Do you have oily, acne prone skin and wish it would just go away?
I have a combination skin type with the lower half of my acne prone face leaning much more towards the dry side, and my forehead leaning toward oily – however, I’ve luckily never had to deal with a complete oil slick up there.
But, sadly, I know some of you are battling some serious grease, and you want to know what to do about it.
So what’s the secrets?
1) STOP WASHING IT SO MUCH!
I know this seems counter intuitive to everything you’ve ever been told about oil and acne prone skin, but washing too much and with harsh, drying products is probably making the situation much worse.
Why?
Because sebum (your skin’s oil) is not inherently a bad thing. It’s there to lubricate your skin and protect it. When you constantly strip it of its oils, it learns that it must over produce it and it ends up producing so much that you kind of look like you smeared bacon grease on your face. Fun!
So as crazy as it sounds, you really need to cut down on the washing and switch to super gentle, natural products. Absolutely do not wash your face more than twice a day. Personally, I’d recommend washing only once a day, or you can even quit washing altogether if you’re brave.
For natural, non chemical, non drying products to use, I recommend manuka honey or just plain raw honey, or any of these natural options.
At first, your skin will definitely be really oily and you may be crying to wash it, but DON’T DO IT! Soon your skin will learn that you won’t be stripping it bare assed naked against its will all the time, and will begin to naturally stop producing so much oil.
PS – This trick also works for your hair.
2) Only Wash with Luke Warm Water
Hot water is super drying, and also irritating to acne prone skin. Using it will encourage over production of oil. So only wash your face with tepid water, and try to turn the heat down a notch in the shower if you can.
3) Improve Your Diet and Lifestyle
If you have already cut back on all the washing and products and hot water, but still find yourself a bit oily, then you will have to dig further to resolve the problem. This is because oil production is triggered internally by hormonal reactions that are influenced by your diet and lifestyle.
Improving your diet means cutting back on processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, and a few other tweaks depending on your situation. You may also want to try cutting dairy out of your diet for a while, as for many people, the hormones in milk products can have a big influence on acne and oil production.
Other lifestyle factors to improve include getting more exercise, lowering your stress levels, getting more sunshine, and sleeping better.
If you want more help with all this stuff (because it sounds oh-so-simple in a little paragraph like this, but obviously takes much more to really put into action), check out my ebook Ultimate Secrets to Acne Freedom.
4) If You Use Moisturizer, Cut Back or Stop
If your skin is already full of moisture, why bother putting more on there?
5) Instead of Conventional Moisturizer, Try Using Oil Instead
Yes, yes, I know. Much like the tip about “stop washing so much”, it may seem completely counter intuitive to want to put MORE oil on your already oily skin.
But despite what it sounds like, it’s not like dumping gasoline on a campfire.
Oil can do two things for your skin:
- Trick your skin into thinking that it’s already produced enough oil, therefore, getting it to stop overproducing it, and
- It can mix with the hardened sebum in your pores and dissolve it, allowing plugs (whiteheads and blackheads) to disappear for good.
Think about it – oil and water don’t mix, so how do you expect it to get into your pores and unclog them? Oil can do that. Like dissolves like.
My personal recommendation for an oil to use is jojoba oil. It’s especially suited for oily skin, and has a great track record for helping with acne. However, there are tons of other oils you can use, and so I suggest you read this article here for more ideas.
6) Try Using Milk of Magnesium
This quirky little trick is inexpensive and easy to use, and you can find milk of magnesium at any run-of-the-mill pharmacy or drug store. Just shake the bottle, apply a layer to clean, wet skin, and rinse it off 5 to 10 minutes later.
Apparently it works like a dream for oily skin without making it a flakey, gross mess on top of the oil. This is all according to this lady, anyway, which is where I got the idea (and also where I stole the picture at the top! Thanks!)
Get This Info In Video Format:
I made a video of all this for the youtube crowd, so if you prefer to watch rather than read, you can do that below. Note that it’s pretty much the exact same info as above, so don’t bother if you’ve already read it!
Oil No More
Okay, I hope you enjoyed this article 
Don’t forget to share it around the interwebs if you did.
Do you have oily skin? If so, have you found a magic formula for keeping the oil away?
Hey Tracy,
I too have combination skin like you.. I am thinkinging of doing another caveman soon! I noticed my skin got about 50% better last time I did it, just have to remove the dead mask right next time!
What about grapeseed oil or almond oil.. Have you ever tried these on your face before?
Hi Kim – I personally haven’t experimented with many oils, but there’s plenty of different oils you can use on your skin, some are better for certain skin types than others… read this article for ideas if you haven’t already:
http://www.thelovevitamin.com/3103/that-oil-is-ours-basic-skincare-with-oils/
Thanks Tracy,
Very helpful link!
What about using distilled water for washing your face? Although here in Germany the tap water quality is supposed to be very good (for drinking at least) the water is super chalky and it seems to be damaging my skin, as it is drying and might be a reason my pores get clogged so easily. I had this idea already much earlier, but somehow always went back to using tap water thinking it cannot be bad since everyone around me is using it aswell. I tried bottled water (like Volvic) for a while, which gets complicated and expensive. Only two days ago I thought of buying a container of distilled water, and my skin already feels softer. However, there are a lot of rumours, at least in German internet forums, that distilled water is bad for you.
some links on the topic:
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/archive/index.php/t-4863.html
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/315591-my-personal-acne-solution-distilled-water/
http://skinclear.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Get-Rid-of-Acne—Hard-vs-Soft-Water
Hi Eva – yes I think that using tap water to wash the face,in some cases, can be very irritating. To be honest, I think this is part of the reason that the “no water” caveman thing works – it removes the irritating tap water.
Of course, using some other type of water would be the alternative, as you are doing. I don’t know a lot about distilled water, but it sounds like it’s not good for drinking regularly because it’s devoid of minerals… but I don’t see why it would be a problem to use it on your face. If it works, it works
Oily skin is such a pain. I could never understand people complaining about dry skin because I would always think “big deal, just slap some moisturizer on it a couple times a day”…obviously I know for some people it’s not that simple but I would get so frustrated with my oily skin over the years that dry skin would’ve been a dream come true.
I definitely agree with you that diet makes a difference. I found out a couple months ago I’m allergic to gluten and eggs so out they went. I’ve been eating paleo (no grains, no dairy, no processed sugary food) for a month and a half. My skin is less oily (still pretty oily but not as bad) and my acne is dramatically reduced (and I have PCOS so inflammed, cystic acne was a daily/regular occurrance).
Also, I recently switched to Bare Minerals (BareEscentuals) make-up. I have so many pigmentation scars and since my skin is so oily, there’s no way I could go make-up free (maybe some day). I cannot say enough good things about Bare Minerals! Instead of having to touch up my face every couple hours due to the constant oil slick, I only need to touch up a couple times a day. And it hasn’t made me break-out at all. So for any ladies looking for a suitable foundation or face powder for your oily, acne prone, sensitive skin, I would definitely suggest giving it a try!
Hey Shantess – thanks for your perspective, and the suggestions! Glad to hear you’ve managed to cut back the oil and the acne
Does anyone else find they crave fruit more in the summer than any other month?
I do! It makes sense… summer is hot… fruit is hydrating!
Hey Tracy,
I read that green tea extract is very effective against oily skin (scientific studies). I havent tested yet but I’m gonna try topical application of matcha tea.
Oh yes
is that to drink or to use topically? Green tea can be quite good for acne both internally and externally, so give it a try and let us know how it goes!
The study was made with a topical cream of 2% green tea extract.
Hi Tracy
Perhaps this isn’t the right article for this question,
but wondering what is the recommended method of removing the mask of dead skin when doing the caveman method?
Hmm… well, you could use a baby brush to gently dry exfoliate it…. I used just a wet finger going gently in a circle to exfoliate it away. Some people use wet muslin cloth. Just be as gentle as possible, whatever you do.
hey tracy! hope everything is going well
I just had a random question that I think you’d know how to answer … I’m going volunteering at a camp next week, and I have heard that we get barely any sleep and eat camp food.
I want to stay healthy and most of all be energized for the kids — I usually go to sleep around 9 to 9:30, so clocking out at 12-1 AM will be very tough. Do you know of supplements and suggestions to keep me healthy and energized?
so far i have vitamin d, vitamin b complex/c
and that’s all. lol.
Hi Jeff,
You’re going to camp and you’re going to eat camp food and you’re going to stay up late, and you can’t change that, so the best thing you can do is go and have the most fun you can possibly have and not even think TWICE about your skin. And I think that’s the best thing you can do for keeping your skin clear.
All I can say is just go with the flow
Hey, Tracy, Speaking of oil… I just wanted to stop by and wonder a little wonder at you and/or anyone who is reading. I was, for at least a month, I’d say, using EVOO to remove my makeup. At first, it seemed great; my skin was at its best-yet condition, and I wasn’t using any harsh chemicals… But then, with a hefty dose of stress, suddenly my skin began looking very clogged… I was in denial and didn’t want to stop with the EVOO, but eventually I did. My skin is clearing up a lot again, and I have some confidence that it’s not diet-related… But how much could this be stress-related?? I’m now wondering, WTF… I’d heard EVOO wouldn’t clog pores, but it seems it may have..?
My question is two-fold:
(1) Tracy, when you do have your “minor breakouts” as you mention from time to time, are they as frightening as multiple spots on multiple facial areas…? Like do they seem totally out of control and does your skin overall seem to transform to a worse condition/ or do you retain the good condition and just have a bit of inflammation? (My recent bout feels like it was a total failure of my skin organ)…
(2) What the heck can we *reliably* use for makeup remover??
WOW, I’m a dummy…
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/53528.aspx
Apparently, EVOO is not recommended for regular use on the skin… durrr. My 11-year-old self could have told me that. I was high on the idea that natural products were great and that my skin was FIXED from the inside. Whoops.
Back to makeup removing towlettes for now… Maybe some kind of almond milk option? Anybody tried anything that works and won’t clog your skin even with daily use?
Hi Annie,
It does seem like it’s important to find an oil that works with your skin, because it seems like every common oil that people use on their skin, some people have glorious results and others break out from it. Olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, the works…
Many people do say that olive oil is too heavy, and maybe it’s also an issue that many extra virgin olive oils are not as virgin and high quality and pure as they claim. Also, not quite sure what else to recommend for makeup remover, except a different kind of oil. Have you tried jojoba oil?
Hey Annie and all,
I have combination type skin lk Tracy, oily on forehead and dry around chin area.. So i heard coconut oil is good for that, so ive tried for like 2 days, so far I live the texture it gives my skin, so smooth.. I cant say whether it has improved my acne yet, but it has evened out my skkn tone!
Hope this helps
http://www.acne.org/coconut-oil-reviews/474/page1.html
Cool; thanks, ladies. I need major help, emotionally and practically… I’m kind of freaked out right now and won’t be using anything but manuka/jojoba on my face for awhile… I broke out seriously badly, like on the sides of my face where I usually would get one spot every four months or something… but like 10. WTF. I’m so confused… I’d been using jojoba so I know it’s not that… It started like 3 weeks ago, when I started a new job and also very busy summer classes, and ALSO Bikram yoga (which is totally all about sweating and detoxing)… But I would remove my makeup in between work and yoga with EVOO and then use the EVOO again at night to remove my second application of makeup. The good news is that I’m not getting anything new now, and my skin looks nice again (if you manage to completely avoid the glaring acne interrupting it).
This has seriously SCARRED ME in TWO HORRIBLE WAYS, and I want to figure this out so it NEVER happens again… obvi
Possible culprits? (either/or/and…)
(1) extended and extensive use of EVOO
(2) Bikram detox
(3) Something I’m eating or not eating?? (Always a possibility…)
(4) Not enough H2O for all the Bikram and running I do?
(5) Non-organic jojoba (was using organic before this bottle)
(6) Slacking on my vitamins
(7) Stress: Very noticeably more significant over the last 4 weeks…
Oh, GAWD.
It’s obvious, isn’t it?
Why does it have to be SO hard? Wahh…
Hi Annie – don’t be so hard on yourself. If you think it’s the EVOO, just believe it’s the evoo, don’t use it again and don’t live life in fear
Thanks for the support
It’s crazy how awful this stuff can feel. I’m still spotted, but healing emotionally and, slowly, on the outside. 
I actually thought of your words a few times over the last couple of days, and it’s helped a lot to have that voice that says, ‘Decide it’s that, and live your live like it is’ kind of a thing…
I do think it was that. EVOO, that is. But I also think my sensitivity/vulnerability was triggered primarily by (1) stress and (2) lack of water.
I’ve been super busy (major exercise, two jobs, two classes) and honestly not handling it all that well, emotionally. It’s classic stress; I couldn’t get myself to slow down long enough to listen to what my body was telling me… My skin was definitely going from glowing to dull before the breakout really hit… Cortisol, affected sleep, anxiety, and no water to counteract any of it.
So, yeah, then my pores got clogged with the olive oil and makeup I was wearing to almost all of these activities. Of course. Sadly, when we’re busy and broken out, we don’t get much of a chance for our skin to breathe and heal… Worse, *there’s no way I was drinking enough water* every day. I kept a pretty perfect diet, but I did slack on the water front more and more over time — It’s a point for me to work on, for sure.
Oily skin is genetic. There’s nothing I can do since both my parents have severely oily skin regardless if I change my diet or not.
Have you tried all these suggestions?
I am not sure how to NOT wash my face too much
I work out almost everyday. For example I put makeup on for work then go to gym after. I rinse my face in the morning, wash my makeup off for the gym, rinse my face after the gym to get the sweat off, then wash it with honey at night…I feel like separately all good reasons to wash, but together TOO MUCH.
What do you recommend for those of us who work out almost everyday (also a good clear skin practice and def needed for my stress) but don’t want to over wash?
Also if I want to wear makeup in public (ultimate goal is no makeup but I am not there yet :/) and have something in the morning and evening, do you recommend wash the makeup off for the afternoon to let the skin breathe? or is it best to let it alone and just wash at night?
Hi Krista,
Well, if it was me… I would skip washing in the morning, wash my makeup off before the gym with honey, then either let the sweat dry or just lightly towel it off… and then… not wash my face again the rest of the night. I know, I know… to many, not washing sweat off sounds blasphemous, so you have to decide for yourself what you are willing to do – but this is what I would do.
I have had the same concerns, and I’ve found it best to do what Tracy has written above, with one exception. Because of the bacteria that grows when sweat is left on the skin for too long, I rinse my face with water after working out. When my skin is otherwise healthy and properly moisturized (from the inside and out), it handles this just fine.
Thank you for the feedback Tracy!
when you say “not wash” does that include water only washing as well? I usually at least splash my face in the AM and like Annie said after the gym. I am really trying to wear less makeup but my red scars make me SO self-conscious…when I do wear makeup, is it best to let it go for the day or remove/reply depending when I need it?
Also is it possible to get a “dead skin” mask when the face is healing? my face isn’t dry but almost textured. I stopped using topical meds and it’s been like that since. Unless it’s too much aloe or lemon?
Yes, when I say not wash, I mean no water either. And if you wear makeup, wash it off once a day (and that should be when you use the honey or whatever you’re using).
And yes, the dead skin mask is very normal… read my articles about the caveman regimen… just pop “caveman regimen” into my site’s search bar, up at the top on the menu bar there, and it will come up with all the articles and videos
thanks again for the feedback
I looked into the caveman regimen…so I think I have the congestion/fine sand paper textured skin right now like you had (esp on my forehead)! Is that the same as “dead skin mask” or is that more dry,flaky skin? Also, should I do anything or since you said it’s normal I should just stick it out and smooth skin will eventually come back?…Is it because my skin is trying to regulate itself and this is only temporary? :/
It was different than the dead skin mask (dead skin mask is flakes, congestion is just rough texture), but yeah… both seemed to be signs of healing and both went away for me… so I say stick it out!
thanks for the encouragement that it’s part of the healing! my whole face is congested/rough and it’s starting to get to me :/ So you did nothing different in order for the congestion to go away? Just stick with the honey and aloe (I use occasional olive oil for dryness)? Also, did your face itch occasionally when it was healing?
@krista for me, my face just started getting a mask that was visible / skin was really really bumpy. I managed to just ignore it, though it was pretty visible and people wondered if I was sick or something … there was basically brown patches on my skin. after a month, it was super soft after I washed off the mask. however, my marks were still there. so, i’m not really sure how much it actually helped, but it pushed me in the right direction.
just fyi, right now I’m just using water and my skin is doing fine. I also started taking 5000 iu vitamin d a few weeks ago, so that may be a factor as well.
even though total caveman may not work for some people, the concept is great. less = better!
Hey Tracy! I was wondering.. Would Bacon cause my face to produce more oil? I mean.. Bacon itself is pretty greasy so wouldn’t that contribute to my already oily face?
Also.. if it’s still possible to eat Bacon, should I eat Tulip Bacon or should I get a big bulk of bacon and cut it to slices? I’ve heard that Tulip bacon isn’t as healthy as getting a big bulk of bacon meat and cut it out in slices?
I don’t know, I don’t quite believe that fat and grease in food = grease on your face….. but it depends. If the grease is from damaged oils and fats full of Omega 6 fatty acids, then this could definitely show up on your face.
But as far as stable, undamaged saturated fats from healthy raised farm animals, then…. no. I eat tons of this, I really don’t think it translates into oily skin.
The challenge is finding bacon from a healthy pig, which in my experience isn’t very easy to find! I don’t know anything about Tulip bacon, sorry
I see! That’s okay.
I’ll research it more than! Thanks for the reply!
I have had oily skin since I can remember. After washing my face with just soap and distilled water, my skin was less oily throughout the day and my skin is clearing up.
Have also been drinking distilled water for a week and feeling less irritated and more energetic.
Tracy, if you wash once per day, what do you do about sunscreen? I don’t feel right putting sunscreen over an unwashed face, but I have to wash my face at night. It just seems happier if I do that versus morning.
Also, my pores are clogging up and I’m breaking out like crazy trying to go back to washing once a day, but my skin is more soft, supple, and happy in other ways. It actually seems like an improvement to me, even though my skin’s more broken out; it’s weird. But I’m conerned about long-term damage from the crazy amount of pore clog/breaking out going on. Do you think the pores will probably start clearing themselves eventually once my skin gets used to it? I know there are no guarantees; I’m just curious if you’ve seen this in your experience! If not, any recommendations for helping clear out the gunk? I got a mild glycolic peel once; it didn’t irritate my skin and gave great results.
Hi Amanda,
Personally I would advise ditching the sunscreen. Honestly, it’s okay to get a little bit of sun on the face, in fact it’s healthy. Reserve sunscreen for if you really need it, like you’re spending a whole day in the sun with no shade or hat or the sun is scorching hot. I never put sunscreen on my face and rely on a hat.
So yeah, in order to see what’s really going on with your skin, give the sunscreen a break, continue to wash once a day at night and let your skin find its balance on its own without the chemicals
I was suffering from acne but after taking treatment it almost went but after 3 months it started now again
actually this acne started when i joined a job so for that my city change ,my food change ,my life style change ..please help me Tracy I m a Eggitarian person ….
Sounds like stress acne!!
Ya after joing job stress level increase can u please suggest me what to do ???any meditation ,exercise ,any specific meal???coz in next 6 months i m getting married.so i want a clear skin as soon as it can…
Hi Tracy,
I have been trying to switch off Proactiv to all natural, gentle cleansing using a natural cleanser and raw honey. It’s been two months that I’ve slowly weaned myself off, but now that I’m not using it at all, lots of tiny pimples are beginning to form all over my face. Today I caved and put a little of the third step of Proactiv on the pimples and they immediately shrunk down.
My question is — does using a little bit of BP completely negate what I was doing with the natural products/honey? Can I continue using the honey and just put a little BP cream on for pimples until the pimples just don’t spring up anymore? What do you think?
I can’t really afford to have a bad looking face as I am on stage a lot. So the BP has been keeping this all at bay
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Sylvia,
Well, this is something that is up to you – what was your goal with using natural cleansers? I assume it was to have less acne? Or was there a different reason (less dry, more vibrant skin, etc?)
If it was to have less acne, and using a little bit of Proactiv works, then… it works! And it’s up to you if you are okay with using the chemicals. If you are, then yay. If not, then stop using it and ride out the pimples… it’s pretty normal to have rebound breakouts after quitting benzoyl. You could try weaning off it instead of going off it cold turkey too to lessen these if you decide you don’t want to use it.
Thanks for your answer, Tracy! I guess what I am really asking is, does using the Proactiv (which prevents breakouts but doesn’t solve the inner problem) negate the work of raw honey (which I have heard draws out the impurities)? Am I keeping the acne in a constant cycle of being muted, then being brought out/purged? Because I’m still using a little Proactiv, does that mean my skin will always be confused about how much oil to produce until I finally just quit all together?
I definitely do NOT want to use chemicals any longer, but I also cannot afford to look terrible in my line of work right now. I just want to slowly, very slowly end this chemical cycle… but I want to make sure that I’m actually making progress and not just addicting my skin to a new regimen where I use just a bit of the BP.
Thank you!
Hi Sylvia,
I don’t really know how honey and benzoyl interact with each other and what affect that has. The only way to know for sure what your skin wants to do naturally to regulate itself is to quit the BP and see. In the end, I can’t say that I know what your skin is going to do. You have to decide what is worth it, and if you can’t handle having some breakouts because of your work, then I say stick with using some BP, especially if it keeps you consistently clear and that’s what you really need right now!
Tracy u told its kind of stress Acne .Please guide me how to get rid of it ???what should be the exercise include in my daily routine,some special meal or fruits ,or any supllement???? Please Help me Tracy
Hi Isha, have you downloaded my free ebook yet? It will give you some ideas.. sign up at the top of the right sidebar there
Hi Tracy, i wanted to ask if blotting the oil of my face would make it produce even more oil?
Hmm.. well I don’t think so, but I am not sure. I do know that those oil blotting pads are full of chemicals :/
Yeah i think so too. Anyyway, i tried the cavemen regime and it worked for me! Thank you!
But my face is still a little oily and i don’t know if letting the oil sit on my face would cause more acne. Is it okay if i use tissue paper to blot it off?
Yep, that should be fine
I have the WORST oily skin problem, and I use the Complexion Scrub from the Shielo brand. Its wonderful for people with oily skin. It cleans my skin and doesnt dry my face out. I have somewhat sensitive skin, and to finally find a good face wash that doesnt make my face break out because of dryness is quite the discovery for me. I still have to put moisturizer on my skin afterwards. It doesnt make it moist, but it does keep from doing damage. It also lasts a long time; it only takes one or maybe two pumps to wash my face. I love it!
i have really oily skin, from my teens im now 26, i wash my face in hot water only and a face wash while having daily shower, i also suffer with greasy hair !!! i drink lots of tea (black) what do you think would help my skin ,could it be my diet xx
Hi Amy, try the suggestions in this article
hi hellook Im going to d it but i you hve to use make up every day for wok wcan i washmy fce wha can i use
Hey Tracy!
My skin is OILY! I tries EVERYTHING possible. Nothing works! Im honestly fed up! Especially when i have to go out/ to university…my skin gets soo oily especially below my eyes & on+around my nose! I’m starting to hate my skin!
Please help me! I feel like im gonna end up peeling off my skin. Its starting to get unbearable. I cant wear any make up because soon it starts to get greasy & all smudged & i end up looking like i did my make up with my eyes closed!
Please help me!
Hi Jewel – have you tried the suggestions offered in this article?
Hi Tracy,
I have big problem in my oily and unclearly face. I have lots and very small acne in whole my forehead and my cheeks. So I’m pregnant and I have some acne before but when I got pregnant I got more and more acne, that makes me really annoyed. ):
well can it remove pimples as well as scars if we have becoz i really want clean face. how much time it will take can u help. my skin is oily and even if i do not wash then i get more acne becoz its oily oily and i really feel bad. and when it dry its very bad.
Has anyone had any luck in treating oily skin with the Milk of Magnesia? I’m reluctant to try it as I’ve read that the pH of the product is 10.5, whereas our skin requires a pH of 4-5 in order to function effectively.
Hi Tracy, I used Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System, is it good for oily skin? Or is it too harsh for my oily skin?
ma face is oily
I need natural way to prevent oily skin please help
Hey darling, have you tried the methods suggested in this article?