5 Best Oil Cleansers For Acne Prone Skin

The right oil cleanser can effectively remove dirt and impurities while balancing your skin’s natural oils. I will discuss the best oil cleansers available for acne-prone skin, their benefits and what makes them effective.

Here are the best oil cleansers for:

Table of Contents

Combination Acne Prone Skin

Nip & Fab Ceramide Fix Cleansing Balm

The 2 in 1 solution that not only nourishes your skin but also cleanses your skin, effectively removes makeup, even around the eyes without causing irritation.
Infused with squalane, ceramides and niacinamide that deeply hydrates your skin, boosts moisture retention and promotes balance.
With the power of biolin–a natural prebiotic and bisabolol, it not only rebalance skin natural biome but also provide calming effect to your skin

Best Oil Cleansers for Sensitive Acne Prone Skin

Dermatica Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser is the best oil cleanser for sensitive acne prone skin.

A soothing formula effectively removes makeup, dirt and SPF without irritating your skin. Best suits for someone with oily or blemishes prone skin as it does not clog your pores.
It also formulates in a way to maintain the skin’s pH balance and is free from harsh soaps and sulphates. An oil-free solution which helps you to prevent breakouts without sacrificing hydration.
Rich with hydration and barrier protecting vitamins. It does not contain essential oil and fragrance

Acne Prone Skin

The ordinary Squalane Cleanser is best cleansing oil for acne prone skin as it effectively remove makeup dirt and impurities and supports skin barrier
Provides hydration as it is infused with plant-derived squalane, a well-known moisturizing agent
A non-comedogenic, soap-free and essential oil free formula.

Dry Acne Prone Skin

Peach & Lily Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser

Peach & Lily Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser, an antioxidant rich formula, infused with ginger root extract, sunflower and grapeseed oil and pineapple extract that helps to prevent pores clogging and maintain the skin balance.
Effectively cleans your makeup without need of using micellar water.

Sebaceous Filaments

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Cleanser is a great place to start if you love korean skincare products.

It’s a gentle yet effective option that removes makeup and impurities without stripping the natural moisture.
Combination of 9 ingredients –a minimalist formula is often a good sign in cleansers.
Mix of the oils that rate low on the non-comedogenic scale, but remember the non-comedogenic scale is always not reliable indicator of how the product perform on your skin

Can You Use Oil Cleanser For Oily Skin

A good cleansing oil can effectively remove excess sebum and impurities without stripping your skin’s natural barrier, making it a great choice for oily skin. This actually helps balance oil production over time. Remember that acne prone skin is acne-prone due to many types of ingredients, not just oils.

Many traditional cleansers contain harsh chemicals that irritates your skin and can lead to more breakouts

With a little trial and error, you may discover an oil that suits your skin, leaving it clean, hydrated, and less prone to acne.

Olive Oil Vs Oil-Based Cleanser

Olive oil is natural and rich in antioxidants and vitamins but does not contain surfactants that make it harder to rinse off Makeup as well as SPF and can clog pores.
Oil-based cleansers are specifically formulated with a variety of oils, often including certain ingredients to target various skin types and concerns. It also contains surfactants which help to effectively remove the oily residue.

Do Oil Cleansers Clog Pores

People with acne prone skin are much afraid of applying oil based cleanser due to their bad reputation ( for oily skin) but in my case I’m so dedicated to my oil-based cleanser because it keeps my pores clear, cleans away SPF and makeup better than a water-based cleanser.

The key lies in understanding the ingredients; not all oils are created equal. For example, lighter oils like jojoba or grapeseed can actually help balance your skin’s natural oils and prevent breakouts.

We all break out with different things. What works for one person may not work for another. If you want to choose the right oil cleanser, It’s essential to experiment and see how your skin reacts.

A best oil cleanser is the one that actually helps regulate oil production and keep your complexion clear.

Do Oil Cleanser Cause Purging

There are a lot of misconceptions about oil cleansers that they cause purging but it’s not true.

Oil cleansers do not cause purging.

A purge is where your skin gets worse before it gets better when using a new skincare product, often linked to ingredients that accelerate cell turnover.

While some users may experience breakouts when switching to an oil cleanser, this isn’t a purging, it could be due to the skin reacting to the new texture or the specific oils used in the formulation.

But if your skin reacts too much, stop using the product immediately.

Choosing A Cleansing Oil That Won’t Cause Acne

When selecting a cleansing oil for acne prone skin choose non comedogenic option like Squalene, jojoba, grapeseed oil they are less likely to clog your pores and balance oil production

Products with niacinamide and vitamin B3 can be a good options they fight with acne

I choose to avoid coconut oil–it doesn’t suit my skin and denatured alcohol.

Emulsifying Your Oil Cleanser The Right Way

Here are step by step guide for beginners to emulsify your oil cleanser

Apply Your Oil Based Cleanser To A Dry Face

The first step is to apply your oil based cleanser on your dry skin. If you apply it on your wet skin it would emulsify. Water based cleanser are apply on damp skin whereas oil-based cleansers are used on dry skin

Cleanse For One Minute

Massage the oil cleanser in circular motion for one minute to remove dirt, oil and makeup. You can skip the makeup remover.

Always Emulsify Your Oil Based Cleanser

After a minute add water into your oil based cleanser to emulsify which creates a milky texture and feels more watery. Make sure to use warm water, not hot .

Massage And Rinse

Massage the emulsified cleansing oil for 10 to 15 min, then you can move to the next step of your double cleansing.

Apply Your Water Based Cleanser

Now apply a small amount of your water based cleanser or massage for a minute.

Make sure that you should be gentle. Check out my list of water-based cleanser for acne prone skin

Benefits Of Double Cleansing For Acne Prone Skin

Double cleansing begins with oil-based to remove impurities, followed by the water-based cleanser to wash off remaining residue, ensuring a thorough deep clean. Here are the following benefits

The right cleanser helps to clear out clogged pores like Blackheads and Whiteheads.
Enhances the absorption of skincare serums
Double cleansing reduces the appearance of blemishes and acne over time.
Helps to balance excess oil without stripping skin natural moisture

Conclusion

The best oil cleansers discussed here provide gentle yet effective cleansing while nourishing the skin. By understanding the ingredients and their benefits, you can choose the right cleanser according to your skin type. The consistent use of the cleanser helps you to achieve a closer texture to glass skin.