The 10 Best Face Washes for Oily Skin

Behold: The Holy Grail of face washes for oily skin. This Dermalogica formula combines two types of grease-fighting clay—kaolin and green—to lightly exfoliate, soak up excess oil and remove acne-causing buildup after just a few washes. Plus, the addition of menthol makes it feel so soothing and cooling on skin, while cucumber fruit extract hydrates and reduces irritation, redness and inflammation to round out the benefits.

Just because your skin is oily, doesn’t mean it can’t be sensitive, too. And that’s why you should give this cleanser a try. Its non-irritating, fragrance-free formula sweeps on to gently remove dirt, excess oil and dead skin cells without stripping skin or compromising the skin barrier. And although it helps eliminate shiny areas, it’s still moisturizing, so there’s never any of that tight feeling post-cleanse.

You don’t have to spend the big bucks to get a clear, shine-free complexion. Case in point: This $11 foaming cleanser from Aveeno that you can score from nearly any drugstore. In addition to leaving skin squeaky clean and preventing breakouts, it visibly improves tone and texture for a brighter, more radiant complexion—all without over-drying or stripping skin of its natural hydration.

Tata Harper makes some of the best clean skincare out there, and this shine-reducing cleanser is no exception. It’s made with natural ingredients like purple clay complex, which absorbs oil and dirt without stripping the skin’s natural moisture and papaya enzymes, whose acids exfoliate skin to minimize the look of clogged pores. All that is packed into an innovative gel-to-oil cleanser that also purges pores of buildup and fights free radical damage.

If you’re equally concerned about shine as you are about acne flare ups, good old Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash should do the trick. It’s been around for years for one great reason: it actually works. It’s the number one dermatologist recommended acne-fighting cleanser, thanks to a small amount of salicylic acid, which helps to fight current blemishes and prevent future breakouts, without robbing oily skin of much-needed moisture.

Not only is this cleanser effective at quelling excess oil, it’s also tough enough to remove eye makeup without stinging or burning, thanks to a blend of mild surfactants and emollients. It goes on like a gel, but lathers into a nice foam that clings to oil, makeup and grime and washes them down the drain. It doesn’t hurt that the packaging is super cute, too.

There’s a reason clay masks are so popular: They absorb excess oil and minimize the appearance of pores. But they can sometimes cause skin to feel tight and dry. Not this clay cleanser. It’s actually a gel infused with red clay and rosemary leaf oil, which work to clear skin and balance sebum production without any harsh side effects. Bonus: It’s ideal for sensitive skin, because it’s free of parabens, sulfates and artificial fragrances, which can often cause irritation.

This isn’t your average foaming face wash—it’s made with micro-bubbles that create a dense lather, while Jeju Volcanic Clusters, aka particles smaller than pores, trap and absorb excess oil. It’s like a clay cleanser on steroids, except it’s free of harmful toxins and delivered in recyclable packaging.

Don’t let this product’s name fool you. It’s free of harsh soaps, but it doesn’t skimp on the cleansing factor. Instead, ceramides help reinforce the skin barrier, while niacinamide works to lower sebum production and antioxidants fight age-accelerating free-radicals for a shine-free, youthful complexion—and that’s all before you even get to the rest of your skincare routine.

Consider this exfoliating cleanser the oil-fighting sister to Meghan Markle’s favorite The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder. It starts off as a gel and lathers into a creamy foam to dissolve dirt, oil and grime without over-drying skin in the process. Japanese luffa fruit exfoliates to increase cell turnover and decongest pores, while amino acids from silk gently cleanse skin and Japanese leopard lily sweeps in to absorb excess oil.