Best Skincare Products for Oily & Acne-Prone Skin: A Men's Guide (Australia)
Table of Contents
The best skincare products for oily and acne-prone skin are the ones that control shine without stripping your face raw. That includes a gentle cleanser, an oil-regulating serum like niacinamide or salicylic acid, a non-comedogenic moisturiser, and daily SPF.
Perth alone sees some of the highest UV index readings in the country for most of the year. Furthermore, if we include sweat from work, gym sessions or a commute in the heat, all of them compensate your skin by producing more oil to protect itself.
So, you need products that control oil and hold up under sun exposure, not just something that smells nice.
Best Skincare Products for Oily Skin | A Quick Look
Looking for the right skincare products for oily or acne-prone skin? Here’s a quick look at the products covered in this guide, including cleansers, toners, acne treatments, moisturisers, exfoliators and clay masks. You don’t need to use all of them. Pick the products that suit your skin and build your routine gradually.
Product | Best for | Where it fits in your routine |
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser | Removing excess oil and daily buildup without leaving skin feeling dry | Morning & night |
REDONE FACE TONIC | Freshening the skin and removing any residue left after cleansing | Morning & night |
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% | Managing excess oil, shine and the look of redness | Treatment step |
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution | Clearing clogged pores, blackheads and acne breakouts | Treatment step, a few nights a week |
Cetaphil Pro Acne Prone Oil-Free Moisturising Lotion SPF25 | Lightweight moisture with daytime sun protection | Morning |
CeraVe Oil Control Moisturiser | Moisturising oily skin without a heavy or greasy feel | Morning or night |
REDONE FACIAL SCRUB STRAWBERRY | Lifting away dead skin cells and surface buildup | Once or twice a week |
REDONE FACIAL CLAY MASK | Absorbing excess oil and helping reduce shine | Weekly or every other week |
RedOne Peel Off Mask Black | Giving areas prone to blackheads a deeper cleanse | About once a week |
You don’t have to add every product to your skincare routine. Start with the essentials: cleanser, acne treatment, moisturiser and SPF. Once your skin is comfortable with these basics, you can consider adding a toner, exfoliator or clay mask based on what your skin needs.
In the sections below, we’ll look at what each product does, how to use it and how it can fit into a simple routine for oily and acne-prone skin.
The Routine That Actually Works for Oily, Acne-Prone Skin
Here’s the short version: cleanse, treat, moisturise, protect, and exfoliate weekly. Do it in that order, twice a day, and give it at least four weeks before judging results.
Step 1: Cleanse without stripping your skin
Wash your face with a soap-free, low-irritant cleanser morning and night, not a bar of body soap. Harsh cleansers strip your skin barrier, and stripped skin overproduces oil to compensate, which is the opposite of what you want.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (around $21 at most pharmacies) is a solid, no-fuss option that a lot of dermatologists recommend for oily skin, and it won’t leave that tight, squeaky feeling.
Step 2: Tone to clear leftover residue
A toner picks up whatever your cleanser missed and preps your skin for the next step. It’s not optional; it’s the bridge between cleansing and treatment.
Our REDONE FACE TONIC does exactly this job. Splash it on after cleansing and before anything else goes on your face. It’s a small step that makes every product after it work harder.
Step 3: Treat with an active ingredient that targets oil or breakouts
This is where most guys’ routines fall apart, because they skip straight to moisturiser. A dedicated treatment step is what actually changes your skin over time.
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (about $9.90–$14) helps regulate sebum production and calm redness. Apply a few drops after toning.
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (about $11.90) works into the pore itself to clear blackheads and stop new ones from forming. Use it a few nights a week, not every single night when you’re starting out.
Don’t layer these two on the same night when you’re new to actives. More on that below.
Step 4: Moisturise, even though your skin already feels oily
Skipping moisturiser because your face is shiny is the single most common mistake we see. Dehydrated skin produces more oil to compensate, not less.
Reach for something lightweight and non-comedogenic:
- Cetaphil Pro Acne Prone Oil-Free Moisturising Lotion SPF25 (roughly $19–$23) covers hydration and sun protection in one step, which is handy if mornings are rushed.
- CeraVe Oil Control Moisturiser (around $26) has a gel-cream texture that sinks in fast with no greasy residue.
Step 5: Exfoliate and mask weekly, not daily
Daily scrubbing wrecks your skin barrier faster than any breakout ever could. Once or twice a week is enough.
Our REDONE FACIAL SCRUB STRAWBERRY lifts dead skin and buildup without the sandpaper feeling some scrubs leave behind. Pair it on alternate weeks with the REDONE FACIAL CLAY MASK 300 MINT, which pulls excess oil out of your pores and leaves skin genuinely matte, not just temporarily dry.
If blackheads on your nose and chin are the main issue, a peel-off treatment like our RedOne Peel Off Mask Black once a week gives a deeper clean than a regular wash ever will.
Step 6: Never leave the house without SPF
If you’re using actives like salicylic acid or niacinamide, your skin is more sun-sensitive than usual. Skipping SPF undoes the work of every other step.
An SPF 30–50 broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning is non-negotiable in Perth, full stop. If your moisturiser already has SPF built in (like the Cetaphil one above), you’ve covered two steps at once.
Ingredient Cheat Sheet: What Actually Works for Oily, Acne-Prone Skin
Different concerns need different actives. Here’s the shortcut so you’re not guessing in the skincare aisle.
Your concern | Look for this ingredient | Why it works |
Blackheads and whiteheads | Salicylic acid (2%) | Oil-soluble; gets inside the pore to clear buildup |
Inflamed, red breakouts | Benzoyl peroxide (2.5–5%) | Targets acne-causing bacteria directly |
Excess shine and large pores | Niacinamide (5–10%) | Regulates sebum, calms redness over time |
Tight, dehydrated skin | Hyaluronic acid | Hydrates without adding oil or weight |
Dark marks after a breakout | Azelaic acid (10–20%) | Fades post-acne pigmentation gradually |
Rough texture, dull skin | Lactic acid or low-strength retinol | Gentle cell turnover, fewer clogged pores |
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) lists salicylic acid as a first-line treatment for mild acne, and benzoyl peroxide is regulated by the TGA here in Australia, so both have real clinical backing, not just marketing.
Ingredients That Make Oily Skin Worse
Some products actively work against you. Check the label for these before buying anything.
- Isopropyl myristate and similar comedogenic oils, common in cheap moisturisers, clog pores fast
- Denatured alcohol in high concentrations strips your barrier and triggers rebound oil
- Heavy petrolatum-based creams, fine for dry skin, too occlusive for oily skin
- Fragrance-heavy “natural” products that market themselves as gentle but aren’t tested for acne-prone skin
One-liner worth remembering: “natural” and “non-comedogenic” are not the same thing.
How to Layer Actives Without Wrecking Your Skin Barrier
Combining actives wrong is how most guys end up with red, flaking skin two weeks into a “better” routine.
Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can both be drying on their own. Using them in the same routine, especially when you’re new to actives, often causes irritation rather than faster results. Alternate nights instead: salicylic acid one night, a gentler treatment the next.
Niacinamide plays well with almost everything, including salicylic acid, so it’s a safe base to build around. Retinol and benzoyl peroxide, on the other hand, can deactivate each other if applied at the same time, so use one in the morning and the other at night if you want both in your routine.
Always patch-test a new active on your jaw for a few days before putting it all over your face.
Common Mistakes Guys Make With Oily, Acne-Prone Skin
- Washing your face more than twice a day, thinking it’ll reduce oil (it won’t; it’ll increase it)
- Using bar soap meant for your body on your face
- Skipping moisturiser because skin already feels greasy
- Popping or picking at breakouts, which spreads bacteria and causes scarring
- Ignoring your neck and jawline, which break out just as easily
- Ditching a new product after three days because “nothing happened yet”
- Shaving over active breakouts with a dull blade, which spreads bacteria across your face
Build Your Routine With Red One Perth
At Red One Perth, we’ve spent years building grooming products for guys who want results without turning skincare into a ten-step science project. Our tonic, scrub and clay masks are designed to slot into a routine you’ll actually stick with, not sit in a drawer after week two.
If oily, acne-prone skin has been holding your confidence back, the fix usually isn’t one miracle product. It’s a simple routine done consistently, with the right basics doing their job.
See Our Full Men’s Skincare Routine Guide
FAQs
Does diet actually affect oily, acne-prone skin?
Yes, to a degree. High-glycemic foods and excess dairy can worsen breakouts in some men, though skincare and consistency matter more than any single food.
Can you wear beard oil if you have acne-prone skin?
Yes, but choose a non-comedogenic, lightweight beard oil and keep it off active breakout areas until skin calms down.
Why does my face get oilier right after I wash it?
Over-cleansing strips natural oils, so skin overcompensates by producing more sebum within hours. Cleanse twice daily, not more.
Should I use the same moisturiser in summer and winter in Australia?
Not always. Many men switch to a lighter gel moisturiser in summer heat and a slightly richer one in cooler months.
How long does skin “purging” last when starting a new acne product?
Purging from actives like salicylic acid or retinol settles within 2 to 6 weeks. If it continues longer, stop and reassess.