Yes, Your Oily Skin Does Need a Moisturizer

Even if your epidermis is like an oil reserve, skipping this important step in your grooming regimen is a bad idea. Here's why, with some savvy advice.

When you find yourself constantly battling slick, shiny skin, using a moisturizer may seem like priming the oil pump. But the right variety will actually help unclog pores, keep shine under control and regulate the excess sebum production that leads to your oily skin and breakouts in the first place.

Here are three reasons why even oily, zit-prone skin needs a moisturizer:

1. A Mixed Bag. You probably have dry spots along with your skin's oily areas. "Not many people are truly oily all over," says Jeanie Chung Leddon, M.D., a Boulder, Colo., board-certified dermatologist who also has a Ph.D. in chemistry. "More likely, you're oily in the T-zone, but have normal to dry skin elsewhere."

2. Product Rebellion. The cleansing and toning products you're using to prevent breakouts likely contain ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide, that are drying out your skin, says Leddon. Without the use of a moisturizer to keep things in balance, your skin might respond to these drying agents by producing additional oil.

3. Skin Savers. Moisturizers are not just hydrating, they're also protective. They form a barrier that holds in skin-softening water while keeping out the bad stuff, like bacteria, that can lead to pimples and infections.

How to Choose the Right Moisturizer
You'll want to avoid heavy creamy moisturizers—leave those for your dry-skinned sisters—and choose a product instead that's especially formulated for oily skin.

Look for a high-quality lightweight moisturizer that's labeled oil-free, such as Murad Acne Skin Perfecting Lotion, included in the brand's Acne Complex Kit, or an oil-control formula like Alba Hydrating Oil Control Moisturizer. These water-based lotions will eliminate midday shine by absorbing the excess oil that collects on the surface of your skin.

Some oil-free moisturizers, such as Bliss No 'Zit' Sherlock Oil Control Moisturizer and CleanStart Welcome Matte SPF15 by Dermalogica, contain salicylic acid. This hardworking ingredient penetrates inside pores to exfoliate debris, banishing breakouts, blackheads and whiteheads, and tightening pores. The result: smoother, softer skin.