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Just because your skin is oily doesn't mean you can skip moisturizer. This is especially true if you're also using potentially drying products that contain ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to help combat your skin's tendency to break out. Let your skin get too dry, and your sebaceous glands will freak out and start producing oil like crazy. A moisturizer with sunscreen will help keep your skin healthy and protect against sun damage.
The Best Sunscreen Ingredients
Sunscreen is actually great for oily skin because it helps control your skin's oil production and minimizes shine, "Allure" magazine explains. Ideally, look for a moisturizer with sun protection that contains minerals that soak up excess oil, such as titanium dioxide or micronized zinc. Not only will the combination protect your skin from sun damage -- which can cause everything from wrinkles to skin cancer -- it can also help improve your skin's overall appearance.
The Best Moisturizing Ingredients
When it comes to hydration, look for a lightweight, lotion-like moisturizer that's noncomedogenic and water based. The last thing you need is a heavy cream that will slip into your pores and clog them up over the course of the day. If your oily skin is particularly prone to pimples, pick a moisturizer with a small amount of glycolic acid or salicylic acid to keep your pores clear.
The Best Way to Apply It
To keep your moisturizer from clogging up your pores, use a light hand to apply it, focusing on the areas of your face that tend to be drier. Once you've finished smoothing on your moisturizer, spread a tissue over your face and use your fingertips to lightly pat around the area. The tissue will soak up any moisturizer that's still sitting on the surface of your skin, makeup artist Angela Levin says in "Elle" magazine.
Some Pro Picks
New moisturizers pop up all the time and old brands get discontinued, so you can't go wrong knowing what ingredients make the best sun protection moisturizer for oily skin. But if you're looking for pro picks, "Real Simple" magazine recommends C.O. Bigelow All-in-One Protective Day Lotion with SPF 25 (and vitamin C) as a good budget-friendly option for oily gals and DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew with SPF 15 as a department store splurge. "In Style" magazine's 2011 Best Beauty Buys roundup rated Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with SPF 35 as the best daytime moisturizer with SPF for acne-prone gals. And Olay Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion with SPF 50 was a best pick for oily and normal skin in "Shape" magazine's 2010 Shape of Beauty Awards.
