle with acne/breakouts but instead want to keep excess sebum under control.
For anyone looking for the best face wash for oily skin and pimples, we’ve found another hero product by CeraVe for you.
Meet the Cera ve Renewing SA Cleanser, a gentle cleanser that is formulated with salicylic acid which will draw out impurities by exfoliating the skin, removing dead cells and ultimately smoothing the skins surface of rough bumps and blemishes.
Both the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser and Cerave SA Cleanser are fragrance free (and so won’t cause any irritation) and also non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores).
We’d recommend only using these face washes as part of your second cleanse after removing your makeup so that their active ingredients can really get to work your skin. As a first cleanse, go in either with a facial oil or cleansing balm. This will essentially melt your makeup off so well (make sure you’re wiping your face clean with a hot muslin cloth too) and then you can begin your second cleanse with your cerave cleanser to make sure there’s no remaining residue left on your skin, so your pores can be lovely and fresh (and most of all, clean!).
{RELATED POST: Top 5 Best Cleansing Balms to Melt Your Makeup Right Off}
2. Origins Checks and Balances
The Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash is the clever cleanser that balances dry and oily skin.
Origins’ best selling face wash is not only gentle on the skin but provides a light foam action when used.
This Origins face wash is made with broad leaf kelp extract (which minimises excess oil production), wheat protein (protects and balances drier parts of the skin) and tourmaline (provides excess moisture to the washing process to make excess oil and dirt slide right off the skin with ease).
This oily skin face wash is also infused with bergamot, mint and lavender essential oils that make the cleansing experience feel that little bit more fancier!
3. Biore Charcoal Cleanser
Think of this Biore facial wash as the ultimate deep facial cleanser for your skin. This is THE best face wash for oily skin and blackheads. The reviews speak for themselves.
Charcoal literally acts as a magnet, drawing out double the amount of dirt and impurities than any basic cleanser would.
Another bonus is that when charcoal is combined with acne busting salicylic acid, it quite literally becomes a powerhouse product.
The Biore face wash is infused with Japanese Skin Purifying Technology and provides noticeable results after just one use!
Also, don’t be put off by the colour of this cleanser (it’s made from natural charcoal after all!). On application the face wash is black, but then foams white and rinses clean.
Boasts 10,000+ reviews on Amazon and 13,000+ on Google. We wouldn’t recommend this face wash for sensitive skin as the ingredients generally are quite powerful and will be too harsh for those with sensitive skin types and may even cause your skin to peel.
4. La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel
Similar to CeraVe, La Roche Posay (a French skincare brand) is backed with an army of cult followers.
The heart and soul ingredient of the brand’s skin care line is skin soothing thermal rich spring water, known for its high concentration of selenium (which is super high in antioxidants). These antioxidant rich products work to neutralise all the free radicals our skin absorbs on a daily basis e.g. pollution.
La Roche Posay’s mission is to provide ‘a better life for sensitive skin‘ and so their line of products are not only effective but gentle too.
The Effeclar range by La Roche Posay is targeted at those with acne prone skin.
This incredibly popular La Roche Posay cleanser will remove excess oils whilst maintaining the natural balance of your skin, leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean (and free of all nasties!).
For those looking for the best cleanser for oily skin (without any acne concerns), the La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser is an extremely popular product and also Hyram approved too!
5. Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Simple. Effective. Affordable. Famous!
Chances are you’ve heard of the epic Drying Lotion by Mario Badescu when it was literally impossible to purchase after Kylie Jenner vouched for it as her favourite spot remover and it has literally been flying off the shelves ever since!
{RELATED POST: Top 5 Best Overnight Acne Spot Treatments}
Well, the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is the brand’s best selling face wash and is also instagram famous.
It’s gentle and refreshing gel formula makes it the ideal face wash for oily skin. It can also effectively remove makeup and excess sebum whilst lifting away impurities from the skin.
The Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is infused with papaya and grapefruit extracts that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) which gently exfoliate the skin to reveal a brighter, smoother and clearer complexion.
Not only does this superstar facial cleanser effectively and thoroughly break down impurities, it also helps to prevent any future build up in the skin that can later cause breakouts and blackheads!
Bonus add on:
Regardless of which cleanser you decide to go for from our list of superstars above, another product that we would highly recommend incorporating into your skin care routine is a Niacinamide serum. We’re a massive fan of Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% by The Ordinary and the entire internet also seems to be pretty crazy about it too. With over 21,000 Google product reviews and just under 10,000 Amazon reviews, you need to get your hands on this serum and stock up as it quickly goes out of stock.
Niacinamide comes with pretty much all the skin care benefits under the sun. For oily, acne prone skin however it really will become your saving grace. Not only will it reduce excess sebum production, but it’ll also reduce redness and irritation, brighten dark spots and also improve your overall complexion and keep any unwanted visitors away too!
Don’t forget to check out our post ‘The Ordinary’s Hero Products You Need For Your Skincare Routine‘ to discover some more gems by leading skincare brand, The Ordinary. There’s some extraordinary products in our lineup for oily and acne prone skin too so have a read and get your hands on them while you can!
I use cerave and love it for my oily skin.