Oily Face: Can Washing More Often Keep the Shine Down?

Quick answer: Washing removes the oil and sweat that have already come up onto your skin, while how much oil your skin makes is shaped by other factors, such as hormones. Use twice a day, plus after sweating, as your baseline for gentle washing, and don’t try to fix shine by washing more often or scrubbing harder. If painful, red spots increase along with the oil, consider seeing a dermatologist.

This guide is for readers with oily skin whose face gets shiny quickly and who are wondering whether to wash more often or more vigorously. It separates what washing can do from what it can’t, and sets out what to check when you get shiny during the day. It does not cover medications or procedures that change oil production, telling oily skin apart from other skin conditions, or comparisons between cleansers. At the end, we note the cleanser SKIN9HARI recommends.

What can washing your face actually do about facial oil?

What washing does is rinse away the oil, sweat, and residue such as sunscreen that have already come up onto the surface of your skin. How much oil your skin makes is a matter of what happens further down. Hormones such as androgens, which rise during puberty, make the oil glands larger so they produce more oil, and family history is also listed as a risk factor for acne (see the NIAMS overview of acne). That source explains how acne develops, so it does not account for every individual difference in how oily people’s skin is.

The sources this guide checked contain no evidence that changing how often or how hard you wash reduces that amount itself. What you can do instead is sort out the situations in which shine shows up, which tells you what washing can handle and what you need to look for elsewhere. The table below is for comparing situations; it is not a tool for deciding your skin type.

Checking the shine on the forehead and nose in the mirror in the afternoon.

Does washing your face more often make it less shiny?

When your face gets shiny, it’s tempting to start by washing more often, but even in acne research the evidence that washing more often helps is weak. In a randomized controlled trial that had men with acne wash with a mild cleanser once, twice, or four times a day for 6 weeks and compared their acne lesions, the differences among the three groups at the end of the study were not statistically significant (see the randomized controlled trial on face-washing frequency). It did not measure shine or the amount of oil, it was a short study with only men taking part, so it can’t be carried over to women or longer periods, and it doesn’t mean washing four times is either fine or harmful. Here is how the researchers concluded.

“We concluded that slight support exists, both in terms of efficacy and convenience, for the recommendation to wash the face twice daily with a mild cleanser.” — Choi et al., Pediatric Dermatology (2006)

A systematic review that gathered 14 prospective studies (671 people) on face washing and cleansers in acne also concluded that there were too few well-conducted studies to make reliable recommendations (see the systematic review of washing and cleansers). That does not mean washing is useless; it means the evidence isn’t there to settle on a single right number.

When you wash often, the thing to watch is irritation rather than oil. Washing your face several times a day can irritate your skin further and lead to more breakouts (see skin care habits that can worsen acne). The claim that “washing often makes your skin produce more oil” was observed only to this extent: in one study where 21 people with normal to oily skin used two cleansers, one on each half of the forehead, twice a day for 15 days, the amount of oil rose again on one product’s side after a two-day break (see the half-side cleanser comparison study). Because it compared two products, it is not evidence that applies to how often you wash in general.

For more detail, see Dry Skin That Still Breaks Out? A Cleanse-and-Moisturize Checkup

How many times a day should you wash an oily face?

1. Use twice a day, plus after sweating, as your baseline

Health organization guidance is to wash your face no more than twice a day, and after sweating (see acne tips for managing). The two basic washes are when you wake up and before you go to bed (see the skin care habits guidance). Washing twice a day with a mild cleanser and not scrubbing your skin is given as the same baseline (see the NHS guidance on acne). All of this is self-care guidance for skin that breaks out easily, not a way to change how much oil you make.

2. Wash lightly with your fingertips and don’t scrub

Apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser with your fingertips and wash lightly (see acne tips for managing). Rubbing or scrubbing your skin hard can irritate it and make breakouts worse (see the NIAMS overview of acne). Cutting down on friction doesn’t mean the amount of oil will change.

3. Before adding a wash for daytime shine, sort out the situation first

Before you add another wash because you’re shiny in the afternoon, check which situation in the table above you’re in. If you sweated during exercise, washing afterward falls within the baseline (see acne tips for managing). If shine is the only reason, don’t add more washes, and watch for tightness or redness after you wash.

Wiping off sweat after a workout on the way to wash up.

When should you see a dermatologist instead of changing how you wash?

Ways to change how much oil your skin makes are something to discuss at a dermatology visit. If you notice any of the signs below, consider getting care before changing how you wash any further.

• Painful, red spots are increasing along with the oil.
• Spots swell or ooze.
• Spots leave scars behind.
• Your oiliness has changed a lot in a short time, and other changes in your body have come with it.
• Redness, flaking, or itching continues even after you cut back on washing.

Describing changes in their skin in the exam room.

For more detail, see Painful Breakouts: When to See a Dermatologist, and When It’s Okay to Wait

Related guides

• Shiny on the Surface, Tight Underneath? Why Oily Skin Still Needs Moisturizer
• Mildly Alkaline Foam Cleansers: Is Daily Use Okay? A Cleansing Guide for Breakout-Prone Skin
• Why Pores Look Larger: It’s About Oil and Elasticity Together

FAQ

Is it okay to wash an oily face three times a day?

If you’re adding a third wash because of shine, it’s better to cut back. Health organization guidance sets the baseline at twice a day plus after sweating (see acne tips for managing), and washing several times a day can irritate your skin further and lead to more breakouts (see habits that can worsen acne). On days you reach three washes because you sweated during exercise, you’re within that baseline.

Can washing your face too often make oily skin produce more oil?

There’s no confirmed evidence to say for certain that it does. In the sources this guide checked, the observation that oil rose again came from one side of a 21-person study comparing two cleansers (see the half-side cleanser comparison study). When you wash often, the first thing to watch for is signs of irritation, such as tightness or redness.

Can you get rid of facial oil just by washing your face?

Washing removes oil that has already come up, so it can’t deal with the oil that comes back after you wash. Wash gently within the baseline number of times, and handle daytime shine by situation, as in the table in this guide.

Why does my face get so oily, and what causes excess oil production?

Hormones such as androgens, which rise during puberty, are known to make the oil glands larger so they produce more oil. That explanation doesn’t account for every individual difference in how oily people’s skin is, though. If your oiliness has changed a lot in a short time and other changes in your body have come with it, consider seeing a dermatologist.

Does washing your face twice a day weaken the skin barrier and cause breakouts?

Twice a day is within health organization guidance. Washing twice a day with a mild cleanser appears in both US and UK health organization guidance, and the guidance says breakouts can increase when you wash several times a day. That said, there isn’t enough research evidence to settle on a single right number.

Is it okay to wash my face only once a day on days I stay home?

There isn’t enough evidence to say whether once is enough or not enough. The basic guidance is twice a day, when you wake up and before you go to bed. The study that compared washing once, twice, and four times a day for 6 weeks looked only at men with acne, and the differences between groups were not statistically significant.

Is it okay to wash an oily face with just water in the morning?

The sources this guide checked contain no evidence comparing washing with water to washing with a cleanser, so we don’t say which is better. The guidance baseline is washing twice a day with a mild cleanser, when you wake up and before you go to bed.

Are sponges or vibrating cleansing brushes irritating to the skin?

The sources this guide checked contain no evidence comparing how irritating different tools are. The guidance is to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser with your fingertips and wash lightly. Rubbing or scrubbing hard can irritate your skin and make breakouts worse.

What can you do to reduce oil production on your face?

How much oil your skin makes is known to be affected by hormones such as androgens, which rise during puberty (see the NIAMS overview of acne). This guide found no evidence that how you wash reduces that amount itself, and ways to change oil production are something to discuss at a dermatology visit.

In one sentence

Wash gently with your fingertips twice a day and after sweating, handle daytime shine by situation, and if painful, red spots increase along with it, consider seeing a dermatologist.

SKIN9HARI products we recommend for this concern

If your face gets oily quickly and you’re wondering whether to wash more often or more vigorously, SKIN9HARI recommends the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser for your washing step. There are three reasons.

• It is a rinse-off foam cleanser whose step in the routine is “cleansing, the first step of skincare,” so it fits straight into this guide’s baseline (twice a day plus after sweating, washed lightly with your fingertips).
• Its formulated amount of 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA) is published, and the product page lists AHA (glycolic and lactic acid) and PHA (gluconolactone) along with a check-before-use note to “adjust how much and how often you use it when using other exfoliating cosmetics at the same time,” so the information you need when deciding how often to wash and what to use with it is clear.
• It is irritation patch-tested.

How to use it for this concern. Use it for your two daily washes, when you wake up and before you go to bed. On days you sweat during exercise, washing once more afterward is within the baseline. Wet your hands and face with lukewarm water, work up a rich lather from a suitable amount with your hands or a foaming net, and without putting the foaming net directly on your face, wash gently with just the lather using your fingertips, then rinse with lukewarm water. Rather than washing more often because you’re shiny during the day, sort out the situation using the table in this guide, and if your skin feels tight or turns red after washing, use less and use it less often. If you also use other exfoliating cosmetics, adjust how much and how often you use the cleanser to how your skin responds, and if your skin has reacted to fragrance before, read the check-before-use note and the full ingredient list (linalool and limonene listed) first. If you are using a prescription medication, follow your clinician and the medication’s instructions first. Washing is the step that removes oil and sweat that have already come up, so look at concerns about how much oil your skin makes separately, using the signs for getting care in this guide.

If any of the signs for getting care above apply to you, such as painful, red spots increasing along with the oil, seeing a dermatologist comes before a cleanser. Results may not be the same for every skin type. Product information is on the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser product page.

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Acne: Tips for managing. AAD public information.
2. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne. AAD public information.
3. National Health Service (NHS). Acne. NHS public information.
4. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Acne. NIAMS public information.
5. Choi JM, Lew VK, Kimball AB. A single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of face washing on acne vulgaris. Pediatric Dermatology, 2006.
6. Stringer T, Nagler A, Orlow SJ, Oza VS. Clinical evidence for washing and cleansers in acne vulgaris: a systematic review. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2018.
7. Weber N, Schwabe K, Schempp CM, Wölfle U. Effect of a botanical cleansing lotion on skin sebum and erythema of the face: A randomized controlled blinded half-side comparison. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019.

This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.