Conquer acne with this skincare routine
If you suffer from acne, you know how painful it can be to waste your money on ineffective skin care products. Pimples come in many stubborn varieties, and choosing a product that will work best for your skin’s needs can feel nearly impossible. However, by understanding more about your skin and making some adjustments to your skin care routine, you can develop a personal system that will not only cleanse your skin, but also prevent new acne from forming.
Why Do I Need to Know My Skin Type?
People tend to have one of five main skin types:
- Oily: Skin appears shiny or greasy
- Dry: Skin appears flaky or scaly; may experience some itchiness
- Combination: Skin contains both oily and dry areas
- Sensitive: Skin is easily irritated by exposure to sunlight, products, touch, or other forms of contact
- Normal: Skin is balanced; no excessive oils, dry patches, or other abnormalities are present
Understanding your skin type is the foundation on which you’ll begin to build a solid skin care routine. Choosing products that aren’t prepared with your specific skin type in mind is a useless effort. In the worst case scenario, choosing the wrong types of products for your skin type can increase the likeliness that you’ll experience more acne. For example, if you already have oily skin, choosing a super-heavy moisturizer can create excessive oily buildup and block your pores, creating new pimples.
What Are the Main Components of a Good, Acne-Fighting Skin Care Routine?
The basic building blocks of a good skin care routine include a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. This may seem suspiciously simple—after all, magazine and television ads show multitudes of toners, serums, and oils all boasting to be great additions for skin. However, keeping your routine short and sweet can keep your skin (and your budget) in tip-top shape.
Selecting your products leans a little on trial and error, but this risk can be avoided by taking your skin type into consideration when shopping around for new products. For example, many cleansers and moisturizers are produced and marketed for people with specific skin types.
There is nothing inherently wrong with selecting other types of products to include in your skin care routine, but it’s best to begin with the basics first. If you discover that another product doesn’t irritate your skin and enhances your skin’s appearance or ability to ward off acne, it is fine to keep it in your regular routine.
How Do I Implement My Acne-Fighting Skin Care Routine Effectively?
The main key to any successful skin care routine is consistency. It is recommended that people fighting acne should spend a few minutes twice per day implementing their skin care routine and using products geared specifically to treating or preventing acne. However, if you do any activities that lead to excessive sweating, such as swimming or working out, it is recommended that your cleanse your face afterward to prevent any sweat from blocking pores. Makeup wearers may choose to cleanse their skin twice after removing makeup—this ensures that all tiny traces of left-behind product are washed away from the pores.
When cleansing your face, it is important to be thorough but gentle on your skin. Using your fingers to gently foam and massage your cleanser is plenty effective. Abrasive pads, exfoliators, and other face-scrubbing products won’t make the skin any cleaner and can lead to excessive irritation. Cleansers can also be purchased with acne-fighting ingredients included, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. If you are already using a prescription-strength acne treatment, it is best to choose a mild cleanser to pair with it.
Many acne-fighting products can also cause your skin to be extra sensitive in the sun. Because of this heightened sensitivity, it is important to include sunscreen in your morning skin care routine. Luckily, many products are formulated with sunscreen already included. Opting to use a moisturizer with an SPF to end your morning skin care routine can save you the extra step of applying a separate sunscreen product. If you are worried about introducing extra oil to your skin, make sure you select a sunscreen that is specifically made to be used on the face. Facial sunscreens are made to be lighter and less oily than their all-over body counterparts.
Resources — Very Well Health, Self
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