Our tips for creating the best skincare routine to treat blemishes and breakouts.

Skincare can be a complex and confusing battle when you have acne-prone skin, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding a skincare routine that works for you is all about balancing active ingredients that get to work fast on pimples, and soothing, skin-calming ingredients to promote faster recovery and healing.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to creating a basic skincare routine for acne-prone skin.

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleansing is important for giving your skin a fresh start and removing any traces of makeup, grime or debris that can clog pores and trigger breakouts. We know it’s tempting to treat breakouts aggressively with lots of harsh products, but in the long run this can be even more irritating for skin that’s already dealing with a compromised barrier and high levels of inflammation.

That’s why we recommend a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils, as this will cause skin to over-produce oil to compensate. Foaming cleansers tend to have potentially irritating ingredients such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, so a gentle gel or cream formula is best.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Gentle exfoliation helps get rid of dead skin cells and other debris that can build up on the surface of skin, which is great for unblocking pores and preventing future breakouts. We recommend chemical exfoliation (using AHAs or BHAs) rather than physical (using scrubs or beads) as it’s gentler and less likely to irritate.

Start by exfoliating once or twice a week to help your skin adjust, and patch test first on a small area of skin.

Step 3: Hydrate

All skin types benefit from moisturiser, even oily skin. Again, it’s best to choose soothing, simple formulations that are free from potential irritants such as fragrance or comedogenic ingredients that could clog pores (such as coconut oil).

Step 4: Treat acne

For active blemishes and breakouts, you can spot treat with a targeted product that works directly on the pimple, like our new Blemish Treatment. It has beneficial ingredients such as:

Salicylic Acid, a type of chemical exfoliant that unblocks pores while soothing inflammation.
Zinc, to encourage skin healing.
Centella Asiatica, to soothe skin and provide antioxidant protection.
Step 5: Protect

We know it’s tempting to skip the sun protection when you have acne, no one wants to put something thick or greasy over their breakouts. Keeping your skin protected during the day is a must, especially when you are using products to treat acne. Many of the best actives for acne can increase your sensitivity to the sun meaning that you can do more damage.

Sunscreens have come a long way from the thick white products from the past and there are lots of lightweight and oil free options out there now. Just try to find something that isn’t high in alcohol or highly fragranced.