Oily skin results from an overproduction of sebum, most often across the forehead, nose and chin. Contributing factors include genetics, hormones, and environmental conditions like heat and humidity. It isn’t all bad news: oily skin stays naturally hydrated for longer, which is why it tends to show fine lines later than drier skin does.
What oily skin doesn’t need is stripping. Harsh, drying products can make it worse, because skin stripped of oil often compensates by producing more. A cleanser for oily skin should lift excess sebum without damaging the skin barrier, and a moisturiser for oily skin should be light enough to absorb rather than sit on the surface. That’s the thinking behind this collection.
87% of customers with oily skin told us Kinvara products helped with oiliness.
Every product here is made with a combination of natural and organic ingredients, and all are non-comedogenic, vegan, PETA-approved and dermatologically tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oily skin happens when the sebaceous glands produce more sebum than your skin needs. Genetics and hormones are the biggest drivers, with heat, humidity and stress adding to it. It's worth saying: sebum isn't the enemy. It's what keeps your skin protected and hydrated, and it's why oily skin often shows signs of ageing more slowly. The goal is balance, not removal.
It can, yes, and it catches a lot of people out. When you cleanse with something harsh or foaming, your skin reads that as a shortage and quietly sets about making more oil to make up for it. So if your face feels tight just after washing and shiny again by lunchtime, that's often what's going on. Cleansing twice a day with something gentle is plenty.
Gently, and without overcomplicating it. A soft oil cleanser morning and night, a light moisturiser, and a bit of exfoliation once or twice a week will do far more for your skin than a shelf full of strong actives. Oily skin has a way of attracting complicated routines, but it really does respond better to something simple you'll actually keep up with.
The trick is working with your skin rather than against it. That means easing off the over-cleansing, staying with your moisturiser even when it feels counterintuitive, and giving any new routine a good six to eight weeks, because sebum production takes its time to settle. Ingredients like bakuchiol help balance oil gradually, and keeping your skin properly hydrated goes a long way towards stopping that rebound shine.
You should, yes. It's the step that's easiest to skip when your skin already feels greasy, but skipping it tends to backfire, because dehydrated skin just produces more oil to look after itself. It's the texture that matters, not whether you moisturise at all. Something light that sinks in quickly, like our Active Rosehip Day Cream, hydrates with hyaluronic acid and leaves a matt finish rather than sitting heavy on your skin.
It is, and it tends to surprise people. Rosehip is high in linoleic acid, which oily skin is often short of, and it sinks in quickly without the heaviness of richer oils. That's a big part of why it sits at the heart of our Active Rosehip Day Cream and our 24hr Rosehip Serum.
The ingredients worth looking for are the ones that balance your skin rather than strip it.
- Bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative to retinol. It helps speed up cell turnover, so pores stay clearer and oil production settles over time. It's the active in our Precious Facial Oil.
- Rosehip, light and quick to absorb, and rich in linoleic acid. You'll find it in our Active Rosehip Day Cream and 24hr Rosehip Serum.
- Hyaluronic acid, which hydrates without any heaviness and helps head off the dehydration that brings on more oil.
- Watermelon seed oil, the base of our Absolute Cleansing Oil. It dissolves excess sebum and makeup without a surfactant or a drop of alcohol in sight.
- Squalane, lightweight and close to your skin's own sebum, so it hydrates without clogging.
Worth steering clear of are sulphates, alcohol and harsh foaming agents. They'll give you that squeaky-clean feeling for about an hour, and then your skin gets busy making up the difference.
Honestly, the best routine for oily skin is usually the simplest one. Ours comes down to three steps: the Absolute Cleansing Oil morning and night, because oil dissolves oil and lifts away sebum and makeup without stripping; the Active Rosehip Day Cream for light hydration and a matt finish; and the Precious Facial Oil at night, where bakuchiol helps keep pores clearer and oil production balanced over time.
You'll find all three together in our Oily Skin Bundle, and 87% of customers with oily skin who left a review told us Kinvara Skincare products helped with oiliness.*
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