Skincare routine for oily and blemish prone skin

Oily skin is a problematic skin type to have as it causes all sorts of issues with spots, from makeup to choosing the right skincare. It’s a tough one to crack and you really have to treat it right to try and get it under control. My skin is very oily on my tzone and I suffer with spots and blemishes particularly on my chin and forehead, whilst my cheeks can be quite dry. I seem to have found a decent routine seems with my current skincare to keep blemishes at bay, or at least making them short lived, whilst keeping my skin in good condition. I thought I’d share with you the products I’m currently using that seem to be working for me at the moment.

Products marked with a * have been gifted to me but not the purposes of this post.

Links marked with * are affiliate links.

Cleansing oily skin

Arguably one of the most important steps is to cleanse the skin. If you wear makeup regularly make sure you remove your makeup thoroughly with a cleansing balm and then wash your face with a face wash designed for oily skin

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Wash

This is a face wash I picked up on a whim not knowing whether it would be any good and I haven’t looked back since. It is the best face wash I’ve tried for oily and blemish prone skin – it has a lovely silky texture that slightly lathers up to cleanse the face and leaves your skin feeling super clean, but not squeaky or dry or tight. It’s a bargain £5.00 so its super affordable and you can shop it here*.

BeGlow TIA All-in-One Sonic Skin Care System

This is an electronic cleansing device* that you use on wet skin with your favoured cleanser. I use this once a day with the above face wash and I’ve found it really helps keep my skin clear, clean and smooth. You can read my full review of this here. You can buy the just the cleanser version of the device, here*.

Treating blemishes

Products to use when pesky spots pop up

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

It wouldn’t be a post about spots without featuring this. I reviewed it in full here, but to sum it up, it dries up problem spots and shrinks them overnight. A must have for any seriously pesky spots! You can get it here*.

Dermalogica AGE Bright Spot Fader

When you get spots, this AGE Bright Spot Fader* multi-benefit treatment caters to blemish prone and problematic skin to promote the healing of active breakouts and reduce the appearance of post-breakout marks. Salicylic Acid helps treat and prevent blemishes while providing exfoliation to unclog the pores and increase cell renewal. This is great for getting rid of red spots and helping them heal. You can get it here.*

Germolene antiseptic cream

This might sound a bit bonkers but trust me on this one – Germolene is an antiseptic cream that is used for cuts and grazes that helps prevent infections. When you (inevitably) pop a spot, when the little wound hole has closed, put this on and it clears it up so much faster! It’s my new holy grail spot cream and it’s literally about £2! Get it here*.

Moisturising oily skin

It’s so important to moisturise oily skin because oil is produced when skin is dehydrated so don’t be tempted to skip this step – it will only make it worse!

Dermalogica Age Bright Clearing Serum

This serum* is a a two-in-one serum that clears the skin and helps prevent breakouts while reducing visible skin aging. It uses Salicylic Acid to reduce breakouts to clear skin. This highly-concentrated serum exfoliates to help prevent breakouts and accelerates cell turnover to reduce signs of skin aging. I’ve been putting this on before my moisturiser twice a day and it really helps to clear spots and spot scarring and keep them at bay, I’d hate to be without this in my routine now. This is expensive but one small bottle lasts months and it is very good if you suffer from spots and scarring. You can get it here*.

Avène Cleanance Expert Lotion

This is a lotion I use only on my spot prone chin and it’s a really lightweight moisturizer that regulates the production of sebum (oil) to mattify the skin and gently exfoliates without stripping the skin, to unclog pores. I found this has really helped my spotty chin and helps to minimise the amount of spots I get. You can get this for £15 here*.

Dermalogica Active Moist Moisturiser

I’ve posted about this before here, but in short, Active Moist* is oil-free and provides hydration without a greasy feel and has a sheer formula that goes on quickly. It’s lightweight and dries quickly, so for an oily skinned gal, it feels perfect and it still moisturises the drier patches. My makeup applies great on top of it, and especially if I have a no makeup day, or even if I wear makeup, my skin doesn’t get as oily as quickly as it would. You can buy this here*.

Priming oily skin

Makeup Revolution Conceal And Fix Mattifying Primer

This is a lightweight, translucent primer, enriched with salicylic acid to soothe the skin and help to minimise the appearance of redness and blemishes. This is a great mattifying primer and it’s been great for my spotty chin without clogging my skin. Get it here*.

So these are the products I use regularly to help keep my oily spot prone skin in the best condition it can be. Have you tried any of these or have any tips you find useful? Do you have any tips for oily skin I’ve missed? Let me know!

You might like: Dermalogica Moisturisers for Oily Skin

*This post contains affiliate links. This does not affect your purchase or cost you anymore. Please see disclaimer for further details.