IN THIS ARTICLE
Should I use moisturizer on oily skin?
Short answer: Yes, you need to moisturize even if you have oily skin. The 'how' requires some detail. Read on."
When should you moisturize oily skin, and how often?
Moisturize oily skin after cleansing and toning. Read more to know about the step-by-step skincare routine for oily skin. You should ideally moisturize twice a day—once in the morning and again when you return home or before bed. If you are using a serum, use it before you moisturize, to give all the ingredients in the skincare product a good chance to get fully absorbed.
What moisturizer should one use for oily skin?
This is perhaps the most important question to answer here. Here are some tips for selecting the perfect moisturizer for oily skin:
- Use a lightweight moisturizer that doesn’t weigh down your skin.
- Make sure your moisturizer’s ingredients are non-comedogenic. Read this blog to know more on what is the meaning of comedogenic. Top comedogenic ingredients to avoid include cocoa butter, coconut oil, and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Ideally, use separate moisturizers for day and night. Night creams are richer in antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients that might be too heavy for daytime use.
- If you’re going to be out in the sun, opt for a gel-based sunscreen for daytime use, and a lightweight, gel-based moisturizer for nighttime.
Let's talk about ingredients!
Besides choosing non-comedogenic ingredients, you should look for some do-gooders for oily and acne-prone skin in your moisturizers. For example:
- Natural acne fighters like green tea and tea tree oil
- AHAs like glycolic acid and lactic acid (Read more about glycolic acid in this blog)
- Antioxidants like Vitamin C (Learn more about antioxidants in this blog)
- Spot fighters like niacinamide
- Oil-control ingredients like lemon peel and cinnamon bark
Got other questions? Bring them on—look for the comment box below!
Bonus tip: Never let your skin get too dry if you have oily skin. This can cause your sebaceous glands to become overactive and produce more sebum, worsening the cycle. It’s important to maintain a sense of balance— in everything!
