How to Make a Cleanser for Oily Skin

Last Updated: February 3, 2023 References

There are several cleansing products on the market that help take care of specific skin problems, such as oily skin. Some of these products contain harsh ingredients that can actually worsen skin problems, rather than help. Making your own cleanser allows you to control the ingredients and create a cleanser that is geared towards your skin type. Knowing just what to wash your face with can help you to control your oily skin. Natural ingredients allow your skin to balance its own oils.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Combining Household Ingredients

1
Combine castor oil with olive oil. Use 1 part castor oil to 2 parts olive oil as a base, though you may vary this ratio depending on your own skin needs. The castor oil functions to clean your skin, and the olive oil serves as a restorative carrier oil. You can also substitute hazelnut oil for castor oil, and sunflower or another light-weight oil (such as canola) for the carrier oil.^{[1]
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- To apply oil cleansers to your skin, pour a small amount into your cupped palm. Rub your hands together, then apply to your skin with your hands using smooth, circular strokes. Massage for 1-2 minutes until the oil has soaked in. For a deep clean, leave the oil on your skin for up to 10 minutes.
- Follow by draping a steaming wet washcloth over the area. Leave the washcloth on your skin for about a minute, or until it cools.
2
Make a blend of honey, castile soap, and oil. Combine 1/3 cup honey and 1/3 cup liquid castile soap into a liquid soap dispenser. Add 3 tablespoons of distilled hot water and 2 tablespoons of almond oil. Put the lid on and shape the bottle well so that all ingredients are combined. This mixture will be good for up to 6 months, but you'll need to continue shaking every day or so to prevent clogging.^{[2]
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- You can also substitute avocado or another nourishing oil for the almond oil.
- To apply, press down on the dispenser and fill your palm with the liquid soap. Rub your hands together, creating a lather. Then, rub the soap gently onto your skin. Repeat as necessary until the oily skin has been completely covered with soap, then rinse with warm water. Dry by pressing a soft towel to your skin.
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3
Clean your face with vinegar. Dilute 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup distilled water. Add your favorite essential oil to the liquid, and mix well. Seal tightly to prevent evaporation. You can store this mixture in a glass jar for up to 3 months.^{[3]
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- Good essential oils to add to this cleanser might be lemon, lavender or geranium.
- To clean your face, dampen a cotton ball with the solution and wipe over the oily parts of your face. Don't rinse it off.
4
Brew a cup of chamomile tea. Pour 1/4 of the tea into a glass jar, and add 1/4 cup liquid castile soap. Stir in 3/4 tablespoon grapeseed, sweet almond, or olive oil, followed by 8 drops of essential oil. Finish by adding a few drops of Vitamin E oil.^{[4]
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- The best essential oils to use for oily skin are tea tree, bergamot, geranium, or lemongrass.
- You can substitute rose water or distilled water for the chamomile tea, especially if you're using chamomile essential oil.
- This mixture makes a good all-over body wash. Add another 1/2 cup of water or more to dilute.
- Keep this mix in a plastic bottle near your sink or bathtub.
5
Mix raw honey with fresh lemon juice. Cut a lemon in half, then squeeze 1 half of the lemon over a small glass jar. Add 1 tablespoon of raw honey to the lemon juice, then stir well. Add a tablespoon of warm water to make it more liquid. When it's a good consistency, coat your face with the mixture and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.^{[5]
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- Rinse your face with warm water, then dry with a soft cloth.
- This mixture is meant to be used fresh, not stored.
6
Make a facial mask from egg whites. Mix 1 teaspoon raw honey with the white of 1 egg, and stir well. Add about 1 tablespoon plain white flour, or enough to form a paste. Apply the mixture to your face and allow it to dry. After about 10 minutes, rinse with warm water.^{[6]
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- Make sure not to get this mixture into your eyes.
- The egg whites are said to firm up your skin, as well as soaking up excess oil.
7
Combine lemon juice with fresh apple for a facial mask. Peel, core, and chop an apple into medium-sized pieces. Put the apple pieces and 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan and heat until the apple is tender to the touch. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, and mash the ingredients together with a fork until they're well blended. Finish by adding a teaspoon of either dried sage, lavender, or peppermint to the mix.^{[7]
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- Apply this mixture to your face and allow it to remain there for 5 minutes.
- Rinse with warm water.
- This mixture won't store well. Apply as much as you can to your face, then dispose of any excess.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Everyday Foods

1
Put citrus on your skin. Cut open a citrus fruit, e.g. a lemon, orange, or grapefruit, and rub the pulp across your oily skin. The fruit juice functions as a natural astringent and skin cleaner. Using the fruit closer to the rinds works well too.^{[8]
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- Avoid using citrus on broken skin, and be careful not to get juice into your eyes.
- Citrus can result in increased sensitivity to the sun, so you might want to avoid direct sunlight for a few hours following application.
2
Mash up berries to make a pulp. Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or grapes all make a good facial tonic for oily skin. You can blend them using a hand blender or just mash them well with a fork. With your fingers, simply rub the pulp onto your skin. The antioxidants, vitamins, and acids in the fruit offer multiple benefits to your oily skin.^{[9]
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- This is a great way to get rid of aging fruit, but make sure it's not moldy.
- Grapes are great for aging skin.
3
Rub a slice of fruit on your skin. Almost any fruit has benefits as a skin cleanser, but some of the best include apple, kiwi, banana, papaya, tomato, and pear. Women in tropical climates often apply fresh mango to their skin as a natural cleanser. If you're active in the kitchen, simply set aside a slice or two for your oily skin.^{[10]
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- There's no need to rinse after rubbing with fruit unless your skin retains a stickiness.
- Remove your makeup before rubbing fruit onto your face for best results.
4
Apply potato to acne and oily skin areas. You can either slice a raw potato and place it directly on the affected area or grate the potato and spread it across your skin. Either way, allow the potato to sit against your skin for about 15 minutes. Follow by rinsing off your skin with warm water.
- The potato will soak up excess skin oil without causing drying or aggravation.
- Potatoes might also help minimize any scarring caused by acne.
5
Combine tomato juice with cucumber extract. The natural astringency of tomato makes it a popular treatment for oily skin. Combine 2-3 teaspoons of fresh tomato juice with a few drops of cucumber extract and mix well. Apply to your skin using either your fingers or a cotton ball, repeating until the mixture is completely used up.^{[11]
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- Use this treatment every other day to keep pores from clogging.
- If used on the face, apply particular attention to the T-Zone: the forehead, nose, and chin. These are the areas of the face most likely to be oily.
6
Grind oatmeal to create a paste. Using your food processor, pulse several times until oats are ground into a flour-like substance. Add the ground oats to boiling water and allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow the oats to cool to room temperature before applying to your skin. Massage the cooled oatmeal onto your skin and allow to remain for about 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
- Oats provide deep pore cleaning, and contain beneficial proteins.
- This treatment is especially effective for patches of acne.

Community Q&A

Question

Can this be used by children aged 11-12?

Community Answer

It's not recommended without adult supervision.
Question

What do you recommend for me? I have super oily skin and so many blackheads on my nose and I don't know what to do.

Xqueenx

Community Answer

You should research Korean double cleansing. Don't be afraid of oil (as crazy as it seems!) because like dissolves like and using an oil based cleanser before a water based cleanser will actually help you a lot.
Question

I have oily skin, dark circles, and pores on my nose. What should I do?

Community Answer

Buy skin masks. They help with things like this. You can also use cream and try to get enough sleep. If that doesn't help, get a cold spoon and put it under your eye to calm the dark circles.