The Problem
Oily skin, handled properly
The counterintuitive truth: stripping oily skin makes it oilier. The fix is a boring, consistent routine.
The Short Answer
If you do one thing, start with the Aesop Parsley Seed Serum — our highest-scored pick for this. The full reasoning is below.
The instinct with oily skin is to scrub it into submission — and that is precisely what keeps it oily, because stripped skin compensates with more sebum. The routine that works is almost insultingly simple: a gentle foaming cleanse twice daily, a niacinamide-led treatment moisturiser, and SPF in the morning. Eight weeks of that beats years of harsh products.
What to stop: alcohol-heavy toners, daily exfoliating scrubs, and changing products every fortnight. Oily skin is a management condition, not a war.
Worth Your Time
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M
Best for Oily, congested, breakout-prone skin
CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
Best for Normal-to-oily skin; skincare beginners
Aesop Parsley Seed Serum
Best for Daily antioxidant protection
Go Deeper
Effaclar Duo+M vs CeraVe: the oily-skin face-off
Two pharmacy heavyweights, different jobs — and why most routines should run both.
The grooming products worth paying more for
Where the premium is engineering and where it is marketing — the honest map.
Dark circles: an honest assessment
Mostly genetics and sleep debt. Here is what product can and cannot do about it.
FAQ
Should oily skin skip moisturiser?
No — that is the most common mistake. Dehydrated skin produces more oil. Use a light, non-comedogenic formula rather than skipping the step.