The Best Face Cleansers for Oily, Sensitive Skin

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As someone with sensitive skin prone to breakouts, perfecting my oily skin skincare routine is an ongoing work in progress. When I finally find a face wash that works for me I tend to stick with it. These face washes for oily skin check all the boxes, from face washes with salicylic acid that fight acne to gentle face cleansers that have soothing, natural ingredients. These are the products I’ve found to be the best face cleansers for oily skin.

A face wash must do three things: remove all of my makeup, help keep oil under control and not irritate my skin. Some face cleansers for sensitive skin I’ve tried feel nice, but aren’t able to remove all of my makeup. This can cause more breakouts because my skin isn’t able to breathe. Other gentle cleansers make my skin feel even oilier, and I didn’t even think that was possible. On the other hand, some face washes for oily skin are too harsh. Instead of clearing acne, as they claim to do, they leave my skin feeling irritated, dry and tight.

While my skin will always have good days and bad days, finding the right face wash is one less thing I have to stress about. And as you may have guessed, I know a thing or two about stress-related breakouts. Here are the face cleansers I keep in rotation.

The Best Face Cleansers for Oily Skin

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Purifying Foaming Facial Wash

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Purifying Foaming Facial Wash may sound like a fancy, high-end skincare product, but it’s actually what I believe to be the best drugstore face wash for oily, sensitive skin. I’ve grown to trust this brand for helping my skincare woes and have shared how I use the brand’s moisturizer with SPF regularly. I include this La Roche-Posay face wash in my skincare routine because it’s a gentle, fragrance-free face wash that removes makeup and helps keep oil under control.

The star ingredients include ceramide-3, to help the skin retain moisture, niacinamide to soothe skin and the brand’s prebiotic thermal water, which contains minerals and antioxidants. This dermatologist-tested face wash is also fragrance-free, sulfate-free, soap-free and oil-free.

Buy it: amazon.com

Mineral Fusion Purifying Gel Face Cleanser

Another favorite face wash of mine is Mineral Fusion Purifying Gel Face Cleanser. It has a pleasant, earthy scent that I really enjoy yet no artificial fragrances. The formula contains detoxifying, mineral-rich sea clay plus botanicals that soothe and nourish skin. It’s excellent at removing makeup and doesn’t irritate my skin. Plus, if I can’t make it to Ulta or don’t have time to order online, I can usually pick it up at my local natural grocery store.

It’s hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, gluten-free, talc-free, artificial fragrance-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free and vegan.

Buy it: amazon.com

PÜR See No More Deep Pore Cleanser

I love using PÜR See No More Deep Pore Cleanser in the morning because it has a refreshing, minty scent and cooling effect on my skin from the peppermint oil in the formula. This is one of the best faces wash for oily skin because it has ingredients that oily skin loves, like lactic acid and salicylic acid, which exfoliate and clear pores, plus niacinamide that helps even out skin tone. It removes my makeup and leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean, without drying it out.

This cleanser is a bit more of a splurge, but it really does feel like a mini spa experience in a bottle. It’s also sulfate-free, gluten-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan.

Buy it: macys.com

Bésame Cold Cream

Inspired by the cold creams of yesteryear, Bésame Cold Cream has natural ingredients that do wonders for skin: sunflower seed oil is high in vitamin E, which can protect skin’s elasticity; rosehip oil, to brighten and even out skin; jojoba oil, to hydrate the skin; and matricaria flower extract, which is rich in antioxidants that can help protect your skin.

The jar of cold cream comes with a small gold spoon for scooping out product. This is to avoid having to stick your fingers in and contaminate your cold cream. It also comes with a little booklet that describes how to apply it (you can also find that information on the Bésame website). It’s kind of fun to use because you apply the cream without water, but you can see your makeup coming off the more you massage the product into your skin. Then you wipe it off with a towel or rinse off with water. I only use this product at night to remove my makeup.

This cold cream is fragrance-free, cruelty-free, paraben-free, gluten-free and mineral oil-free.

Buy it: besame.com

Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover and Cleanser

Remember when micellar waters were all the rage a few years ago? I still stand by Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water as one of the best drugstore facial cleansers. This micellar water gently removes makeup and is fragrance-free, sulfate-free and paraben-free. Additionally, if I’m traveling and only want to bring a carry-on, this drugstore makeup remover comes in a travel size that’s easy to pack.

The one downside is that since it doesn’t form a lather like most face cleansers, you have to use a cloth or cotton pad to apply it. I think the brand realized this and came out with its own reusable makeup remover pads.

Buy it: amazon.com

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