No BS Beauty has a clear standard for oily skin, and she sticks to it. She reviewed 51 products in this space, landing a Guru Score of 73%. She named three as category winners: The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask, PSA Skin Follow the Light Mask, and Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum.
What does No BS Beauty recommend for oily skin?
Lightweight, fragrance-free formulas are the clearest pattern across her approvals. When Neutrogena updated the Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid to be fragrance-free and added amino acids, she said it impressed her in a way she does not usually expect from that brand. She also looks closely at soothing backup ingredients, not just the main active. On SkinFix Barrier Balancing Water Cream, she called out zinc PCA for oilier and acne-prone skin, alongside niacinamide and peptides. She said the brand knocked it out of the park with that one.
In their words
"Geek and Gorgeous came out with a sunscreen and I've been using this one a lot too, it's almost finished."
"Neutrogena reformulated their Hydro Boost line and this is the new version which is fragrance free. They added a lot of amino acids which are nice to see, amino acid skin identical ingredients in this new formula. So they took something super simple that people loved and added some good ingredients to it and I'm really happy with it. The texture and everything else is nearly the same. They just added some nice ingredients. Typically Neutrogena they don't go out of the way to impress customers like me but this did impress me. I was pretty happy with it."
"Neutrogena has a really nice tinted sunscreen."
"Geek & Gorgeous Hydration Station Moisturizer is just a nice basic simple moisturizer. [...] If you have normal to oily skin, it's great, or for summer. This one's really nice for me for summer when I don't need quite as much moisture. In addition to ectoine, this one also has Bisabolol, which is a great soothing ingredient. It's got Allantoin, which is a great soothing ingredient, and xylitol, which is a sugar-derived humectant, a really nice product. It has a [...] really nice texture to it and ends up being a nice non-sticky finish."
"First up is the Geek and Gorgeous Smooth Out liquid exfoliant. This one has 10% glycolic acid and 2% lactic acid. Also contains prickly pear extract, panthenol, and xylitol, which are all three great soothing ingredients. This one is literally a liquid, you can just pat it onto skin. This little bottle, [...] probably an ounce, lasts me quite a while. [...] You get a ton out of it. If you put it on a cotton pad, it won't go as far, but if you just use it as a liquid and pat it on, a little bit of it goes a long way. [...] No scent, no fragrance, no alcohol, it's wonderful. Geek and Gorgeous has three different exfoliants, but if you're looking for anti-aging out of all three, this is the one you want to go to."
"Barrier Balancing Water Cream has [squalane], niacinamide, acetyl hexapeptide, heptapeptide 4, and zinc PCA for oilier or acne prone skin. Really nice gel cream texture to it. Soaks in really nice. No scent to it. Really nice packaging. They knocked it out of the park with this product because I didn't really think they could include a new moisturizer in their lineup without changing the lineup too much and they included this and it seemingly fits in perfect with all their other stuff."
How many products has No BS Beauty reviewed for oily skin?
No BS Beauty has reviewed 51 products for oily skin, for a Guru Score of 73%. 37 approved, 7 mixed, and 7 skipped.
What has No BS Beauty skipped for oily skin?
Her clearest skip was Medicube Zero Pore Pad. It packs in multiple essential oils, including bergamot, rosemary, lavender, and citrus peels, with denatured alcohol as the fourth ingredient and lactic acid as the exfoliant. She said that combination could do more damage than good, especially for acne-prone skin, and advised against using it at all. She also found The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser too drying, though she was clear it is not a terrible formula.
"First Aid Beauty Coconut Water Cream, this was in my travel bag [...] and it's pretty much empty and I opened it and there's like it was just dried up so there's nothing left of that."
"I don't have the stick version because I I hated that one. I'm just pretend like it didn't happen but it worked well for a lot of people so whatever."
"This product contains a ton of bergamot oil, rosemary oil, lavender oil, orange peel oil, grapefruit peel oil, and lime, orange, and lemon extract. It also contains denatured alcohol as the fourth ingredient after the lactic acid. I have a feeling this product could probably do much more damage and irritation to skin, especially acne-prone skin, than it would be beneficial. The ingredients are very drying, and in addition to all of those essential oils which can be very irritating, they include denatured alcohol and then on top of an exfoliant. Lactic acid should be paired with another soothing ingredient or used in a routine with another soothing ingredient. I really think this product could do much more damage than good. I would caution against using this at all."
"They also have their glycolipid cream and their Glucoside Foaming Cleanser and I didn't really love either one of these. I found these to be too drying. I mean they're not terrible products but for my skin that's super dry I just found this to be too drying."
What should you take from No BS Beauty's picks?
For oily skin, No BS Beauty's record is a practical guide. She approves most of what she reviews, but her yes always comes with close attention to texture, fragrance, and whether the formula backs its actives up with something soothing. Her three named category winners are the clearest sign of what she values. Her ingredient warnings are specific, detailed, and worth applying beyond the individual products she reviewed. The combination she flagged most clearly is essential oils and alcohol used alongside an exfoliant acid. She said that mix can do more damage than good for acne-prone skin.
Watch No BS Beauty say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% MaskNamed a winnerWatch at 7:22
- PSA Skin Follow the Light MaskNamed a winnerWatch at 6:30
- Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 3:22
- First Aid Beauty Coconut Water CreamSkipped itWatch at 6:16
- Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun StickSkipped itWatch at 0:15
- Medicube Zero Pore PadSkipped itWatch at 7:12
- The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming CleanserSkipped itWatch at 9:20
- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling SolutionSkipped itWatch at 12:27
- I'm From Mugwort EssenceSkipped itWatch at 6:49
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Skipped itWatch at 7:46
- Geek & Gorgeous Zero Feel SPF 50Rated itWatch at 0:37
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 10:07
- Neutrogena Pure Screen Mineral UV Tint Face LiquidRated itWatch at 7:58
- Geek & Gorgeous Hydration Station MoisturizerRated itWatch at 7:46
- Geek & Gorgeous Smooth OutRated itWatch at 2:24
- SkinFix Barrier Balancing Water CreamRated itWatch at 6:53
- Dr Sam's SunscreenRated itWatch at 0:20
- Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHARated itWatch at 9:05
- Bioderma Photoderm Aqua FluidRated itWatch at 3:26
- Tirtir Matcha TonerRated itWatch at 7:10
- Good Molecules Mandelic Acid SerumRated itWatch at 2:23
- Dr Sam's Flawless Neutralizing GelRated itWatch at 8:55
- COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment TonerRated itWatch at 2:55
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Aqua Fresh SPF 50Rated itWatch at 3:35
About this expert
See everything No BS Beauty has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what No BS Beauty said across their videos about 51 products for oily skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The Guru Score is our read on how warmly they talk about them. It is general information, not medical advice.