SKIN ADVICE · OILY SKIN
Toner and Serum for Oily Skin
If you are searching for a toner for oily skin, chances are you have been told to "dry it out" — and chances are that advice has never actually worked. Here is the honest answer: oily skin should not be stripped. Strip away every trace of oil and your skin responds by producing more, so the shine comes back harder by lunchtime.
The right toner rebalances your skin without drying it, and the right serum for oily skin adds the one thing oily skin is usually short of — water. This guide explains what each product actually does, what to avoid, and how the two fit together in a simple morning and night routine.
The mistake almost everyone with oily skin makes
Most oily skin routines are built on punishment: harsh foaming washes, gritty scrubs and stinging astringents that leave skin squeaky and tight. That tight feeling is not clean — it is a stripped skin barrier. Stripped skin compensates by producing even more oil, and the cycle repeats.
This is the philosophy our whole range is built on: clean and care for skin with gentle products — never strip or dry it out, because stripped skin makes every problem worse. Naturally oily skin (what dermatology references such as DermNet call seborrhoea) is a skin type to be managed kindly, not scrubbed into submission.
What a toner for oily skin actually does
A good toner does three jobs. It sweeps away the last traces of cleanser and surface oil, it rebalances skin after cleansing, and it delivers a light layer of hydration that keeps skin soft rather than tight. Used through the day, a spray toner also takes the edge off shine without disturbing makeup.
What it should never do is sting. The old-style astringent toners that "work" by burning off oil are usually high in alcohol — and alcohol is exactly what pushes oily skin to overproduce. If a toner leaves your face tingling and tight, it is working against you.
Our REFRESH Toner (Oily Skin) is formulated the opposite way. It is 100% natural, contains no alcohol at all, and keeps skin soft and hydrated while helping it look calmer and less shiny. Because it comes as a 100ml pump spray ($47.00 AUD), you can use it several times a day — after cleansing morning and night, and as a midday refresh whenever the T-zone starts to gleam.
Oily skin still needs hydration — oil is not water
Here is the fact that changes how people care for oily skin: oil and hydration are two different things. Sebum is oil; hydration is water held in the skin. Skin can be oily on the surface and thirsty underneath at the same time — in fact, dehydrated oily skin is one of the most common combinations we see, often because years of harsh products have taught the skin to pump out oil while the water content quietly drops.
That is why skipping hydration is the wrong move for oily skin. Humectant ingredients — the family that includes hyaluronic acid — draw water into the skin without adding any oil at all. Give oily skin the water it is missing and it generally behaves better: softer, calmer, less reactive, and over time less inclined to overproduce.
Choosing a serum for oily skin — day, night and in between
A serum is the working layer of your routine: light, fast-absorbing, and worn under your moisturiser or on its own. These three cover the jobs oily skin most often needs done.
For everyday shine — REFRESH Reduce Shine Serum Concentrate
The REFRESH Reduce Shine Serum Concentrate for Oily Skin ($99.00, 30ml dropper bottle) is the everyday workhorse — a 100% natural, nourishing and softening serum that absorbs well and helps keep shine in check. Like the toner, it contains no alcohol, so it will not dry your skin out.
For day and night spot care — REFRESH Day/Night Serum
The REFRESH Day/Night Serum (Oily Skin) ($57.00, 30ml airless pump) is primarily a spot serum: dab it on individual blemishes day and night to help calm the look of redness, or smooth it as a thin film over the whole face when skin is having an angry week. One product, worn morning and night.
For dehydrated oily skin — HERO Serum Concentrate
If your skin is shiny yet feels tight, the HERO Serum Concentrate to Super Hydrate Oily Skin ($97.00, 30ml dropper bottle) is the one to reach for. It is a pure hydration serum built around hyaluronic acid with vitamins and minerals — water for the skin, with no added oil.
A simple morning and night routine
Morning: cleanse with the REFRESH Duo Dream Exfoliating Cleanser ($59.75) — a gentle two-in-one that lifts dead cells and helps unclog pores while keeping skin soft. Follow with a few sprays of REFRESH Toner, then your serum. If shine is your main battle, mist the REFRESH Mattify Pre-Serum Spray ($55.00) on first — it hydrates, helps reduce shine and prepares skin so your serum absorbs better.
Night: cleanse, tone, then apply the Day/Night Serum to any blemishes — or the REFRESH Clearing Gel ($67.00) for a clearer, smoother look with reduced shine.
Twice a week: swap in the REFRESH Twice Weekly Essential Exfoliant ($67.70) for a deeper cleanse that helps clear congestion and dead skin. Gentle, regular exfoliation is the quiet hero of oily skin care — harsh gritty scrubs are not. If congestion and blackheads are your bigger concern, start with our gentle blackhead cleanser instead and build from there.
Then give it time. Skin renews on a roughly four-to-six-week cycle, so judge any new routine after a full cycle of consistency, not four days. One honest caveat: skincare is care, not medicine. If breakouts are persistent, painful or inflamed, Healthdirect Australia has a practical overview of acne, and your GP or a dermatologist should be your first stop.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Toner and serum for oily skin — your questions answered
Should I use a toner if I have oily skin?
Yes — as long as it is the right kind. A gentle, alcohol-free toner for oily skin removes the last traces of cleanser and surface oil, rebalances the skin and adds light hydration, which helps oily skin look calmer and less shiny. What you should skip is the old-style astringent that stings on application: that tight, tingling feeling means stripped skin, and stripped skin produces more oil, not less.
What should I avoid in an oily skin toner?
The main offender is a high alcohol content, which gives an instant matte feeling by drying the skin — and then triggers the rebound oiliness that makes shine worse over time. Harsh astringents and aggressive "deep clean" formulas do the same. Look instead for an alcohol-free toner that hydrates while it refreshes; our REFRESH Toner is formulated exactly this way.
Will a serum make my oily skin greasier?
Not if you choose a serum formulated for oily skin. These are light, water-based layers that absorb quickly and leave no greasy film — very different from rich creams or facial oils. A hydrating serum can actually help shine over time, because well-hydrated skin has less reason to overproduce oil. Apply a few drops to clean, toned skin and let it absorb before anything else goes on.
Can I use the same serum day and night?
Yes. Our REFRESH Day/Night Serum is designed as exactly that — a day and night serum for oily skin, worn around the clock. Dab it on blemishes or smooth a thin film over the face, morning and night. Many people pair it with a second product by time of day: the Mattify Pre-Serum Spray under makeup in the morning, and the Reduce Shine Serum Concentrate or Clearing Gel as the evening step.
What if my oily skin is also sensitive?
Choose the gentlest option and introduce one product at a time. The HERO Serum Concentrate for Sensitive Oily Skin ($67.00) is formulated specifically for that combination. Patch test behind the ear or on the inner forearm first, give each new product a week before adding the next, and avoid anything that stings or tightens.
How long until I see a difference?
You will feel the difference — softer, more comfortable skin — quickly, but judge the real results after a full skin cycle. Skin renews itself roughly every four to six weeks, so give a new toner and serum routine that long of consistent morning-and-night use before deciding. Rebound oiliness from years of harsh products can take a few weeks to settle once you switch to gentler care.
MATCHED TO YOU
Not sure which combination suits your skin?
Oily skin rarely travels alone — it can come with sensitivity, dehydration or breakouts, and the right combination differs from face to face. Every product in our range was formulated by Jane Fransman, a CIDESCO-qualified dermal clinician with more than 40 years in dermal therapy, and made in Western Australia. Book a consultation for a routine matched to you — with Express Post shipping Australia-wide on anything you order.