best acne skincare routine
Does acne seem like a never-ending battle? Are those pesky red bumps on your face a regular affair? Then you need to find the correct skincare routine. Even when you think you have one.
With millions of acne busting products in the market, calling themselves the best, creating a skincare routine can seem a lot more than just confusing. But who said your acne skincare routine needs to be complex or involve 10 steps to be effective?
I personally cannot stick to a skincare routine that is longer than 3 minutes or involve more than 3 steps. because seriously, my lazy ass won’t agree to that. And if you are like me, you definitely need to try this super easy acne skincare routine before you scratch your head and cry.
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morning acne skincare routine
1. cleanse
You already know that, right? Or I hope you know. Washing your face at least twice a day is the one and only step you absolutely cannot miss! But choosing a face wash that is the best and won’t dry out your skin along with clearing acne is a difficult decision. Because the truth is that most of the Acne-fighting cleansers are way too harsh and dry out your skin making your skin more sensitive and prone to acne.
Rather, you need to pick a gentle, sulfate-free, non-comedogenic face wash that removes excess oil ad dirt without stripping your skin of moisture.
2. moisturize
Some of you might be looking for toner in here. But Nah, that’s not even a step to consider in your skincare routine. Toners are overly hyped products, god knows why, but they are not necessary for treating acne. And you should definitely not use a toner with salicylic or glycolic acid in it because it will screw your skin.
Instead, a really good, light-weight, non-comedogenic moisturizer is what will help your acne to disappear. And yes, Dry, Oily, and Acne-prone skin 100% needs a moisturizer daily. You don’t want to leave that skin dry and tight because this makes your skin go into an alarming mode, where it starts to produce even more oil to compensate for the lack of oil. So you get the opposite of what you really wanted.
Stick to a lotion-based formula dr dry skin and gel/water-based formula for oily skin that contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and/or ceramides that are known to hydrate without causing any acne troubles.
3. sunscreen
Straight from my Dermat’s books, SPF is the most crucial skincare step in your life, especially if you have acne. Not only does it help in premature aging and skin cancer, but it also helps your dark spots to fade away faster since UV exposure from the sun makes those marks more prominent, which is even worse.
Sunscreen should be broad-spectrum, that is it provides protection against both UVA and UVB sun rays, should contain SPF 30 or more, which is the minimum skin experts recommend, and which should be non-comedogenic, which means the formula will not clog your pores and be the reason for your breakouts.
Also, sunscreen with Vitamin C would like the cherry on the cake for acne and its scars. Mine has it. Yay!
[ You can see what more to look for in sunscreen before buying it here. ]
nightime acne skincare routine
1. cleanse
Don’t care how tired you are or how cold it is, you absolutely need to wash your face at night before bed. And no, wet tissues won’t cut the crap. (In fact, per my dermatologist, any kind of wet wipe should be a definite no-no for people with acne.)
And if you wear makeup to work, college, or just casually, I highly suggest you follow the double cleansing regimen where oil is massaged first to remove makeup and then washed off with normal face wash. It will leave your pores and skin squeaky clean.
2. acne treatment
You know that body repairs itself at night while you sleep. So does your skin. That’s why the most targeted skincare treatments like, gels or serums with active ingredients are better used at night.
The best acne treatments to add to your acne skincare routine are:
- Salicylic acid: It is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) well-known for reducing acne and keeping pores clear.
- Niacinamide: It is a form of vitamin b3 that reduces inflammation and brightens the skin while balancing oil production
- Adapalene: It is a type of retinoid formulated specifically for acne. It works by regulating the growth of cells, reducing oil production, and calming any swelling or inflammation.
- Benzoyl peroxide: It is an ingredient that kills acne-causing bacteria on the skin and in your pores
In general, if you’re treating with blackheads or whiteheads, stick to adapalene or salicylic acid, and if you’re dealing with red inflammatory acne, like pustules, benzoyl peroxide or niacinamide can be your best bet. For dealing with cystic acne, you should not try to treat them on your own, so seeing a dermatologist can help you clear your skin faster.
Even though you should use only a small pea-size drop of these treatments on your skin every other night at the beginning and every night after about 2-3 weeks. But treatments like Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and niacinamide can be used daily since they are not that harsh primarily for non-sensitive skin types.
3. moisturize
Now the final step, moisturizing! Wait for at least 15-20 minutes after applying acne treatments to let them seep into the skin and work their magic, then apply your moisturizer. Yup, leaving that gap is a must because you don’t want to remove the treatment from its place before even letting it do what it is supposed to do.
(My dermatologist recommends a gap of 1 hour but hello? who’s got that much time? Plus, it didn’t do anything wrong to my skin, or my friend’s for who, I’m the dermatologist, lol)
And no, you don’t need a separate ‘night cream’. The morning moisturizer will work just fine. Plus, most night creams contain active ingredients, which you don’t want because your skin is already be getting what it needs to get rid of acne from acne treatments. And, mixing and matching too many active skincare products is never a good idea, especially when you don’t know how to.
So simpler the skincare routine, the better the results will be.
What to expect from this acne skincare routine?
If you want your acne to disappear overnight or in a week then it’s really impossible (considering you don’t have just one-two-three pimples popping out.) And not break your heart but this acne skincare routine or any routine for that matter will not work overnight.
It takes at least 4-10 weeks of CONSISTENT use before you see permanent results. Not just using these products here and there or adding another new product drop in the market to your routine without thinking.
So, what products are you adding to your acne skincare routine?
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