4 Mistakes You’re Making in Your Anti-Acne Skincare Routine

Contrary to popular belief, acne often has little to do how “dirty” your skin is, but rather how effectively your skin sheds its excess oil and dead skin cells. Anyone with persistent acne should avoid cleansing the skin too frequently (more than twice a day), especially if you are using a cleanser with a high concentration of astringents like alcohol or strong cleaning surfactants like sodium laurel sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate.

Immediately after rinsing, you might notice that these ingredients are super effective at removing excess oils and leaving the skin with that squeaky clean feeling. However, using them too frequently can cause irritation and dehydration in the long-term, and your skin will start producing even more oil and cells in order to compensate. The moral of the story is washing your face too often is not worth the short term benefits, and you will only end up fuelling a vicious, never-ending cycle of clogged pores and breakouts.

Don’t get us wrong, cleansing (within reason) is still an important part of your anti-acne routine. It goes without saying that you should always remove any makeup, sunscreen, or build-up from the skin before you head to bed. If you let those surface impurities snuggle up into your skin overnight, then your poor pores could receive a rude awakening the following morning. To remove makeup without irritating or drying out the skin, opt for a fragrance-free, cleansing oil.

Hylamide offers a non-comedogenic, oil-based cleanser that actually lives up to its name: not only is it super effective at removing every last trace of makeup (including waterproof eyeliner), but it leaves your skin feeling properly cleansed and hydrated without leaving behind a greasy film.

Hylamide High-Efficiency Face Cleaner, $21.

There’s nothing quite like the instant gratification one gets from picking and scrubbing away at a fresh crop of pimples with micro-beads, almond shells, salt or sugar scrubs. Unfortunately, many of us have learned the hard way that the more you physically mess with your zits, the more irritated and inflamed they become. So it’s time to toss away your exfoliating scrubs and cleansing brushes. Not only are they leaving your skin more vulnerable to further breakouts, but the inflammation alone can leave behind those reddish-purple scars that take several months to heal.

Salicylic acid offers non-abrasive exfoliation and helps clear out congested pores. This superstar ingredient will help reduce blackheads and whiteheads, brightens skin tone, and calms inflammation — leaving your pores looking like perfection!

For first time users of salicylic acid, Andalou Naturals offers a powerful yet affordable solution that also contains soothing aloe vera, a pro-repair fruit stem cell complex, and clarifying witch hazel.

Andalou Naturals Willow Bark Pure Pore Serum, $33.

When it comes to treating acne, less is always more and combining multiple actives in one routine can be a recipe for disaster. If you want to experiment with the haul of products you picked up from the drugstore, be sure to individually introduce them into your routine and give your skin enough time to adjust to one before introducing another. If a product triggers any irritation or sensitivity, you’ll know exactly which one was the culprit!

Salicylic acid (SA) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) are the two most common acne-fighting actives that are available over-the-counter. Both are suitable treatments for blackheads and whiteheads, encourage faster cellular turnover, and exfoliate inside of the pores to remove excess build-up. While SA has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce redness and dark spots, BPO has anti-bacterial properties to target inflammatory acne (like red, cystic pimples).

If you want a treatment that will offer faster results and target more forms of acne, then BPO will the get job done in no time. On the other hand, if you have sensitive or dehydrated skin and are looking to target occasional blemishes and blackheads, then SA would be a more suitable option. With both treatments, you’ll see best results when used on a consistent, daily basis. If you want to use both ingredients, we suggest using one in the morning and one at nighttime.

Benzagel is a classic Canadian drugstore brand that offers BPO at 2.5% and 5.0% concentrations in various formats, including cleansing wipes, a spot treatment, and facial gel.

Benzagel Acne Gel, $15.

When on the hunt for the perfect moisturizer, people with oily, acne-prone skin might find it difficult to decide which products are right for them. Remember that you should never judge a book by it’s cover, especially when it comes to skincare products.

Even if the packaging says the product is a “solution” for “acne-prone skin,” that doesn’t necessarily mean the formula doesn’t contain highly concentrations of common pore-clogging ingredients

On the other hand, if you avoid heavy creams and oils like the plague, or always find yourself reaching for “oil-free” lotions, you might be surprised to know that oily, acne-prone skin can actually benefit from the right types of moisturizing ingredients. If you suspect an ingredient in your moisturizer is breaking you out, then we highly recommend checking out this guide by Dr. Michelle Wong of Lab Muffin Beauty Science.

There are plenty of emollient oils that can be extremely beneficial for oily, acne-prone skin. For instance, rose hip seed oil is a fast-absorbing, dry oil that helps boost cell turnover and replenishes the essential fatty acid content lacking in acne-prone skin. Squalane is another lightweight, emollient molecule that is very similar in structure to sebum and offers non-comedogenic moisture to the skin. Once the skin’s outermost layer is healthy, hydrated, and strong, then you’ll also start to notice reduced oil production and breakouts.

Stratia offers a lightweight, moisturizing lotion that is literally and figuratively gold for your skin. It’s packed with barrier-replenishing and pro-repair ingredients like ceramides, rose hip seed oil, squalane, cholesterol, niacinamide, and Vitamin B5.

Stratia Liquid Gold, $31.

So whether your skin is normal, dry, oily, or combination, moisturizing properly is essential to maintaining healthy and youthful-looking skin. In the immortal words of Derek Zoolander, remember that ”moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.” Amen!