How to choose skincare products for acne-prone skinUpdated a year ago
What products are a must in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin? Here’s what we’d recommend to keep your skin in excellent shape while preventing breakouts.
Cleansers for acne-prone skin
Regular cleansing helps to clear away excess sebum, bacteria, and pore-clogging sunscreen or makeup residue. Research shows that cleansing once or twice a day is quite important for acne-prone skin, but any more than that can worsen breakouts.
The best face washes for acne-prone skin will have low pH which will maintain the skin’s natural acidity level, to keep it less hospitable to the acne bacteria while still allowing beneficial microbes to hang out.
If your skin is oil and acne-prone, you might prefer a gel cleanser with stronger cleansing abilities, but for dry acne-prone skin, it’s best to choose a slightly creamier cleanser. Either way, your cleanser should leave your skin feeling fresh - not tight or stripped of oils.
Some cleansers can reduce breakouts all on their own, especially if they contain active ingredients like BHA, AHA, or benzoyl peroxide.
Using a treatment cleanser is a good solution if you have sensitive skin that cannot tolerate active leave-on products, or if you want to use several active ingredients in your routine without having to layer on too many steps.
Leave-on treatments with active ingredients
Most acne treatments feature specific active ingredients like the ones we mentioned above, that work as either chemical exfoliants, antibacterial agents, or both. They normally go on the skin after you’ve cleansed, although some can be applied after moisturizing to slow down their rate of penetration.
They treat acne directly by unclogging pores and speeding the skin renewal process while also inhibiting the growth of acne bacteria. They’re incredibly useful whether you’re trying to get rid of pimples or prevent new ones from forming.
It’s generally best to use acne treatments at night, after cleansing, and before moisturizing. That said, if you’re combining several acne treatments in one routine, it’s important to know about interactions. The pH level of a leave-on salicylic acid product, for example, might compromise the effectiveness of a retinoid. Using too many products at once can also damage your skin barrier, which will make it harder for breakouts to heal.
This means that if you’re using several acne treatments at once, you may want to alternate use (e.g., using benzoyl peroxide one night, and a retinoid the following night), or use one in the morning and another at night (e.g., salicylic acid in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night).
Layering different treatments together can be complicated, especially if you’re also using retinoids. Check out our advanced skincare layering guide for some suggestions for combining products.
Moisturizers for acne
Just because you’re breaking out doesn’t mean you need to give up on moisturizer. In fact, moisturizers are essential for keeping your skin strong, resilient, and quick to heal. They also prevent the extreme flakiness and dehydration that come with many acne treatments.
Breaking out is very individual, and some moisturizers can worsen a breakout. Finding the right one for you might require some trial and error. Generally, lightweight gel or lotion moisturizers will work best since they’re usually formulated with the potential for breakouts in mind.
Our very own Water Lock is an excellent option. It was designed with a blend of non-comedogenic, water-binding ingredients that seal moisture into the skin without feeling greasy, which makes it the ideal moisturizer for acne-prone skin, whether dry or oily.
Sunscreen for acne
The sun is one of the most damaging external forces that impact the skin. UV exposure has a pro-inflammatory effect that has been found to make acne worse. It also increases the risk that healed pimples will turn into dark spots.
A great sunscreen for acne-prone skin will protect your skin from the sun’s rays without breaking you out. Unfortunately, as with moisturizers, certain sunscreen ingredients can be comedogenic for some.
Sunscreens advertised specifically for the face or as matte, oil-free, or non-comedogenic are more likely to be compatible with your skin. Check out our lab’s top sunscreen recommendations for some product suggestions.
As a rule, you’ll want to apply at least a 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen to your face, neck, and ears before exposing your skin to sunshine.