Skincare Routine for Acne Prone Skin, Acne Scarring and Dull Textured Skin
Once I finally cleared my acne I found myself trying to figure out a skincare routine that would hydrate my skin, but also not leave me too oily, help with my acne scarring, and also even out my complexion. Nothing too crazy right? Well, at least that is what I thought. But I had no idea how confusing figuring out a simple skincare routine could be, add on the fact that I wanted to keep my routine as clean and nontoxic as possible. I cleared my acne in 2017, and I feel like now in 2023 I am just now figuring out what exactly my skin likes and needs. The world of skincare man is wild, You walk into Sephora and have so many options all of which I find have pretty much the same ingredients but are just marketed a different way. Even the clean brands. I have fallen into that trap a few too many times. It felt like I would get into a cycle of trying only 100% clean ingredient brands only to find they didn’t really do much or would make my blackheads and oil almost worse. Not necessarily giving me more acne but my skin looked and felt more congested. I also cannot stand intense fragrance of any kind in my skincare, and that included essential oils, For whatever reason anytime I found a “clean” brand it was like they felt the need to dump an entire bottle of essential oil into the product and I felt like I was walking around smelling like my grandmas garden. The clean stuff was too heavy with oil for my skin but then when I would venture to try something a little “less clean” it was either too harsh for my face, or I didn’t feel good using it knowing there were certain ingredients I didn’t like. Plus for some of these, it felt like I was taking out a small loan just a single bottle of skincare. It all was confusing and frustrating, to be honest. I would learn or hear something from one professional only to hear something the complete opposite from another. And I was tired of buying products that I didn’t like or see any difference in to only add it to the collection of mounting bottles underneath my bathroom sink.
The main concerns I was trying to remedy with skincare for my skin seemed fairly simple yet I couldn’t find a routine. So I did what I did before when solving my acne and I decided to take a step back, look at what I felt my skin needed, and trust my gut. Trusting that I knew what my skin was experiencing and what it needed most. And when I did that a few things came to mind. One was hydration, NOT moisture. The two are very different when it comes to the skin. My skin needed hydration aka water, not more moisture aka oil. I always felt like the products I would put on my skin would just sit at the top of my skin and not actually sink into the skin. Kind of like a really dry sponge that doesn’t soak in water well. Something I have found recently that has really turned this around for me is TONER! I know. I used to think this was just a step in the so-called “ideal” skincare routine that they tried to sell you in order to buy more products. But all the toners I had used up till now were astringent toners or acid-based toners that were meant to exfoliate to strip the skin of oil. And those definitely do not do well for me. My skin would feel like sandpaper every time I would use something like a salicylic acid. Nope, my skin wanted hydration from a toner.
But before we get into toners, let’s talk about the first step in the routine. Cleansing. Wow! There are some serious opinions about cleansing. What I have found best for ME and MY SKIN is double cleansing! Like, I am telling you the difference I have seen and felt in my skin since implementing doubling cleansing is insane!!! And those blackheads I mentioned above, yeah they're gone! And I swear it’s from double cleansing. I have been using this cleansing bar actually. Which took some adjusting if I am honest. I didn’t love it at first, but now I am obsessed. I use it for both of my washes with a washcloth. And a normal washcloth, not those microfiber washcloths. I use these from Amazon.
So double cleansing is a must! Now back to the toners. And yes that is plural, toners. Or multiple applications of the toner to be clear. So after double cleansing, I go in with a hydrating toner. This is the one my skin loves! It’s this delicious milky texture that just feels so incredibly hydrating when you apply it. I only use my hands, I don’t use a cotton pad, because I want my skin to get all the toner it can. I pat it all over my face, and then I do it again, and then again. I use the toner 3 times, to get my skin super wet before applying the rest of my skincare. This really has helped all the rest of the products to sink into my skin instead of just sitting on top, to just getting wiped off onto my pillow a minute later. This method of applying toners is actually based on Korean skincare. They actually recommend using 7 toners! You can apply the same toner 7 times or use 7 different toners. I know! Sounds crazy but once you get into the toner game, it actually becomes pretty addicting. I started with just 1 toner, but now I am starting to play around with 2 and 3 toners. All of them still hydrate but also add just a little bit of a different layer to the skin. What I really love is a lot of the toners in the Korean Skincare space are actually herbal-based and talk about the different roles herbs play for the skin, such as brightness, evening tone and texture, oil production, hyperpigmentation and even scarring. The jury is still out but I will definitely keep you posted!
Then after toning, I started using a peptide serum because well I am 33 and those signs of aging honey have started to show. Peptides are like protein chains for our skin that help it to stay juicy and plump. One thing I noticed a big difference in after adding peptides was my deeper acne scars. They seemed to lift or plump up more. They didn’t completely go away but what I can tell just from personal experience is that peptides helped to plump all of the skin, including the scars, helping to give them a smoother more even look.
After the peptides, I use my vitamin C gel. Yes, a gel. This was one of the hardest products for me to find. What I found with most vitamin C products was that they clogged my pores and gave me a lot of blackheads. I think it’s from the vitamin E oil a lot of formulations add because it helps keep the product more stable, but it also adds more oil to the formulation as well and my skin doesn’t seem to love a lot of oil right now at least. So I gave this gel formulation a try after scouring Amazon just to see what sort of options were out there, to be honest, I was skeptical but the price point wasn’t bad and I figured why not give it a try? I wanted vitamin C in my routine for the antioxidant and protection as well as the brightening factor. And it has really shocked me how much I like it and how much my skin likes it too. Plus it won’t break the bank!
After that, I will sometimes add in niacinamide from PCA Skin, but this is one of those extra steps that I don’t think everyone needs. I added it because I notice a difference in my skin when I use it. Niacinamide helps with oil production and is another antioxidant to help fight free radicals on the skin which helps with aging. This one is definitely more of an investment product, at least for me, but it has lasted me a few months.
The other investment item I use daily is this hydration serum from PCA Skin. The added layer of hydration has really boosted my skin barrier and allowed my skin to get back to a state of calm. I’ve even gotten a few compliments on my skin lately from people saying it looks so calm and even and I truly believe its because I have been focused on adding hydration back into my skin instead of focusing on what I can remove from my skin with acids, peels, or exfoliating. Which is what we tend to do especially when we struggle with acne. We focus too much on what we want to get rid of instead of focusing on what we need to give the skin in order to heal on its own. So while there are a few pricier options, I figure it’s cheaper than going to get a laser or medical-grade treatment from a med spa. At least for now, because I am definitely not opposed to those either :)
Last but not least for my routine is my daily moisturizer & sunscreen or for nighttime time my nighttime cream to seal everything in.
Wow! We did it! Let’s do a round-up of everything to make it easy. And just to be clear, this routine is what is working for me and my skin. I think it is especially important to learn about your own skin and its needs. But I have noticed that when talking with my past clients, those of us who have struggled or are struggling with acne, also struggle with keeping hydration in our skin too. Not moisture though, hydration. Remember hydration = water and moisture = oil.
Morning Routine: I have linked everything either directly or in Amazon
Wash with warm water and a washcloth (I don’t always use soap in the morning, kind of depends on how my skin is feeling)
I’m from Rice Toner - Layered 3x
Nighttime Routine
Wash with Gentle Cleansing Bar and a washcloth TWICE!
I’m from Rice Toner - Layered 3x
If you have any questions at all about what sort of skincare routine your skin might need feel free to DM me on IG @detoxingwithdani Skincare can be so confusing and sometimes we just need someone to bounce ideas back and forth with to help us get clear on what our skin actually needs.