Doctorly is two dermatologists, and oily skin is clearly their comfort zone. They have worked through more than 30 products in this category and found a lot to like. Their approval rate sits at 77%, and they named a handful of category winners.
What does Doctorly recommend for oily skin?
Lightweight textures come up again and again in their approving takes. They praised the Numbuzin No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence SPF 50 as one of the most underrated Korean sunscreens out there. People with oily skin call it perfect, they said, and it still feels hydrating. The La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer got flagged as a strong summer choice for the same reason. For exfoliation, they called Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant a great starting point for anyone with oily or blemish-prone skin. And the Medicube Zero Pore Pads earned a high compliment: one of them called it probably his favourite product, praising how it tackles pores and texture without upsetting sensitive skin. He uses it twice a week, on the days he skips his retinoid.
Doctorly's oily skin picks, in their words
"I'm not a big dry shampoo person, but I really like this one, and my wife likes this one, and all the women in my life are obsessed with this dry shampoo. The feedback on this has been so positive that they've convinced me that this is the best dry shampoo on the market. Currently 48 dollars."
"I bought Geek and Gorgeous's cleansing balm when I was in Germany, [...] it was really affordable, [...] close to maybe ten or under fifteen dollars. It's a really nice cleansing balm, a bit on the softer side, but incredible at removing things without stripping the skin. It's one of my favorite cleansing balms I've ever tried."
"I'm a big fan, it's on the best list for me. [...] I would not say this is a vitamin C serum personally. I would say this has other benefits in it. I would use it in the morning after cleansing before applying my sunscreen and I would use it as my antioxidant and lightening brightening serum for complexion. It has a lot of added benefits and the vitamin C not being the heavy hitter here, and for $17 I think it packs a big punch."
"I like Then I Met You's cleansing balm, [...] it's more of an oily cleansing balm rather than a stiffer one. It's a [...] really nice experience, really great at removing anything on the skin without overly stripping. It's a phenomenal product."
"I love these green tea toners, I really do recommend the Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner in the office to patients too. Love it to start off your routine if you have oily skin, which you very well likely do. [...] These feel good, they're functional, they're great."
"One of my favorites here is the Vichy Mattify Sorbet. The brand never puts any ad spin behind it, I've complained to them in person and on social media, but it still just needs more love. It has incredible aesthetics, incredible visual, incredible feel, and it helps absorb oil."
How many products has Doctorly reviewed for oily skin?
Doctorly has reviewed 62 products for oily skin, for an approval rate of 79%. 49 approved, 6 mixed, and 7 skipped.
What has Doctorly skipped for oily skin?
Two of their skips came with an especially clear reason. On Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster, they pointed out that all the studies showing niacinamide works, for brightening, barrier support and collagen, were done at 5% or less. So they argued there is no clinical case for doubling that dose, and that a higher amount raises the chance of irritation without adding any benefit. The Bubble Break Even Balancing Toner got skipped because rose water mixed with fragrant essential oil derivatives can irritate skin. On top of that, they said the formula does not bring enough active ingredients to earn a place in a routine that already has a vitamin C or niacinamide serum doing the real work.
"On top of that, you add in denatured alcohol. For people who have sensitive skin, now you have a low pH product, you have a notoriously unstable ingredient, you have fragrance in the product, and it's not particularly cheap either. This is probably one of my least favorite, but popular, vitamin C products. I was talking about this product at work and the nurses who love fragrance, even they were like it's too strong."
"This sunscreen is absolutely awful. I'm not even joking, it's probably one of the worst sunscreens I've ever tried in my life. Extremely disappointed in this purchase. [...] It's very green and clumpy. It leaves a terrible green white cast. I don't know who, like maybe if you have a super light skin tone it could look better on you, but if you have any tan at all this thing leaves a terrible, terrible white cast, a white green cast. It's even worse than a white cast."
"At 20% you're really quite far off of the ideal concentration balancing effectiveness and utility and irritation. So this one, the 20%, really I think is just unnecessary. You can just use the 10% and you don't need to find a way forward from there. [...] 10% is more than enough than what you need from my angle."
"It's not that there's anything intrinsically wrong with this. It is niacinamide 10%, it's not that expensive, it's very straightforward, and you will see me promoting 10% niacinamide products because that's mostly all that's out there and I love niacinamide. However, just compare it to its counterpart. This doesn't need to live in their lineup. That's basically it. This doesn't need to exist with what they already have in terms of product selection. So I wouldn't gravitate towards that one."
What should you take from Doctorly's picks?
Doctorly's record on oily skin is generous but focused. They reward products that are light, functional and well-dosed. Their named winners, among them the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser, the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Moisturizer, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream and the Cetaphil Derma Control Oil Absorbing Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 30, all reflect that same thinking. Their message on the skips is just as clear: in their view, a higher concentration is not evidence of a better product, and fragrance in a toner rarely pulls its weight.
Watch Doctorly say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- SkinCeuticals C E FerulicNamed a winnerWatch at 12:38
- CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 13:06
- Trader Joe's Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40Named a winnerWatch at 7:59
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte MoisturizerNamed a winnerWatch at 20:59
- Bubble Day Dream Vitamin C + Niacinamide Tone & Texture SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 4:16
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 3:12
- K18 Airwash Dry ShampooNamed a winnerWatch at 10:36
- Cetaphil Derma Control Oil Absorbing Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 30Named a winnerWatch at 3:43
- La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 SerumSkipped itWatch at 32:52
- Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV Sunscreen SPF50 ClearSkipped itWatch at 14:04
- Paula's Choice Niacinamide 20% TreatmentSkipped itWatch at 16:08
- Minimalist Niacinamide 10% SerumSkipped itWatch at 18:12
- Bubble Break Even Balancing TonerSkipped itWatch at 6:11
- Minimalist Alpha Lipoic Plus Glycolic Acid CleanserSkipped itWatch at 7:43
- Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster with 2% Mandelic Acid and Lactic AcidSkipped itWatch at 15:21
- Geek & Gorgeous 101 Mighty Melt Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 9:09
- Then I Met You Living Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 8:47
- Isntree Green Tea Fresh TonerRated itWatch at 14:12
- Vichy Mineral 89 48-Hour Moisture Boosting Matte SorbetRated itWatch at 4:50
- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling SolutionRated itWatch at 13:03
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 4:21
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 SPF 50+Rated itWatch at 14:34
- Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 13:45
- Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 40Rated itWatch at 13:40
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Doctorly said across their videos about 62 products for oily skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products they approved. It is general information, not medical advice.