Do dermatologists always recommend the use of skin moisturisers or might it sometimes be unnecessary or contraindicated?

Thank you for the question. Oily skin can indeed be difficult to control. There are cleansers for oily skin which may help a bit in oil control. However, the best treatment for oily skin by far is oral isotretinoin. This treatment can be very effective in oil control even at a low dose. This treatment can help control the bumps too. However, in women, the biggest concern is that isotretinoin is teratogenic ie. it can cause fetal abnormalities if you are on the drug. If you are very bothered by the oiliness, you can discuss this option further with your doctor.

One of the common side effects of differin especially during initial usage is skin redness and irritation. However, this does not affect all patients, and you can use differin directly on the skin as first layer if you do not experience any skin sensitivity. Skin irritation can also be reduced if you reduce the amount or frequency of appplication. However, despite the above strategies, if bothersome skin irritation still occurs, applying a moisturizer first followed by differin will help further reduce the skin irritation without reducing the benefits of differin.