13 Quick Tips for Acne-Prone Skin

I struggled for a long time with acne, and these are the 13 things that helped me clear my skin.

1. Less is more.

When it comes to using skincare products on acne-prone skin, it's best to use less products. Acne is caused by a weak skin barrier, and overwhelming it with 10 different products isn't helping matters. Stick to 2 or 3 daily basics.

2. Avoid harsh products.

In your 2 or 3 daily basics, try to avoid those products with strong active ingredients such as vitamin C or retinol. Again, because your skin barrier is weak, these strong products irritate the skin even more. Even popular acne products contain strong ingredients and can do more harm than good.

3. Stop using makeup remover wipes.

Unfortunately, as convenient as makeup remover wipes are, they aren't sensitive skin friendly. I used a very soft cloth with an oil cleanser instead, and this seemed to make a world of difference for me. In fact, I hope to formulate a cleansing oil in the future. Stay tuned!

4. Don't wash with soap.

Soap has a much higher pH than our skin does which can cause itchiness, redness, and general irritation of acne-prone skin. And, honestly, our facial skin is just more sensitive than the rest of our body's skin. So while soap might feel great on your body in the shower, just stick to water on your face.

5. Change your pillowcase often.

When we sleep we bury our faces in the pillow which leaves behind bacteria and germs that were on our face and hair. We're also exhaling on it all night, so our lovely oral and/or nasal bacteria also can find their way to our pillowcase. I recommend washing your pillowcase at minimum once per week, but every few days would be even better.

6. Don't stress over your skin.

Constantly examining and analyzing your skin in the mirror may be making your acne worse. Stress is no one's friend and that includes the skin. Trying to lower stress levels may help to improve your skin, and choosing to forgo the mirror-gazing session would be a great first step toward that.

7. Get enough sleep.

"Beauty sleep" isn't just a joke; our skin needs us to sleep. Our body heals and repairs itself while we sleep. In order to heal our skin barrier, we need good sleep and enough of it. I would recommend 8 to 10 hours each night.

8. Eat healthy foods for good gut health.

Eating healthy foods to support good gut health could also be key on your healing journey. Our skin will often mirror our diet, so making nutritious choices is beneficial.

9. Don't use essential oils.

This was another key thing for me. I am trained as an aromatherapist, and I learned all about what essential oil was good for what condition. Many oils were touted as being helpful for acne, so I made myself a blend for my face. In reality, that blend never helped, and I believe it actually made my skin worse. Essential oils, even when diluted well, are very powerful and my sensitive skin barrier couldn't handle them. When I stopped using the blend and any other essential oils on my face, I started seeing progress.

10. Get unfiltered sunlight.

This is a very unpopular opinion, but some unfiltered (a.k.a. no sunscreen) sunshine every day is healing. Don't burn; that's not good for anyone. But even just 10-15 minutes of sun can help keep acne at bay. And bonus, you will be absorbing vitamin D as well which isn't possible when wearing sunscreen.

11. Don't pick or touch.

This was the hardest one for me. It's so tempting to pop a pimple or pick off a scab, but doing so makes healing take longer and the acne bacteria get spread around which leads to more acne. No bueno!

12. Tallow? Yes or no?

Tallow is the latest skincare craze, and all the tallow product makers are saying it's fine for acne-prone skin and doesn't cause acne. In reality, though, there are people saying they tried tallow and it has caused them acne by clogging their pores. I haven't tried tallow (and don't plan to), so I can't speak from personal experience. My advice would be to stop using it if you are and see what it does for your skin. It doesn't hurt to try.

13. Everyone is individual.

Everyone's body is different. Everyone's skin is different. Something that worked for me may not work for you and vice versa. But these are definitely worth a try!

 

I hope you find these 13 tips helpful in your journey to clear skin. Comment below and let me know which one(s) you will try.