The 9 Best Oil-Absorbing Products of 2024, Tested & Reviewed
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Sop up oil while keeping makeup pristine in the process.
InStyle / Tamara Staples
Nothing short of mattifying miracle workers, products for oily skin, including papers, setting powders, sponges, and rollers, soak up excess oil to prevent a shiny complexion from stealing the show. Each one works differently. For instance, “Oil-absorbing sheets work by using absorbent fibrous threads to draw oil off the skin without disrupting too much of the surrounding skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian, who adds, “They can even be used over makeup.”
However, every format can be effective. We recruited a dozen testers to individually test over 20 products in our lab, considering ease of use, absorbency, and overall appearance. After looking at ratings and insights, we narrowed the list to the top nine that sop up oil like magic. At the helm are products that stood out for their ease of use, featherlight feel, absorbing power, and ability to keep makeup in place.
Best Overall: Tatcha Aburatorigami Japanese Beauty Papers
Why We Love It: These soft, lightweight papers soak up excess oil and reveal a natural-looking matte finish.
Who It's For: Sensitive or reactive skin types will appreciate that, unlike some products with a lengthy list of ingredients, these are made simply with just two: Natural abaca leaf and gold flakes to soak up excess oil and reduce inflammation (a common benefit of gold on the skin).
Jeanie, tester with combination skin: “There was a significant difference—my skin normally is oily, but the blotting paper helped keep it matte without stripping my face of too much makeup.”
Active Ingredient: Abaca Leaf and Gold | Format: Papers | Sheets: 40
Best Budget: NYX Professional Makeup Matte Blotting Paper
Why We Love It: These thin, smooth, lightweight papers are easy to pull out of the packaging (without risking extras coming out in the process) and seamlessly make shine disappear. These sheets are made with 100 percent pure pulpate paper. And while you get 30 papers for less than $5, you may need to repurchase often if you use multiple a day.
Who It's For: Makeup wearers finally have an option that removes all traces of grease, without disrupting your foundation and other products in the process.
Michelle, tester with a combination of dry skin and an oily T-zone: “The texture of the paper felt very soft and light on my skin. I hardly felt the paper on my skin at all, but it absorbed all of the excess oil right away.”
Active Ingredient: Pure pulpate paper | Format: Papers | Sheets: 30
Best Splurge: Clinique Stay Matte Universal Blotting Powder
Why We Love It: Where some powders leave a garish white cast, this does not. Dabbing this powder over your face eliminates the look of shine. If our tester could change one thing about this popular product, it’d be the sponge: It doesn’t have a loop to grip, so it can be tricky to remove from the compact. It’s also worth noting that, since it comes with a sponge, you’ll be reusing the same tool to absorb oil, which isn’t the most hygienic. Still, you can wash the sponge with your other makeup brushes to keep it clean, and the overall performance is simply unbeatable.
Who It's For: If you find traditional blotting papers leave a residue behind on your skin, this sponge alleviates any worries of an unsightly white cast. And, for the eco-conscious among us, it's a bonus that this tool is reusable.
Miriam, tester with combination skin: “It didn’t leave any trace on my skin. It will not smudge makeup as long as it's pressed, but if the sponge slides on the skin, it will smudge your makeup."
Active Ingredient: Talc and silica | Format: Powder
Best Charcoal-Infused: Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens
Why We Love It: Where many blotting papers are white or light pink, Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens are black. Infused with oil-absorbing black charcoal, these sheets instantly soak up excess oil, leaving skin looking beautifully mattified—and you can see that they work. Beyond how well they work, these papers are stowed in a slim cardboard package that fits easily in the palm of a hand, and in a zippered pouch in a bag. We especially recommend the latter, as simply tossing the cardboard package in a full bag could lead to crumpled corners.
Who It's For: Charcoal is an exceptional ingredient for absorbing excess oil, making these a great pick for anyone who has stubborn shine.
Amy, tester with combination skin: “I noticed the excess oil on the blotting paper. The papers do a good job absorbing my face oil and they’re great for freshening up during the day.”
Active Ingredient: Charcoal | Format: Papers | Sheets: 100
Best Natural: PleasingCare Natural Bamboo Charcoal Oil Absorbing Tissues
Why We Love It: From the convenient packaging to the simple makeup, these oil-absorbing papers are the full package. After all our tester's grease was sopped up, she was left with a mattified, fresh-looking face. As easy as they are to use, our tester says that extra shiny complexions may need multiple papers. According to our tester, the only thing that could make these charcoal-infused papers better is if they were a bit bigger.
Who It's For: For those on the go, these blotting papers are one of the most convenient products to travel with thanks to their organized carrying case.
Valerie, tester with acne-prone skin: “I love that the blotting papers are organized neatly inside a credit card-size paper container. Each sheet is simple to pull out for use. I ended up using two sheets as the first absorbed a nice batch of oil, but I needed another for the rest of my T-zone."
Active Ingredient: Bamboo Linen and Charcoal | Format: Papers | Sheets: 100
Best Stone Roller: Revlon Volcanic Stone Face Roller
Why We Love It: The Revlon Volcanic Stone Face Roller is one-of-a-kind, as it uses real volcanic stone to soak up excess oil. Its diameter is similar to that of a quarter, and it’s roughly the height of a lip gloss—so it’s larger than a slim pack of blotting papers. In addition to absorbing oil, our tester says the stone has an almost cooling feeling, which is even more refreshing on the go. Keep in mind that you'll want to keep the non-disposable roller clean. Otherwise, you’re basically reapplying any bacteria that was present in your sebum back on your skin, each time you use it.
Who It's For: This face roller allows you to tackle puffy skin and extra shine with one conveniently sized tool.
Dominique, tester with oily-prone skin: “This immediately drew the oil out of my skin and left a dry trail behind it. Overall, it seems like a high-quality product."
Active Ingredient: Volcanic Stone | Format: Roller
Best for Travel: Jenny Patinkin Blotter Baby Mattifying Roller
Why We Love It: The Jenny Patinkin Blotter Baby Mattifying Roller is made of limestone clay, which easily picks up excess traces of oil to reveal a less shiny complexion in its wake. That said, our tester admits that it does pick up a touch of makeup along the way, too. Whatever you do though, our tester emphasizes the importance of cleaning the ball, which pops out of the roller, making it more hygienic.
Who It's For: Since it soaks up oil and doubles as a soothing facial tool, it’s a great oil-absorbing option, especially for those looking for a little extra self-care in the form of boosted facial blood circulation.
InStyle / Tamara Staples
Mads, tester with dry and acne-prone skin: "The results were wonderful—mattifying but not drying. I felt a bonus refreshment, as the roller got blood circulating."
Active Ingredient: Limestone Clay | Format: Roller
Best Sponge: BeautyBlender Blotterazzi
Why We Love It: The pack includes two thin pink teardrop-shaped sponges encased in a vented white plastic teardrop-shaped compact that’s also equipped with a mirror. That said, it does pick up a touch of makeup along the way, but still, our tester assures us that she’d recommend the Blotterazzi to anyone looking to absorb excess oil.
Who It's For: The shape of the sponges makes absorbing excess oil along the T-zone and under the eyes easier than ever.
Nikki, tester with hyperpigmentation and textured skin: “My skin appears less oily and more matte than it did before using the Blotterazzi. The product can be cleaned and reused which makes it a great value.”
Active Ingredient: N/A | Format: Sponge
Best Multitasker: Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender
Why We Love It: Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender is in a class all its own thanks to its powder-balm formula that feels like a little pad of jelly. It comes with a sponge that has both pointed and curved edges, which makes it easy to apply all over the face. So long as you only use a little bit (ie: tap the sponge in the balm before tapping it on your face, as opposed to rubbing or swiping product out of the compact), it feels weightless and doesn’t disturb makeup.
Who It's For: The unique product can be used before makeup as a primer, or after makeup as a setting or blotting product.
Rebecca, tester with combination skin: “I barely feel anything going on—it just feels like I'm tapping a sponge on my face. I didn't feel any oil or notice any shine after using it. I did a few passes to make sure everything was taken care of, but there was a huge difference even just after the first pass. My mind is kind of blown because using a gel seems so counterintuitive for removing oil.’’
Active Ingredient: Dimethicone | Format: Powder-balm
What to Keep in Mind
Active Ingredient: When shopping for a product that will adequately absorb oil, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King, M.D., says to look for active ingredients like clay, charcoal, powder, and starch. “These ingredients have surface areas that are large enough or porous enough to adsorb oil—meaning that they absorb the oil and hold onto it, keeping it from escaping,” she explains.
Type: The best oil-absorbing product format depends on your own personal preference. If you want something tiny to toss in your bag, opt for a slim folio of blotting papers. If you have a bit more room to spare, a blotting roller or compact works well. Just keep in mind that of all the oil-absorbing products out there, blotting papers are the most hygienic (though, often, the least sustainable since they’re designed for individual use).
Why Shop With Us
Rebecca Norris has covered beauty for nearly 10 years. For this story, she spoke with a group of 12 testers, as well as board-certified dermatologists Dr. Rachel Nazarian and Dr. Hadley King to determine what makes an effective oil-absorbing product. With testing insights and expert input in mind, she presents the best oil-absorbing products.
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