Please degrease me!

March 15, 2009 4:47 PM

What are your picks for mattifying moisturizers/primers for oily skin?

My skin is mostly very oily, but due to a little bit of uneven texture and dryness, I like to use a bit of moisturizer under my powder foundation (MAC Studio Fix). I'm looking for a mattifying formula that isn't too drying. I'm not breakout-prone so I don't necessarily need anything medicated. Bargain picks are especially welcome (if they are available in Canada), but I'm open to all suggestions.

NB: If you were about to suggest it, yes, I've tried the Kiehl's Blue Herbal moisturizer and found it rather sticky feeling.

posted by thisjax to clothing, beauty, & fashion (14 comments total)

I've got the same type of skin. I've been successful with a combo of Dove Deep Moisture Facial Lotion and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I like the Dove because it's fast absorbing and has SPF with out being to heavy. I usually put it on right out of the shower. Then, right before I put on my make-up I use the primer, which goes on super sheer, and just even everything out. I use the clear stuff, but they have various tinted formulas too.
posted by kimdog at 5:11 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]

I use cetaphil moisturizing lotion "for all skin types". Just a dab, it smooths out very well.
posted by polexa at 5:18 PM on March 15

"Complex 15." These reviews sum it up better than I can.
posted by kmennie at 5:19 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]

I used Complex 15 for years, when I was more oily/breakout-prone, and always loved it.

I've recently started using Olay's regenerative serum (actually, the Target store-brand version) and I'm amazed by how moist it feels going on, but without a smidge of greasy/shiny texture. It leaves my skin very matte but very soft.
posted by scody at 5:35 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]

Milk of Magnesia.

I have tried Smashbox, Makeup For Ever and even Mac's brand. All expensive products that never wowed me. I read a suggestion by someone on Makeupalley.com to try the Milk of Magnesia and it was magic! Apply a very thin layer after you wash and moisturize (be sure to buy the unflavored kind.) Will cost three, maybe four bucks for a large size ... and even if it doesn't work, you've got a little stomach tonic for the next time you overdo it.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 6:02 PM on March 15 [2 favorites]

I've never had a problem with Neutrogena products. I do not have oily skin, but I use the sensitive skin product, and it's pretty fantastic.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:10 PM on March 15

I've had reasonably good results with these Clinique products: Pore Minimizer Refining Lotion and Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector. They start strong but in my experience lose effectiveness throughout the day. My skin sounds oiler than yours, though. Also, they're not the cheapest solutions going. On the other hand, if you have sensitive skin, you can't really go wrong with Clinique.
posted by orrnyereg at 6:12 PM on March 15

Cosmedicine's Medi-Matte has changed my "omg, why do I look like an unwashed vagrant at 1:30 pm?" life. It's expensive, but a little goes a very long way (I'd say that tube would last at least three months) and it keeps my face oil-free without feeling heavy or sticky (or looking shiny on its own, which some other products have done--rendering the fact that my face itself is no longer oily moot). It also lasts all day and into the night until I wash it off.
posted by tyrantkitty at 7:01 PM on March 15 [2 favorites]

I love Vichy Normaderm for a really matte feel (kind of costly but you can probably get a few free samples from your local Shoppers). Also, Marcelle makes some nice oil-free matte moisturizers.
posted by tinywhiteflowers at 8:58 PM on March 15

Paula's Choice daily mattifying lotion. Bonus: SPF 15 and unscented!
posted by transporter accident amy at 1:00 AM on March 16

I have fairly oily skin but it gets dry in patches if I don't moisturize, so I use Oil of Olay daily moisture lotion. They have a formula for oily/combination skin, but I just use the type for normal skin and it does fine--just don't use a lot of it.

For a primer, I use Monistat chafing relief powder gel, which is designed to relieve chafing on skin but if you look at the ingredients, it is nearly identical to the Smashbox primer linked above. I love Smashbox, but the primer is pretty pricey; the Monistat product feels and performs the same to me but costs about a quarter of the price of the Smashbox primer.

Also, if you haven't been moisturizing much, you might notice your skin getting more oily when you start using a new moisturizer. If you give it some time (a couple weeks) your skin should adjust and settle down a bit, but of course, YMMV.
posted by Polychrome at 7:11 AM on March 16

Polychrome, I never thought to put a Monistat product, of all things, on my face, but it is interesting to find out that it find out that it's a poor woman's Smashbox primer.

tinywhiteflowers, I forgot all about the Normaderm line; I've used the cleanser before and liked it so I will try to score some samples of the moisturizer.

notjustfoxybrown, perhaps we have the same idiosyncratic woman-of-colour crazy combo skin thing going on so if milk of magnesia's worked for you it might be even more of a reason for me to try it!

Thanks for the fabulous suggestions, everyone!
posted by thisjax at 7:49 PM on March 16

I use Smashbox photo finish light for my oily (and sometimes flaky) skin and the Cosmedicine Medi-matte on the oiliest areas (nose and forehead) of my face. For oily lids (I seem to have a wonderful skin combination), I use Urban Decay Primer Potion.

I've heard great things about the Monistat gel doubling as a primer, but haven't tried it.
posted by bottledbliss at 2:03 PM on March 25

Having combination skin, I've tried mulitple mattifying products and finally found two that are very different but both work very well: Matte Cream from DHC works amazingly well in the hot and humid Florida summer, and in cooler weather I go with Cargo blu_ray High Definition Mattifier.
posted by meg843 at 9:03 AM on April 5