Oil cleansers: slay or nay?

[Sam013]

I have pretty bad acne, and I think the issue is my cleansing, cuz my cleanser (CeraVe oily skin cleanser) doesn’t get everything off. It also drys out my skin, which causes my skin to create more oil and gives me acne, for some reason. So I was wondering if trying out an oil based cleanser like Youth To The People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser, or CeraVe Hydrating foaming oil cleanser. 
has anyone with acne tried this, what did do, did it make it worse?

[WinglessOne]

@Sam013  Sounds like double cleansing would help your skin. You can start with an oil cleanser if you want, or choose a micellar water or cleansing balm. Whichever you pick, use it to break up makeup, sunscreen, excess oil*, etc., rinse it off, and then use a more traditional cleanser. I usually start with either The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL , Paula's Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm 3.5 oz/ 104 mL , or Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water. With The Inkey List’s balm, I sometimes lather my usual PM cleanser right over it and then rinse both cleansers off at once. 

*Oils in an oil cleanser or cleansing balm can bond to excess oil on your skin and remove it. Not all oils are the same though: some people’s skin reacts to certain oils. My skin’s not fond of oils high in oleic acid; a friend’s skin hates coconut oil; etc. 

Do you pat your skin completely dry right after rinsing off your cleanser, or perhaps wait for your skin to fully dry down before moving to your next skincare routine step? There’s no need to do that unless your doctor instructed you to (if you need to apply topical medication to dry skin, for instance). After washing, you can apply other products to damp skin. I usually just gently wipe my face with my hands to remove excess water, so my face isn’t dripping. Then again, I have mostly-dry combo skin, so my goal is to get to the moisturizer step ASAP. 

Also, do you use any acne fighting products in your routine? 

[danielledanielle]

@Sam013 .  It can vary.  It depends on what causing your acne, which isn't always easy to figure it out.  For oily skin however, I think it's best to avoid most oils, but there can be some with benefits, such as rose hip.  Some folks get acne because their skin needs moisture after harsh treatment or environmental conditions so a light oil can be helpful.

I have oily combo skin with hormonal acne, so I avoid oils usually.  My skin can also be persnickety, so when it hates something, I'll get a huge cyst.

I've been through some recent changes, so the acne has subsided.  My skin isn't as oily, but what I use handles the occasional white head and doesn't dry my skin out, nor clog it.  I kinda double cleanse....I like using micellar water or a squalane cleanser with another cleanser.  You can also use a makeup balm and follow up with a cleanser.  Listing some products below that I've used/use

belif Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 3.3 oz/ 100 mL 

Hyper Skin Gentle Brightening Gel Cleanser with Mandelic Acid 5 oz / 150 mL 

Youth To The People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser 

The Ordinary Mini Squalane Cleanser 1.7 oz/ 50 mL 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Triple Action Cleansing Water - Cleanse + Purify