We all have acne. If you claim you’ve never had a red spot, blackhead, zit, or pimple, you’re lying.
Acne and skin care are both growing at an exponential rate with more and more products being released with magical healing abilities. They all claim, at least.
I thought the acne I had, while it was mild, was regular teenage-hormonal acne. I was using products marketed towards teenage acne but never saw any results. Sure, it would clear up a bit, but I was never getting clear skin.
So bless having a sister who worked at Ulta and had friends to ask about my product use. We realized I most likely had adult acne. So she gifted me with a Dermalogica kit of travel size products for me to try.
I haven’t turned back since and I’ve expanded my collection of skin care products to target certain problems. Let me share with you my skincare routines.
1. Face Wash: Dermalogica Skin Clearing Wash
After I finished the small bottle, I invested in a bigger one. Dermalogica is expensive, but it’s high quality and it works the best out of all other face washes I’ve tried.
The brand is sectioned into different skin types, but this one is simply for acne-clearing. I wash my face twice a day, and I always wash before doing any extra face masks. You have to clear the canvas to paint on it, people.
2. Exfoliation: e.l.f Exfoliating Scrub & Biore Charcoal Pore Strip
If you didn’t already know, e.l.f is a cheap, but quality, makeup brand. They’ve added some face care products, but the collection is small and simple. The exfoliating scrub feels like I’m exfoliating with the softest beach sand. It reminds me of summertime and makes me want to go to the shore. It leaves my face baby smooth.
I try to exfoliate twice a week, but I only use a Biore strip when I know my nose absolutely needs it. If you use a strip too often, it won’t have much to stick to. While the pain is usually worth it, it won’t be if you use these strips copiously.
3. Acne Treatment: Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Masque & Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask
I use these when I’m breaking out. Don’t use these regularly with face wash, or you’ll dry your skin out. Never use both of these at once. Depending on how much I’m breaking out, I’ll use the sebum when it’s bad, and Shea Moisture when it’s not so bad.
The sebum mask is strong and leaves my face feeling dry, so make sure to moisturize thoroughly afterward. The Shea Moisture has both charcoal and tea tree oil, which are usually effective in acne treatment.
4. Toner: Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
Right in the front of the bottle, it promises not to strip your skin of moisturizer like most other toners. Depending on what sort of routine, I wait to use toner until after I’ve treated my face. That way I’m clearing any of the charcoal residues from my skin and more.
Also, toner leaves your face ready for a brightening mask or moisturizer. Even my simplest routine includes toner: face wash, toner, moisturizer. I use this one when I’m lazy, or just don’t need to use any sort of mask on my face.
5. Brightening: Forever Young: Pomegranate, Keep Your Cool, Freeman Green Tea + Orange Blossom Peel Mask, & Global Beauty Care: Cucumber
Brightening masks are fun to do after you’ve treated your face. They’re good for reducing redness, both natural and acne-induced. In terms of reducing redness, I like to use any of these four except the Freeman.
These four are wash-offs and usually make my face feel rehydrated before even getting to moisturizer. I like to save the Freeman for special occasions, not because it’s a miracle worker, but just because peel-offs are a fun little treat for me.
6. Paper Masks: Random!
Most of these are gifts and have ambiguous purposes like “brightening” or “firming”. These are the most fun you can have with skin care.
Grab a few that are animal printed and take silly pictures with your friends, or stick to the simple ones that are plain white and look like a weird impression of a ghost. Paper masks are simple and require almost zero work. If you have a simple routine of wash and moisturize, throw in a paper mask in between for some fun.
7. Hydration and Moisturizer: Freeman Glacier Water + Pink Peony, e.l.f Hydrating Bubble Mask, Clinique Moisture Surge, & Pacifica Happy Essence Hydro Mist
My favorite part of this Freeman mask is you can leave it overnight, or use it as a wash off. Sometimes it feels more effective than my regular moisturizer, so I substitute it. The e.l.f bubble mask is both fun and effective. I like to use it after the Sebum mask to rehydrate my skin before moisturizing.
Speaking of, the Clinique moisture surge is an investment, but totally worth it. It’s light and it isn’t filled with any plastics or fillers. Right after, I spray my face with the Pacifica mist for good luck.
I’ve made this collection over two years, and a lot of these products were gifts. Most of these products are purchased from places like Harmon’s and Target. They’re affordable and effective; you just need to figure out what skin type you have.
Obviously, I have acne-prone combination skin. If you need help figuring out your skin type, try the people who work is the expensive skincare part of Ulta, your doctor, or seek out a dermatologist. Skin care and masks are fun but I would never use all of these at once.
Create your routines, keep them simple, and have fun!
