First off, I am going to start this off by saying I cant guarantee that these will work for you and your situation, but it’s worth a shot!
I struggled with acne starting when I was 16 and I still as a 20-year-old struggle with breakouts here and there. But no-where near as bad as they used to be! I got to a point where I was willing to do anything to get rid of my acne. I tried at home remedies, products the dermatologist suggested and every drug store product that claims to get rid of acne. Nothing seemed to get rid of it.
Over the last 2 years I have come up with the perfect skin care routine for my oily, acne prone skin that for me is foolproof.
Here are my tips and the products I use below to get rid of your acne:
1. Diet
One of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to your face is that the food you eat will affect your skin! When I was 18 I was told I was Lactose Intolerant, so naturally I cut out all dairy products from my daily life. Within a few months I could already see a difference!! My skin had stopped being a constant state of acne and became a few pimples here and there, which I assume were hormonal anyway.
To learn more about how dairy affects your skin check out this article by men’s health!
2. Moisturizer
Up until a few years ago, I had been using whatever drug store moisturizer I could find that was meant to ‘clear’ my skin, yet none of them worked. I decided to invest in a moisturizer from Clinique to see how it would change my skin and I will never go back. The ladies at Clinique that I have had the pleasure of speaking with have been extremely helpful in suggesting the best products to help combat acne and they definitely did work
Here is the moisturizer I use:
3. Face Masks
Face masks are a great way to get your skin feeling a little extra clean and the dirt lifted a little more than just your cleanser does! I have been through quite a few face masks, beginning at lush with their fresh masks and ending with my final two Holy Grail products.
The first one is a mask from Clinique, it sits on your skin for only 5 minutes and hardens while it’s on and then you wash it off with warm water. You can feel it working as its on your skin and you will be left with glowing skin as well as fewer breakouts!
The second product I use is the Biore charcoal self heating masks, I tend not to use these as masks and more of a scrub, I feel that it does more for my skin. However, it does wonders for your skin, it is the perfect product to get rid of those pesky blackheads!
4. Foundation
The worse my acne got, the more foundation I would pile one. I have learned that foundation is not going to solve any of my problems, if anything it will make it worse by clogging my pores. I recently made the switch to an acne-friendly foundation with salicylic acid acne treatment! A big factor in my acne clearing fully was wearing a foundation that was meant to help acne instead of making it worse!
Here is the foundation I use:
5. Bare-face days
I totally understand that if you are struggling with acne, walking around bare-faced could be a little intimidating. But trust me, building the confidence to walk a whole day without make up will not only help your acne, it will make you feel fierce as heck when you can make it through the whole day rocking your natural beauty! I started out wearing no make up one day a week. I just wanted to let it breathe and it has totally worked!
6. Clean your make up brushes
Make up brushes tend to sit in open spaces where they gather bacteria because of the excess make up on the brush. I started washing my brushes once a week with warm water and baby shampoo. I also store my brushes in drawer where they are less likely to collect bacteria!
7. Cleanser
Cleanser is the one part of my routine that I don’t think I will ever change. I currently use 2 cleansers; I have the Neutrogena grapefruit exfoliating foaming scrub for the days that I need a little extra clean and spectro gel cleanser for blemish prone skin! I usually wash my face in the mornings with spectro gel and the Neutrogena after a long day of wearing foundation!