These Two Products Are Saving My Oily Skin

For as long as I can remember, my skin has been oily AF. Not dewy, not glowy, not Glossier model-like — oily. And no amount of people assuring me that I'll age gracefully because of it is enough to make it not annoying. Even in winter, my T-zone is practically reflective, and my makeup pulls a disappearing act by noon. As such, clarifying masks and lightweight moisturizers are cornerstones of my skin-care routine, and two new favorites have spectacularly entered the chat: Sand & Sky's Oil Control Clearing Moisturizer and Clearing Face Mask.

The Australian beauty brand is behind some of the most viral products in recent history (case in point: this highly rated pink clay mask), but Sand & Sky's new Oil Control collection is sure to be your late-summer MVP — or year-round MVP, for my fellow oily folks.

The first product I tried was the Oil Control Clearing Moisturizer. Right off the bat, I loved the packaging; I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it doesn't hurt when you're looking at it every morning on your bathroom sink. As you can see by the texture swatch above, the moisturizer has a light, gel-cream consistency that my skin immediately loved. It felt thirst-quenching yet slightly cooling upon application — perfect for summer.

It's formulated with niacinamide, salicylic acid, prebiotics, and Old Man Weed (an Indigenous Australian plant with anti-inflammatory and soothing properties). A common misconception with oily skin is that it doesn't need moisturizer, but not hydrating the skin can actually cause oil glands to overproduce sebum to compensate. (TL;DR moisturizing oily skin is still important!)

The Sand & Sky moisturizer felt really comfortable on my skin, and I would definitely use it again, but I can't say for sure it made me feel less oily throughout the day. (But then again, that's quite a tall order.) As a lightweight moisturizer that didn't break me out, it passed with flying colors.

Onto the next product, the Clearing Face Mask. I love me a grease-sopping mask, so I had a feeling I'd love Sand & Sky's white clay formula for acne-prone complexions. (It also came with a tapered application brush for extra spa facial vibes.) The product was the color of pistachio ice cream and had similar ingredients as the moisturizer for maximum oil absorption. My skin isn't super sensitive, but I detected a hint of tingle as I spread it across my T-zone and cheeks. The directions say to leave it on for 10 minutes, but I rinsed after five the first time I tried it just to be safe. Even in a short amount of time, I saw a visible difference in the appearance of my pores. Best of all, my skin didn't feel super-tight and dry afterward — just balanced and satiny matte. I felt like my skin readily drank up my serum and moisturizer, and any small breakouts seemed like they had the air let out of their tires. I haven't used it for a long enough period of time to see if it's dramatically curbed my greasy glands or brightened acne scars, but so far, I love it for when my skin is feeling especially congested.

At $39.90 and $34.90, respectively, Sand & Sky's Clearing Moisturizer and Clearing Face Mask aren't inexpensive products by any means. But if you're looking for solid products that are a step above drugstore brands but not as pricey as luxury brands, I recommend these wholeheartedly. (You can save $11 when you shop the brand's Oil Control Skin Balancing Kit, which retails for $63.60.)

As an extra-special treat for our readers, you can take 15% off your Sand & Sky haul with promo code REF15. (There's no order minimum, but the code excludes bundles and the new Glow Berries Moisturizer.) Go forth and glow (but not like, too much – that's where this stuff comes in).