Skincare for Acne and Breakouts

One of the skincare topics I get asked about the most is what to do for acne and breakouts. Truthfully – I have a diligent skincare routine that keeps my skin acidic at a low pH to prevent acne and breakouts. But, there is the odd occasion that I will get a breakout and these are the steps I follow.

STEP 1: REMOVE MAKEUP

Because I have lash extensions I need to use something oil free to remove any eye makeup I wore during the day. I like these Clean and Clear Oil Free cloths to remove eye makeup while being careful around my extensions.

STEP 2: OIL OR BALM CLEANSER

This is the first step of my double cleanse. The purpose of this step is to remove makeup and sunscreen before cleansing my face. I put the oil directly onto my dry face and massage for about a minute to loosen up pore-clogging debris. Sometimes you can actually feel debris coming to the surface and falling out of your pores! For breakouts I like using the Banila Clean It Zero Purity oil balm.

STEP 3: GENTLE, LOW PH CLEANSER

A cleanser with a pH over 6 can strip your moisture barrier and invite breakouts so I always go for a gentle, low pH cleanser. My holy grail cleanser is Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. It feels so soft and gentle on my face and leaves my skin feeling supple!

STEP 4: ACID TONER

After rinsing I use an acid toner applied with a cotton round. This helps to prep my face for acids and pH dependent products. This also helps to keep my skin acidic and prevent breakouts. Currently using Pixi Glow Tonic – it’s a glycolic acid toner which makes it an AHA. Safe for pregnancy!

STEP 5: ALPHA HYDROXY ACID

An AHA serum is perfect for getting rid of anything happening on the surface of the skin (i.e. blemishes and closed comedones). This smooths away the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal even, glowing skin. I’ve been using Mizon 8% AHA peeling serum for years and it’s also pregnancy safe. Wait 20 minutes after you apply so it doesn’t interfere with other products.

STEP 6: EYE CREAM

Eye cream definitely isn’t necessary for preventing or solving breakouts, but I use on every night and this is the step I would apply it. Lately I’ve been using this Drunk Elephant Firming Eye Serum to keep my eye area hydrated. It really helps to soften any lines!

STEP 7: MOISTURIZING CREAM

I seal it all in with a moisturizing cream. For acne and breakouts, and any time really, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Cream. It has a bit of AHA in it for a little extra exfoliation over night. I wake up with smooth, hydrated, glowing skin!

STEP 8: BENZOYL PEROXIDE CREAM

I would do all of the steps above for one night and see how your skin is looking in the morning. If you still have a blemish that is not going away, the next night I would apply a Benzoyl Peroxide cream to the blemish. (BP is not safe for pregnancy since it is a Beta Hydroxy Acid.) My tried and true BP cream is the Clearasil Rapid Rescue Spot Treatment. It shrinks blemishes within four hours!

STEP 9: LANCE BLEMISH AND COVER WITH HYDROCOLLOID

If you STILL wake up the next morning with a painful blemish, this would be my last resort step. This is for those times you have a deep, painful cyst that will not go away. First, get a blemish kit like this one. You want to use the tool with a pointy end and disinfect it really good with alcohol. Lance the blemish by gently poking a hole in the top of the pore. Be careful not to damage any more of the skin than you have to! Slap on a hydrocolloid bandage over it and it will suck the pus and bacteria out overnight, Gross, I know. But you will have relief in the morning and then you can start to heal.

Hopefully these steps will help you overcome your breakouts and keep you from picking at them at the very least! If you are still struggling with acne and breakouts there may be a hormonal or bacterial reason underlying. In that case I recommend trying out Curology. I know so many people who have had amazing results using Curology’s services!