Cleansing is one of the most important steps in your skin care routine, and if your complexion leans a little too dewy for your liking, switching to one of the best face washes for oily skin could make all the difference. An effective cleanser takes away that slick, greasy feeling, but won’t leave your skin feeling stripped of moisture. And if you have other concerns—acne, dark spots, uneven texture—it’s a sweet bonus if your face wash has ingredients that’ll take a whack at those too. Below, we rounded up the best cleansers for oily skin, all of which are either SELF staff favorites or dermatologist-approved.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $18
- Best for Brightening: Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser, $39
- Best for Smoothing Texture: Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Daily Facial Wash, $32
- Best for Hydrating: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, $22
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Paula’s Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser, $24
- Best for Calming Inflammation: Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%, $18
- Best for Acne-Prone Skin: CeraVe SA Cleanser, $16
- Best for Combination Skin: Ourself Daily Purifying Cleanser, $45
- Best Budget Pick: Hanhoo Pore Cleanser, $14
In this article
Shop the best face washes for oily skin
You’ll love the fresh, clean feel these give your skin.
Best Overall: La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
I bought this cleanser last summer when my normal-to-dry skin started looking oilier and feeling sensitive from time in the sun, and it was exactly what I needed. A little bit of formula goes a long way and lathers up to a foam that sweeps away oil and any last traces of makeup. It doesn’t sting my skin or eyes and it leaves my face feeling clean but not dry.
This face wash also gets an expert’s seal of approval: “It effectively reduces oil but also contains ceramides as well as niacinamide to support the skin barrier, minimizing the potential for dryness or irritation,” Marisa Garshick, MD, New York–based dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, tells SELF.
Sizes: 6.76 and 13.52 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Hydrating glycerin, soothing thermal spring water
Best for Brightening: Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser
Dermalogica
Daily Glycolic Cleanser
The glycolic acid in this face cleanser can help give your skin a more even tone because, as a chemical exfoliator, it can gradually reduce hyperpigmentation. Plus it has jojoba seed oil (so your skin won’t feel stripped), as well as calendula extract and allantoin to calm any potential irritation.
“I have an especially oily T-zone, and this cleanser keeps my face looking smooth, bright, and shine-free,” says Jenna Ryu, SELF’s lifestyle writer. “Unlike most face washes with actives, this one doesn’t leave my face feeling parched and flaky—which I really appreciate as someone with combo skin.”
Sizes: 5.1 and 10 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, hydrating hyaluronic acid, moisturizing vitamin E, antimicrobial urea
Best for Smoothing Texture: Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Daily Facial Wash
Philosophy
Microdelivery Exfoliating Daily Facial Wash
The fine grains in this SELF Healthy Beauty Award winner buff away oil, dirt, and flaky skin, leaving you with a much smoother complexion. “It totally kept my small bumps at bay, and when I stopped using it for a week (due to travel) I noticed a clear difference,” one tester wrote.
Because a physical exfoliator can be irritating for some people, experts generally recommend only using it once or twice a week to start, especially if your skin is sensitive. (Don’t forget to be gentle—no scrubbing!)
Sizes: 8 and 16 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, hydrating panthenol, vitamin E
Best for Hydrating: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser
Glossier
Milky Jelly Cleanser
SELF’s associate art director, Amanda Bailey, has long loved Glossier, not just for the brand’s millennial pink packaging that had many of us in a chokehold when the company first launched. “I’ve been using the Milky Jelly Cleanser consistently for the past eight years or so—it remains my holy grail,” she says. “I love the texture, the gentle scent, and the packaging, which makes it so easy to hold in your hand. As an oily gal who will also get random dry, flaky patches in the winter, this checks all my boxes.”
The gel-cream cleanser gently dissolves makeup, dirt, and oil—and it has soothing ingredients like rose water and allantoin that’ll keep your skin happy in the process.
Sizes: 0.5, 2, and 6 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol
Best for Sensitive Skin: Paula’s Choice Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser
Paula’s Choice
Calm Ultra-Gentle Cleanser
One tester called this Healthy Beauty Award–winner “the ideal morning cleanser” because it’s “exactly what you need to refresh and start your day and not strip your skin in the process.”
It’s designed to work for eczema- and rosacea-prone folks, so it’ll gently sweep away oil and dirt without ramping up redness or other signs of irritation. It uses cocamidopropyl betaine, a cleansing agent derived from coconut oil, to gently wash your skin. Plus, it contains inulin—a sugar-derived humectant that soothes and hydrates.
Sizes: 1 and 6.7 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride (an emollient)
Best for Calming Inflammation: Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%
Naturium
Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%
Niacinamide, a key ingredient in this cleanser, is sorta like Barbie, because it seems to do everything—calm inflammation, reduce oil, even out dark spots, the list goes on. Ryu can vouch for this face wash’s multitasking perks: “Not only does it do a great job of removing my makeup, but it also helps control oil, especially on summer days,” she says. “I’ve even noticed my breakouts disappearing whenever I use this one.”
Sizes: 7.1 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, myrciaria dubia fruit extract (an antioxidant)
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: CeraVe SA Cleanser
You’ll get the oil-reducing and pimple-fighting benefits of salicylic acid in this face wash, with a boost from hydrating hyaluronic acid, soothing niacinamide, and reparative ceramides.
“My face skews oily but can be dry at times, and this never irritates my acne-prone skin,” says one SELF tester. “It has a smooth, gel-like consistency that morphs into a gentle lather for that clean but not overly dry feeling. I also love using this on my chest and upper back during the warmer months—all that sweat buildup tends to break me out, and this keeps things looking pretty clear.”
Sizes: 8 and 16 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (cleansing agent derived from coconut oil)
Best for Combination Skin: Ourself Daily Purifying Cleanser
Ourself
Daily Purifying Cleanser
My combination skin (dry cheeks, oily T-zone) is loving this face wash from Ourself. It has a gel-like consistency that lathers and spreads easily, and my face always feels squeaky-clean and ready for my skin care after I use it. I use this as the second step in my double-cleanse routine (first step is an oil cleanser to remove my makeup) and I’m always impressed by how well it gets rid of those final traces of makeup, tinted sunscreen, and oil.
Like some of our other top picks, it contains soothing and oil-reducing niacinamide. Plus, it contains moisturizing ingredients like murumuru butter (an emollient) and beet root extracts (a humectant).
Sizes: 5 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Cocamidopropyl betaine, saccharide isomerate (a sugar-based humectant), lactic acid (gentle exfoliant)
Best Budget Pick: Hanhoo Pore Cleanser
The salicylic acid in this face wash gets deep down into the pores to prevent oil and grime from building up. Plus, niacinamide reduces oil, hyaluronic acid hydrates, and aloe vera soothes irritation.
For one Healthy Beauty Award–tester, trying this ended their search for the perfect cleanser: “I really enjoyed using this product as my first step in testing other facial products because I knew my skin was clean and clear before applying anything else,” they said. “It’s gentle on my sensitive (and older) skin. My pores look great and my skin feels healthy.”
Sizes: 6.76 fl oz | Other notable ingredients: Glycerin, panthenol, brightening carrot root extract (an antioxidant), pumpkin fruit extracts (an antioxidant)
How we chose the best face washes for oily skin
We asked dermatologists what formula type and ingredients to look for in a face wash suitable for oily skin. Taking that into account, we perused through past SELF Healthy Beauty Awards to find products that fit the bill. Plus, SELF editors with oily skin gave their recs.
Why is cleansing important if you have oily skin?
Washing your face is key to preventing breakouts (including blackheads and whiteheads) because the right cleanser gets rid of all the sweat, oil, and dirt that builds up on and in your skin throughout the day (and at night, if you tend to be a sweaty sleeper). Plus, it “creates a fresh canvas” for other products, like serums, spot treatments, retinol, moisturizer, and whatever else you like to include in your skin care routine, Joshua Zeichner, MD, associate professor and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, tells SELF.
How often should you wash your face if you have oily skin?
Stick to washing your face twice a day, in the morning and at night, and only add in a third cleanse if you get sweaty. As Dr. Moustafa notes, cleansing more than that “can backfire over time and cause the skin to make more oil to compensate, as well as lead to a lot of irritation.”
What to look for in a face wash for oily skin
If you have oily skin, odds are you’re staying away from thicker cream- or oil-based cleansers already, and that instinct is right. Instead, go with lighter gel or foam formulas, Farah Moustafa, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of Laser and Cosmetics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF. “Foam-based [face washes] are better for those with very oily skin, and gel-based are great for oily or combination skin,” she says. They get the job done without drying out your face, and typically don’t introduce any oil or other ingredients that might add to that slick feeling or cause breakouts.
One of the best ingredients to look for in a face wash for oily skin is salicylic acid, according to Dr. Moustafa. It works by dissolving the dead skin cells that clog pores and contribute to acne, and using it regularly can reduce your skin’s oil production over time. Niacinamide and green tea are also worth looking out for, she notes, since they’re both anti-inflammatory, which means they’ll help soothe irritation and acne, and they’ve been linked with lowering oil output.
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