I Spent Years Using the Wrong Concealer for My Oily Skin—This Was My Mistake

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(Image credit: @tobimakeup)

During my time as a beauty editor, I've learned a lot about skincare and makeup in general, but I've also made some important discoveries about my own skin and how it reacts to different products. Growing up, my skin was always extremely oily, something I spent years fighting with harsh scrubs and drying acne medications. Now, I find that my skin gets dehydrated but remains oily on the surface, which makes shopping for makeup products like foundation and concealer really tricky. 

I finally learned that matte products just don't work well for me—they leave my skin even more dehydrated and looking flaky. I then turned to hydrating formulas that are still noncomedogenic and that seemed to do the trick. If you have a similar problem, keep reading. I spoke to a dermatologist to learn more about oily skin and how to choose the right concealer. Read on for the best options for oily skin types.

What a Dermatologist Recommends for Oily Skin

It may be obvious, but I'll say it anyway: Drying out oily skin isn't the solution. It's also important to understand the difference between, dry, dehydrated, and oily skin. Personally, I struggle with dehydrated skin that still becomes oily on the surface, making it tough to find the right concealer for my skin. Board-certified dermatologist Azadeh Shirazi sheds some light on this issue. 

"Dry skin produces less sebum, the oily substances secreted by our sebaceous glands," she says. "Our skin needs lipids in oil to protect against external irritants, support the moisture barrier, and maintain hydration. Dryness refers to a skin type, whereas dehydration is considered a skin condition or state where skin cells lack adequate water, not oil. Oily skin types naturally produce more oil than dry skin types. It’s important to also note oil secretion is heavily influenced by our body’s hormonal climate. Dehydrated skin is mostly due to external factors that result in diminished water content within the skin, like dry weather. Now, if the skin is over-stripped with too many exfoliants or harsh cleansers, or if it becomes irritated, then it may signal the oil glands to rev up oil production to compensate."

There are several factors that determine your skin's oil production levels. According to Shirazi, the primary ones are genetics, stress, and hormones. But like I said above, over-scrubbing or drying it out isn't the answer, either. "If you over-cleanse or over-scrub your skin, it will compensate by increasing oil production," says Shirazi. "It’s best to use lightweight moisturizers, water-based makeup removers, and gentle cleansers to maintain a strong skin barrier."

Finding the best concealer for oily skin depends on the factors mentioned above. It took me a while to realize that I needed a hydrating, noncomedogenic formula instead of a matte formula. If you also struggle with skin that gets dehydrated but remains oily on the surface, you may want to try one of the hydrating formulas below. Shirazi advises looking for hydrating formulas with humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Most importantly, look for a label that says "noncomedogenic." For some hydrating and matte concealer options, keep scrolling below. 

Best Hydrating Concealers for Oily Skin

Best Matte Concealers for Oily Skin

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Shawna Hudson
Associate Beauty Editor

Shawna Hudson has worked in editorial for over six years, with experience covering entertainment, fashion, culture, celebrities, and her favorite topic of all, beauty. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, Mane Addicts, and more. She is currently an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.