CYoung has reviewed more than 40 products for oily skin, and her record gives you a quick sense of how tough she is to impress. She approved half of them, gave mixed takes on about a quarter, and turned down the rest, for an approval rate of 49%. When she does say yes, it means something.
What does CYoung recommend for oily skin?
The thing that runs through nearly all her approvals is lightweight texture that actually sinks in. She pushed her top sunscreens, including the TOCOBO Bio Watery Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++, the Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream, and the Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++, into her highest tier because they absorbed fast, sat well under makeup, and stayed comfortable in humid heat. That last part matters more than it sounds: a sunscreen that feels sticky is one people skip on the days they need it most. The same idea carries into her moisturiser picks. She rates the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream because it hydrates through a full summer without feeling heavy, and she liked the tube packaging over a jar since nothing goes to waste. She gave the Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Soothing Moisture Cream high marks because it kept skin moisturised after application instead of drying it back out, which she said is a real problem with some gel creams. She also cared about coverage that does not turn shiny over time. She praised the NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation for settling to a semi-matte finish rather than making pores look shiny as the day wears on, and she has bought it twice.
CYoung's oily skin picks, in her words
"This goes to my S tier. It rubs in so fast, one, two, three and it's gone. This is the sunscreen I've been looking for, because I always wear makeup, so the makeup pairing has to be amazing, and even living somewhere tropical and humid, it's still not sticky. It's just so lightweight and easy. This is the ideal sunscreen."
"This one goes to my S tier. It has a little green color, but whenever you apply it, it just disappears. It's a brand new sunscreen that's a lot lighter and easier to absorb than Round Lab and Beauty of Joseon. This new version of sunscreen is one I actually really prefer, so please try it out."
"This takes a little longer to sink in than usual Korean products, but the cooling effect lasts forever. Even oily and combo skin pros are obsessed with it. Price be damned, if your skin gets hot easily this is your new holy grail. I'm picking this deep cooling cream because it's unique."
"Some gel creams dry out the face more as the moisture evaporates after application, but this one was still moisturizing after a while. It's great for oily combo skin for all seasons. My husband, who hates sticky products, also liked it. Dry skin can use it in summer too. It's similar to the famous Dr G red blemish cream, but this one absorbs faster than that."
"A few years ago this was S tier, but now it's down to an A tier. It's a chemical sunscreen and it will sting your eyes, and as I get older my eyes get even more sensitive, and tons of reviews agree. It's around six bucks and the texture feels exactly like a lightweight lotion. I highly recommend it for dry or mature skin, but oily skin types might feel too greasy. It costs almost double at Olive Young in Korea, so if you're in Japan it's definitely worth picking up."
"You saturate a cotton pad with this and leave it on the area you want to target for 10 to 15 minutes, then gently slide it with a cotton swab and rinse with water. [...] It does an excellent job at removing stubborn nose filaments and cleaning them around my T-zone. I did it on my forehead, chin, and nose, but [...] if you're dry or combo skin, try just the T-zone. You'll use this up really quickly, but they run promotions on it, and I think if you care about your pores this works much better."
How many products has CYoung reviewed for oily skin?
CYoung has reviewed 41 products for oily skin, for an approval rate of 49%. 20 approved, 10 mixed, and 11 skipped.
What has CYoung skipped for oily skin?
She skipped products that over-promised or over-stripped. The Medicube Zero Pore Mask was her hardest rejection: she found it so drying that it visibly hardened on her face and left skin tight after rinsing off. She said the AHA and BHA in the formula were a small upside that did not come close to making up for it. The Senka Perfect Whip Cleansing Foam got a C from her, not because of price but because she said it strips too much oil and, with continued use, starts to damage the skin barrier. She also skipped the Skin1004 Pore Minimizing Deep Cleansing Foam for weak lather and a slightly alkaline pH. That is not stripping enough to cause a crisis, but she saw no reason to use it when better cleansers exist. Products that leaned on pore-minimising claims without backing them up drew her scepticism too. She said the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Pore Minimizing Capsule Ampule was too watery to work as a standalone serum and gave no clear reason to choose it over something simpler.
"My face felt super tight and red after washing, so if you have sensitive skin, stay far away. Honestly, what's the point of niacinamide in a cleanser? A good cleanser should just cleanse your face without drying it out. The scent is bubblegummy, the texture is weird, and you only need about ten percent of the amount they show on TikTok. This is one of the worst cleansers I've tried recently."
"I'm not a huge fan of the name because it felt like too much, customers [...] will expect this but nothing's going to make your pores small, so not really, maybe laser but it just comes back. It's not a simple way, it just felt like what's the difference. The texture is very watery so you could use it as an everyday serum, but [...] if I use this one I'm going to use another serum after because it just goes away too quickly."
"Oily and combination people probably love it because when you wash with it you feel like nothing is left on your face, but it strips out too much oil, and if you keep using it continuously it hurts your skin barrier. It's around six to seven dollars so it's affordable, and if you just think about the price it's okay, but I know a lot more better products than this, so I don't have any reason to reach for it. I bought it like two years ago and didn't use it that much."
"The gel texture is very light and doesn't strip your oil too much because it's low acidic, which is a good idea for a morning cleanser. But oh my god, the scent is way too strong, I cannot handle it. [...] The gel texture is nice and light, [...] but what's the point if I can't handle the scent. There are so many better, [...] less scented low acidic foam cleansers now, so there's no reason to use this one."
What should you take from CYoung's picks?
CYoung is a useful guide for oily skin because she is not easy to impress. She is most enthusiastic about sunscreens that wear well under makeup in real heat, and moisturisers that stay hydrating without adding weight. She is most critical of anything that strips the barrier or leans on a claim the formula cannot back up. Her approval rate of 49% across more than 40 products reflects a standard worth trusting.
Watch CYoung say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick SPF 50Named a winnerWatch at 8:05
- Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk TonerNamed a winnerWatch at 7:01
- Fwee Blur Pudding PotNamed a winnerWatch at 8:50
- April Skin Niacinamide 99 Deep CleanserSkipped itWatch at 1:16
- Skin1004 Pore Perfecting Centella AmpouleSkipped itWatch at 3:36
- Senka Perfect Whip Cleansing FoamSkipped itWatch at 3:10
- COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel CleanserSkipped itWatch at 12:05
- Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Refreshing Pore MaskSkipped itWatch at 3:04
- Numbuzin No.4 Pore Zero Peeling Toner PadSkipped itWatch at 9:39
- AXIS-Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow SerumSkipped itWatch at 3:56
- Medicube Zero Pore PadSkipped itWatch at 2:27
- Medicube Zero Pore MaskSkipped itWatch at 5:17
- TOCOBO Bio Watery Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 12:49
- Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun CreamRated itWatch at 8:59
- Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing MoisturizerRated itWatch at 4:41
- Numbuzin No.1 Purple Complex Soothing Moisture CreamRated itWatch at 6:43
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 11:28
- Ilso Super Melting Sebum SoftenerRated itWatch at 8:23
- Skin1004 Niacinamide 10% AmpleRated itWatch at 6:57
- Numbuzin No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence SPF50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 4:10
- Numbuzin Pantothenic B5 Active Drying PowderRated itWatch at 43:08
- Beplain Mung Bean pH Balanced Cleansing FoamRated itWatch at 10:05
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5Rated itWatch at 6:36
- VT Reedle Shot PDRN Capsule CreamRated itWatch at 13:49
About this expert
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This guide reflects what CYoung said across her videos about 41 products for oily skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.