The Best Oil Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin

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Updated on 10/05/2026

In this post, I’ll share the best oil cleansers for acne prone skin, which are: Dermatica’s Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser, The Ordinary’s Squalane Cleanser, HaruHaru’s Wonder Black Rice Cleansing Oil, Nip + Fab’s Ceramide Fix Cleansing Balm, Peach & Lily’s Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser, and Jordan Samuel’s Aftershow Treatment Cleanser.

Each of these cleansers offers slightly different benefits, making them better suited to different types of acne-prone skin, including sensitive, dry, oily, combination, and clog-prone skin.

I’ll also cover some of the biggest myths around oil cleansing, including whether oil cleansers can clog pores, whether oily skin should avoid them, and what ingredients I personally look for when recommending an oil cleanser for acne-prone skin.

I’ve created a table of contents below so you can easily find what you’re looking for.

Table of Contents

• The Best Oil Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin
• Do oil cleansers clog pores?
• Do oil cleansers cause purging?
• Can you use a cleansing oil for oily skin?
• Olive oil vs oil-based cleansers
• What makes an acne-safe cleansing oil?
• How to emulsify your oil-based face cleanser
• Benefits of double cleansing for acne prone skin

The Best Oil Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin

Let’s start with the best oil cleansers for acne prone skin. Some of these will be cream cleansers that contain oils that break down oils, sunscreen and makeup like a traditional, liquid oil cleanser.

The best oil cleanser for sensitive acne prone skin

In general, I really like Dermatica’s skincare line because they make very simple products without irritating ingredients.

If you were to pick and choose a whole skincare routine from their products, I think that’d be a great start.

This Dermatica Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser is a great oil cleanser for sensitive acne prone skin, because of its simple yet powerful formula.

• Squalane is an oil that naturally occurs on our skin, making it very well tolerated (also known as a skin-identical).
• Glycerin is another skin-identical moisturiser that most people tolerate very well.
• There are only 14 ingredients.
• It does not contain essential oils or fragrance.

The best oil cleanser for acne prone skin

The Ordinary’s Squalane Oil Cleanser is a great oil cleanser for acne prone skin, and is also an old favourite of mine.

I’ll always return to it if I need something simple and reliable.

For anyone who says ‘oil cleansers always break me out’, this is one that I always recommend.

I’d call it a relatively acne-safe oil cleanser; however, the term ‘acne safe’ is misleading – more on that later!

• It comes in two sizes, which is handy for travel or just trying it out.
• It’s very easily bought online or in stores, depending on where you are.
• There are no fragrances or essential oils.
• Glycerin is a great skin-identical moisturiser.
• Squalane cleansers make great oil cleansers for acne because squalane is a skin-identical ingredient.

I would say the only downside of this cleanser is how long it can take to warm up in your hands.

Sometimes I find it does so very quickly, but other times it takes a while.

I find that if it’s stored in a cold room vs a warmer room, this makes the difference.

A warmer room allows it to melt more easily in your hands.

The best oil cleanser for sebaceous filaments

HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice Cleanser is a great oil-based cleanser for sebaceous filaments and acne prone skin. It’s also a great place to start if you’re interested in a K-beauty cleansing oil.

• It is fragrance and essential oil-free (all of my recommendations will be!)
• There are only nine ingredients – minimal is always a great sign with cleansers (although don’t take this too literally, some products like SPF need more ingredients to be effective.
• It is a mix of oils that rate lowly on the comedogenic scale. While this is a good sign, I don’t want to encourage people to cling to these pore-clogging ingredient ratings. This is why the comedogenic scale is almost meaningless.
• It is easily bought on Amazon, which is handy because of the quick delivery times. A lot of K-beauty skincare websites can take a while to deliver.
• One of the best oil-based cleansers for oily, acne-prone skin.

The best oil cleanser for combination acne prone skin

The Nip & Fab Ceramide Fix Cleansing Balm is a great oil cleanser for combination skin, ideal for:

• Cleansing balm for acne prone skin that feels luxurious when removing makeup
• Ceramides, squalane and glycerin for skin hydrating and conditioning
• Fragrance and essential oil-free

I was really pleasantly surprised when I saw this one, as most cleansing balms are made with ethyhexyl palmitate, which I personally think can cause issues.

For this reason, I think it is one of the best oil-based cleanser balms for acne prone skin.

The best oil cleanser for dry acne prone skin

The Peach & Lily Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser is a little harder to get in the UK, so I most recommend it for my US friends.

One thing I love about it is that it’s still ‘fun’, whilst not being irritating. So many ‘fun’ skincare products are just full of irritating and unnecessary ingredients (I’m looking at you, Glow Recipe).

• Soothing and brightening ingredients such as centella and liquorice root extract
• No fragrance or essential oils in this oil-based cleanser
• Very good at removing makeup without using micellar water prior
• Uses a mix of emollients (oils) to remove makeup and cleanse the skin

Overall, it’s a great oil-based cleanser for dry, acne prone skin if you’re in the States.

My favourite daily oil cleanser for clog prone skin

I was just updating this post and realised I haven’t included my personal go-to oil cleanser! Sometimes I think, because I get asked for lots of recommendations on my social profiles, I am always thinking beyond my immediate routine.

In my opinion, the best oil cleanser for clog prone skin is the Jordan Samuel Aftershow Treatment Cleanser. I’ve been using it for years now.

Yes, it’s pricey, but I just love it. I prefer a gel-to-oil cleanser formula because it’s less messy than a liquid oil and easier to travel with.

This cleanser melts into your skin so easily, removes all manner of makeup and sunscreen and doesn’t clog my pores.

Do oil cleansers clog pores?

Do oil cleansers clog pores? Not necessarily. 

Research into cleansing formulations shows that oil cleansers help dissolve and remove oil-based debris like sunscreen, makeup, and excess sebum from the skin effectively.

I know it can be scary to use an oil cleanser if you’re prone to clogged pores. Lots of people even think that oil cleansers should be avoided if you’re acne prone.

My photos above show that that’s absolutely not the case for everyone!

I’m so dedicated to my oil-based cleanser because it keeps my pores nice and clear, cleaning away SPF and makeup better than a water-based cleanser could on its own. We all break out with different things, which is why products marketed as ‘non comedogenic oil cleansers‘ don’t really mean much!

For a more detailed explanation, check out my post on pore-clogging ingredients. Ultimately, some oil cleansers will break you out, and some won’t. This is no different from any other category of skincare product.

Do oil cleansers cause purging?

If you’re struggling to figure out “Is my oil cleanser breaking me out?”, this part is easy. Unfortunately, there’s lots of false info online about oil cleansers causing purges.

A purge is when your skin gets worse before it gets better when using a new skincare product.

So, can oil cleansers cause purging? The answer is no. Oil cleansers do not cause a purge, so if your new oil-based cleanser is causing breakouts, unfortunately, the product just isn’t right for you.

The only exception is if your oil-based cleanser contains an exfoliant, like salicylic acid, which is a rare occurrence. In which case, you might get a few small breakouts, but it shouldn’t be anything major.

Can you use a cleansing oil for oily skin?

It can feel controversial to use a cleansing oil for oily acne-prone skin, because everything you’ve ever read has probably said not to. But in reality, the best cleansing oil for oily skin doesn’t really depend on skin type.

Unlike a water-based cleanser, oil-based cleansers are typically not more or less stripping than one another. In other words, the right oil cleanser for oily skin is just the one that feels best to you when you use it. You don’t need one with specific key ingredients, like salicylic acid, for example.

So, can you use cleansing oil on oily skin? Absolutely! Even though it feels counterintuitive to use oil on oily skin, oil cleansers can be more effective for cleansing away excess oil than some water-based cleansers.

​Acne-prone skin types are prone to acne due to many kinds of ingredients, not just oils and not all oils – some can help acne-prone skin! This means that oils have been unnecessarily villainised, and with a little trial and error, you should definitely be able to find one that agrees with your skin.

Olive oil vs oil-based cleansers

Lots of regular oils are popular on Reddit to use during a double cleansing routine. Aside from olive oil, you’ll find lots of information about these online:

• Jojoba oil
• Castor oil
• Avocado oil
• Mineral oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Coconut oil
• Rice bran oil
• Sunflower seed oil

Whilst it’s true that lots of these ‘natural oils’ are used in oil cleansers, there is actually quite a big difference between actual oil cleansers and natural oils. It might seem like a great way to save money, and it may work for some, but I recommend using a real oil cleanser.

Oil cleansers contain surfactants (also known as emulsifiers), which help the oily residue wash away more effectively. I created a recent video explainer on this.

A pure natural oil, without surfactants, may struggle to rinse away oil-based makeup and SPF as well as a real facial cleanser. If the oily residue isn’t washed off correctly, it’s easy to get more breakouts and clogged pores as a result.

What makes an acne-safe cleansing oil?

The term ‘acne safe’ is problematic in general, simply because it creates the idea that a product is 100% guaranteed not to cause breakouts. Unfortunately, no such certainty exists – or acne would be far less common!

There are definitely ways to pick a safer acne safe cleansing oil, but the idea that any product is completely “acne safe” for everyone is misleading.

That being said, this is my personal criteria when choosing skincare products, which can help you find an acne safe cleansing oil that works for your skin:

• Fragrance and essential oil-free
• Free from denatured alcohol
• I personally avoid coconut oil, as it’s widely regarded as a common breakout trigger for acne-prone skin.
• I like to avoid ethylhexyl palmitate in general; it’s very common in cleansing balms and oils.

Aside from this, most things are fair game. You might have heard of avoiding pore-clogging ingredients, but this is unfortunately false advertising. I recommend reading my blog on pore-clogging ingredients in skincare to understand more about why.

How to emulsify your oil-based face cleanser

Here’s my full oil cleansing method, step-by-step tutorial.

1. Apply your oil-based cleanser to a dry face

First step, always apply your facial oil cleanser to a dry face. If you apply it to damp skin, it’ll immediately emulsify, and you won’t be able to use it properly! This part is easy to mess up because traditional cleansers like to be applied to wet skin to create a lather, whereas an oil-based face wash never really lathers.

2. Cleanse for one minute

Use circular motions to massage the oil cleanser into your dry skin. Set a timer for one minute so you don’t rush this step. Makeup remover is optional. I personally quite like to remove eye makeup before I oil cleanse, but you can remove mascara, etc., with most facial cleansing oils.

3. Always emulsify your oil-based cleanser

After one minute, add a little water to emulsify the oil cleanser. The cleanser should turn milky white and feel more watery. Make sure to use warm water and not hot water! Hot water can be really damaging to the skin, even if it feels good.

4. Massage and rinse

Massage the emulsified oil cleanser around the whole face for 10-15 seconds, rinse off, and you’re good to move on to the next step of the double-cleansing method. Don’t worry about rinsing all of the milky residue off super thoroughly, because your water-based cleanser is going to remove the residue.

5. Apply your water-based cleanser

Now apply a small dollop of your water-based cleanser to your palms, add a little water and apply to your face. Make sure it’s a gentle cleanser, check out my list of recommended water-based cleansers for acne prone skin. Massage that in for a minute, too, rinse off, and you’re good to go!

Benefits of double cleansing for acne prone skin

There are so many well-known benefits of double cleansing, which is probably what started your hunt for the best oil cleanser for acne prone skin.

But why is double cleansing good for acne prone skin​? Here’s a quick refresher on double cleansing benefits:

• The right cleansing oil for acne prone skin provides a deeper cleanse and prevents clogged pores from forming more effectively than single cleansing does.
• Over time, less clogged pores and better cleansed skin help us to achieve a closer texture to glass skin.
• Cleansing more deeply at night means you don’t have to cleanse in the morning if you don’t want to.
• Double cleansing reduces acne breakouts when done correctly and with the right product, because it removes makeup and SPF more thoroughly, keeping pores clear.
• Double cleansing can work for dry skin, oily skin and any kind of skin type – it’s all about picking the right products.
• Skincare serums may become more effective because they’re applied to fully cleansed skin.

This is a post on oil cleansers for acne, and how to double cleanse for acne prone skin, so I will be logging in to update the post and add more cleansers as time goes on!

You may also like:

• The Best Sunscreens for Clog-Prone Skin (For Fewer Breakouts!)
• The Best Water-Based Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin
• Retinol vs Retinoid: The Best Retinoids for Clogged Pores