James Welsh has reviewed more than 50 products aimed at oily skin. He approved nearly three in five, gave a handful a mixed take, and skipped about a quarter. That gives him an approval rate of 59% here, which is honest rather than glowing. His picks show a clear pattern, though, and if oily skin is your concern, his reasoning is worth following.
What does James Welsh recommend for oily skin?
James comes back to the same things again and again across his approvals. He wants cleansers that feel thorough without stripping the skin bare. He praised Remedy Gel-to-Foam Cleanser with Salicylic Acid for hitting that balance, calling it the cleanser to reach for after a hot, sweaty, oily-skinned day. He loves niacinamide for keeping oil in check without drying things out, and both Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3% and Sungboon Editor Green Tomato Pore Lifting Ampoule win him over partly for that reason. Lightweight texture matters to him too. He flagged Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 as one of the brand's best because, unlike a lot of clear sunscreens, it does not sit greasy or oily on the skin.
James Welsh's oily skin picks, in his words
"If you follow me on TikTok, you know how much I have used and repurchased this product this year. Green tomato is rich in antioxidants and tannins that help support firmness, but [...] it's more the other ingredients in here that hydrate and collagen for plumper looking skin. We have PHA in here, a very gentle exfoliant that you can use daily with this serum with no irritation whatsoever, just a nice more even looking texture to the skin."
"If you want a really good deep thorough cleanse for your oily skin without stripping the out of your skin, this is the cleanser to go for. Gives you that satisfaction of almost like a deep purge without destroying your skin barrier, without voiding your face of all moisture. Salicylic acid, of course, is going to gently exfoliate. [...] Balance with like ceramides and glycerin, so it doesn't feel stripping."
"A slightly more focused cleanser, which is thankfully not stripping anyway cuz it is nice to leave on your skin for a little bit kind of like a mask, especially when you have actives in it. So, so gentle, niacinamide balancing things out a little bit. I just love this. Again, another everyday cleanser that I'd happily use morning and night, which I do when the weather gets hotter and my oily combination skin becomes more oily."
"This is one of the best gel cream textured moisturizers I've ever used. I have combination skin and it's perfect for the most driest parts of my skin and for the oiliest parts. There's ceramides, glycerin, and niacinamide in here so our barrier and hydration levels are cared for. It targets everything that needs to be targeted but it's just super super quenching. I would call it if you haven't tried it already give it a go, I'm pretty sure you'll love it."
"The Foaming Facial Cleanser, developed for normal to oily skin types, aiming to remove excess oil and sebum without disrupting the skin's natural barrier."
"For oily, breakout or acne prone skin, or those wanting to maintain well-maintained pores, I think you will love the INKEY List salicylic acid cleanser. It's a great daily use cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid you massage on the face for 60 seconds to 2 minutes [...] and rinse away. If you have a teenager just starting to break out and get blackheads, [...] this is a great way to gently and safely introduce a chemical exfoliant into their routine. I love this one."
How many products has James Welsh reviewed for oily skin?
James Welsh has reviewed 51 products for oily skin, for an approval rate of 59%. 30 approved, 7 mixed, and 14 skipped.
What has James Welsh skipped for oily skin?
Where James skips a product, there is usually a real reason. He gave Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc Sunscreen a hard pass after independent lab tests returned an SPF of just four or five rather than the promised 50 plus. That means anyone relying on it for sun protection was not getting it. He also skipped Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser after certain batches were found to contain an unlisted preservative that can irritate sensitive skin. And he was blunt about Supergoop Resetting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35, saying you simply cannot apply enough of it to count as real sun protection without looking cakey and powdery.
"Despite being marketed as having an SPF rating of 50 plus, Choice revealed that their test returned an SPF rating of just four. This rating was so low that Choice actually sent a sample to another lab in Germany just to double-check the results, [...] and that came back with an SPF rating for Lean Screen of five. So slightly better, I guess, but not the rating they promised. [...] A drop from a rating of 50 plus to just four or five would be bad enough for any sunscreen product."
"The jelly cleanser, certain batches contain a preservative not listed on the product ingredient list. And whilst this preservative is found commonly in skincare products, especially those clean beauty ones, this preservative, like many paraben alternatives, can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially at higher levels."
"Whilst I feel like green tea used to be very popular and hyaluronic acid used to be very popular too, people are all about other things now when it comes to hydration. I think even in Korea the brand isn't as popular as it used to be, and that's the thing is I feel like whilst the industry had all their kind of core collections they didn't evolve much and it all became very outdated and kind of old."
"The clarifying lotion, which is basically an astringent, has gone from revolutionary to kind of infamous to be honest with you."
What should you take from James Welsh's picks?
James's named winner for oily skin is Sungboon Editor Green Tomato Pore Lifting Ampoule, a product he says he repurchased repeatedly. He calls it great for very oily skin while gentle enough not to dry out anyone who is not. His wider record says: look for lightweight textures, trust niacinamide to balance oil without stripping, and do not assume a sunscreen works just because a brand says it does.
Watch James Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Sungboon Editor Green Tomato Pore Lifting AmpouleNamed a winnerWatch at 16:57
- Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mattifying SPF 50 Zinc SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 30:36
- Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly CleanserSkipped itWatch at 8:40
- Isntree Green Tea Fresh SerumSkipped itWatch at 11:02
- Clinique Clarifying Lotion OneSkipped itWatch at 3:38
- Tower 28 SOS Rescue SerumSkipped itWatch at 34:43
- Murad Rapid Relief Blemish Spot TreatmentSkipped itWatch at 2:30
- Foreo Kiwi Blackhead Pore VacuumSkipped itWatch at 2:45
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserSkipped itWatch at 7:59
- First Aid Beauty Coconut Water CreamSkipped itWatch at 11:27
- BYOMA Moisturizing Gel CreamSkipped itWatch at 46:49
- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling SolutionSkipped itWatch at 8:11
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% SolutionSkipped itWatch at 2:48
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Skipped itWatch at 8:07
- Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing MoisturizerSkipped itWatch at 9:21
- Remedy Gel-to-Foam Cleanser with Salicylic AcidRated itWatch at 21:31
- Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%Rated itWatch at 20:53
- The INKEY List Omega Water CreamRated itWatch at 13:35
- CeraVe Foaming Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 10:42
- The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid CleanserRated itWatch at 47:59
- Kate Somerville Eradicate 3% Daily Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 10:17
- Remedy Rich Cream to Foam CleanserRated itWatch at 12:17
- Bioderma Sebium Gel MoussantRated itWatch at 11:15
- Ultra Violette Queen Screen Luminizing Skin Screen SPF 50+Rated itWatch at 9:28
About this expert
See everything James Welsh has reviewed
Expert rankings
Related guides
This guide reflects what James Welsh said across his videos about 51 products for oily skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.