This article originally appeared on InStyle.
When your mid-day shine isn’t the product of the new highlighter or radiant-finish concealer you picked up on your last Sephora haul, it’s time to step-up your defense against your skin’s overactive oil glands.
If your complexion is already oily during the year’s other three seasons, summer can be especially brutal. Hyper oil glands thrive in the heat and humidity so you’re constantly battling with facial grease up until the first day of fall.
Including mattifying and oil-control products in your skincare routine is one half of keeping your complexion from looking like it has its own reflection, while the other is having quick-fix touch-up products on hand.
Here, we’ve rounded up nine ways you can keep greasy summer skin under control for the rest of the season.
Don’t start your makeup routine before reaching for this shine-control primer. A few drops goes a long way, and will keep your makeup from sliding off of your face by 2PM. Bonus: The formula also blurs those enlarged pores that are the bane of your existance.
Another way for you to procrastinate getting ready to go out: sitting on your bed scrolling through Instagram while wearing this mask. Enriched with a superfruit AHA acid blend, raw honey enzymes, and micro-crystals, Tata Harper’s facial treatment clears pores from dirt and oil buildup while gently exfoliating to prevent breakouts caused by those days when you’re sweating so much your face resembles a dripping candle.
If summer’s humidity makes you so sweaty and shiny that you’re constantly asked what highlighter you’re using when you aren’t wearing one, it’s time to start fighting shine in every step of your skincare routine. A mattifying moisturizer might seem counterintuitive, but using one like Ole Henriksen’s will lock in the essential moisture your complexion needs to stay smooth and healthy, while keeping over-productive oil glands under control.
A clay-based mask will suck up all of the excess dirt and oil that your skin doesn’t need. While clay formulas tend to be drying, Dior’s whipped cream version is mixed with hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil and minerals to maintain your complexion’s balance.
Toner is one of the most polarizing skincare products out there. Whether or not you consider it an essential step in your daily routine, treat Sunday Riley’s alien-themed mattifying toner as extra reinforcement against a greasy T-zone this summer. The toner, which turns from a cooling gel into water once applied, is also infused with marshmallow and cucumber to soothe skin and cut down redness.
Consider swapping your pack of blotting papers for Murad’s mattifying cushion compact the equivalent of upgrading from a free Spotify account to premium. Dab the puff into the compact and pat it on your T-zone to instantly cut shine, absorb oils, and minimize the appearance of your pores. The formula infused in the cushion part of the compact is packed with marshmallow to keep skin from getting dried out.
On days when you’re too lazy to go through the motions of your usual skincare routine, a rinse-free micellar water can help your skin stay shine-free while putting in minimal effort. The charcoal ingredient in this drugstore favorite acts as a detox for your complexion by drawing out excess dirt, oil, and impurities.
Add a few drops to your foundation or concealer to give your favorite products a matte finish, or use them to over makeup to minimize mid-day shine.
Use this blotting sponge to eliminate shine from spots that regular blotting papers fail to reach like the creases of your nose. If you think the concept of a reusable cushion sounds unhygienic, this one from BeautyBlender has a vented black and clear hygienic separator to keep it fresh and clean.
