Mixed Makeup has worked through more than 30 products aimed at oily skin, from cleansers and exfoliants to setting powders and sunscreen. She approved the vast majority of them. Only a handful got a mixed take, and she skipped very few, which makes those skips all the more telling.
What does Mixed Makeup recommend for oily skin?
She keeps coming back to ingredients that actively manage oil without causing dryness. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is one she describes as revolutionary for the skincare industry, praising it for balancing, toning, and the way it feels like a layer of protection on the skin. For cleansing, she points to CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser as a reliable option that gets the job done with ingredients tolerable for all skin types, sensitive skin included. On exfoliation, she is a fan of salicylic acid in a rinse-off form, rating The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid Cleanser as a gentle way to clear clogged pores and balance oil production, and she notes that because it rinses off, it does not keep exfoliating after you wash. She also has a long-standing preference for peel pads, naming Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel Pads as something she has returned to for over a decade, though she suggests starting once or twice a week before building up frequency. Sunscreen is another strong suit: she loves EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 for its light tint and the glow it gives when reapplying over makeup.
In her words
"I love their niacinamide and zinc serum. I think it's just good for all over balancing, toning, and a lot of really good properties, and I also just love the way it feels on my skin. It feels like a layer of protection. [...] The niacinamide serum from the ordinary is a classic. [...] I feel like it was revolutionary for the skincare industry."
"The Foaming Facial Cleanser, this is one that dermatologists recommend because it's just going to clean your skin and get the job done with ingredients that are pretty tolerable for all skin types, especially for people that have sensitive skin."
"This one has chemical filters in it but I love it because it has a really beautiful light tint to it. If I need to reapply my sunscreen while I'm out I like to go for this one because I'm essentially putting like more makeup on my face. It's one of those things where if I'm wearing blush or something like that it's gonna pretty much cover it up but I don't really care because it gives me a little bit of color, it gives me a glow and it looks really pretty."
"I love peel pads like the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel. I've been using that for a long time, over a decade at this point. I always kind of go back to that. [...] If you want that manual exfoliation, I'm all about a peel pad. I would just try it out like once or twice a week to start and then move into as many times a week as you can."
"A 2% Salicylic Acid Cleanser is a really great way to get exfoliation if you have any clogged pores. Salicylic acid is a wonderful ingredient for that because it actually breaks down pores and it even helps to balance out your oil production. In a cleanser form like this it's really gentle on your skin because you are rinsing it off. It's doing its job and then it's being rinsed off, so it's not going to have this long-term effect of continuously exfoliating [...] your skin."
"I love a good pore strip. I think that people have demonized them for so long just because they don't have a good understanding of what they are. The ones that I particularly like are from Biore. I think until recently they had the OG and they've had a patent on the technology until the last few years."
How many products has Mixed Makeup reviewed for oily skin?
Mixed Makeup has reviewed 32 products for oily skin, for an approval rate of 84%. 27 approved, 3 mixed, and 2 skipped.
What has Mixed Makeup skipped for oily skin?
She skipped e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder after testing it multiple times, finding it dry and chalky on the skin. She allows it might work for mattifying the T-zone, but says it is especially drying under the eyes. She also skipped Anastasia Beverly Hills Loose Setting Powder in Vanilla, though the quote she gave does not spell out a specific reason for the skip.
"I don't like that powder. [...] I've tested [...] it out many times and I think it's really dry and kind of chalky. It feels very dry on your skin. [...] I know it works for some people, I just I didn't personally like it, especially under the eyes. I'd say it's good for T-Zone mattification, like to mattify that T-Zone oil, but under the eyes it's especially dry."
"I'm going to get ready to set with this Anastasia vanilla setting powder. I like to set pretty quickly after I apply. I just try to make sure that nothing could possibly move."
What should you take from Mixed Makeup's picks?
Mixed Makeup's record on oily skin is a confident one. She approves most of what she tries, and her picks tend to share a common thread: ingredients that control oil and clear pores without stripping the skin. Her skips are rare, and when she gives a reason, as she does with the e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder, it is a practical one worth keeping in mind.
Watch Mixed Makeup say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting PowderSkipped itWatch at 24:46
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Loose Setting Powder in VanillaSkipped itWatch at 10:24
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Rated itWatch at 11:12
- CeraVe Foaming Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 12:37
- EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46Rated itWatch at 5:11
- Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel PadsRated itWatch at 13:53
- The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid CleanserRated itWatch at 7:32
- Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore StripsRated itWatch at 13:59
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Longwear Matte FoundationRated itWatch at 9:16
- Milani Make It Last Matte Setting SprayRated itWatch at 31:17
- Dermalogica PreCleanseRated itWatch at 10:46
- MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15Rated itWatch at 14:37
- Prequel 1% Salicylic Acid CleanserRated itWatch at 4:03
- Garnier Anti-Dark Spots and Anti-Pollution Super UV SPF50 FluidRated itWatch at 22:06
- Ntorium Niacinamide Cleansing Gel 3%Rated itWatch at 3:18
- Milk Makeup Matte Cream Bronzer StickRated itWatch at 18:20
- SkinFix Resurface+ AHA BHA Enzyme Exfoliating PadsRated itWatch at 10:05
- Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting and Blotting PowderRated itWatch at 18:13
- Neogen Day-Light Protection Airy Sunscreen SPF 50Rated itWatch at 8:57
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserRated itWatch at 13:22
- NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare FoundationRated itWatch at 28:53
- Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk TonerRated itWatch at 33:42
- Prequel Lucent-C Brightening Vitamin C SerumRated itWatch at 12:37
- Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting SprayRated itWatch at 20:04
About this expert
See everything Mixed Makeup has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Mixed Makeup said across her videos about 32 products for oily skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.