How should I care for oily skin?

There are actually two major things I tell my patients to do for oily skin.

First I tell them to change the nature of the oils in their skin by taking a high-grade purified fish oil. Fish oil affects all cells in the body, including the skin cells. It has benefits against skin cancer as well. When taken in sufficient quantities, according to Nicholas Perricone M.D., author of The Wrinkle Cure, it may actually reverse or fight off wrinkles from the inside out. It may also be effective against acne. Ultimately it seems to make the skin less oily.

Next I tell them to wash their face three times a day with a cleanser that contains a small amount of glycolic acid. The glycolic acid is the same stuff they use in facial peels but much milder. It does not strip away essential oils; it leaves the skin clean and dry and feeling great as well as looking healthy.

Avoid using toner that contains SD Alcohol 40.
Many people like the "clean" and "tight" feeling associated with using alcohol on the skin, but this ingredient will strip the skin of water, which results in dead cell build up and dull looking skin! Trying to dry up oily skin can backfire, as stripped cell buildup traps oil and leads to breakouts and more oil production. Toners without alcohol, on the other hand, are very important for removing the drying chlorines and minerals found in tap water. Make sure to use a toner both morning and night after cleansing.

Everyone needs a moisturizer, even oily skins.
Moisturizers are crucial to keeping the skin youthful and healthy. They work to keep water and necessary moisture in the skin that without it, would dry up and evaporate. But oily skins don’t think they need moisturizer, since they have the oil. They just don’t need heavy and greasy oil-based moisturizers! But water-based moisturizers are necessary to keep the skin cells healthy and to discourage dead skin cell buildup.