Oily Skin Routines

• Wash your skin twice a day with a cleanser containing salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that reduces sebum production.

• If you skin is extremely oily, you can follow with alcohol-based toner with salicylic acid. Most people should not apply alcohol-based cleansers and toners due to the drying effect of alcohol. However, for extreme cases of oily skin, it may just do the trick.
• Generally, people with oily skin should lightly moisturize. When you moisturize use a nonocclusive, noncomedogenic, oil-free moisturizer after cleansing.
• Use a oil-free, noncomedogenic sunscreen whenever sun exposure is expected.
• If the above steps are insufficient and you are still producing too much oil, try treatments that reduce sebum production. They include topical vitamin A creams (retinol, retinal or retinyl palmitate), MSM creams, retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene). Retinoids and high-strength sulfur/MSM creams require a prescription. If your oil problem is so bad that you are considering prescription treatments, you should probably see a dermatologist anyway.
• Some people with oily skin may benefit from a clay/mud mask once a week.