Loving Your Skin When You’re Acne Prone

It took me a long time to genuinely appreciate my skin. When I was younger, sometimes I wouldn’t even wear makeup to avoid seeing the difference once I washed it off. Now, I enjoy my fresh face in the morning and evening, even though I’m still a little insecure when certain people see me without makeup. It just goes to show that skincare alone won’t make you feel better. You have to feel good about yourself (fake it ’til you make it) AND the process. That means having a skincare routine that you’ll actually want to follow, not one that has a million steps and takes 2 hours and leaves your skin barrier destroyed (see my post about skin barriers).

My story: In 2018, I started my Curology program, an online prescription and consultation service for personalized acne treatment. In the first couple of years it cleared up a lot. My painful breakouts weren’t as frequent but I was left with hella dark spots and persistent bumps in some places. In 2022 I moved to NYC which only made by face and body acne worse, and I struggled with my skincare and makeup routine. In 2023 I started to seriously pursue the process of informing myself of what goes on my face and the cause of my breakouts. This month, I canceled my Curology subscription because I’ve seen a lot of improvement during the past year (and because of how pricey it was)! I achieved a better skin texture and a glowier complexion, although I still struggle with dryness, breakouts, dark spots, and stubborn hyperpigmentation. But it’s all manageable! Some things are still hard to predict, but now I have a game plan for all my different needs. As we know, skincare doesn’t cure acne. Lots of lifestyle choices also affect our blemishes. But this year, I’ve been big on minimizing my skincare routine and swapping for products my skin actually likes, not ones that social media says I need. There are still things I want to add or maybe do away with, but for now, here’s my EXACT morning and night product list:

• Gleamin Gentle Jelly Cleanser (AM)*
• Mixsoon Bean Essence (AM/PM)
• The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics Serum (AM/PM)
• The Ordinary Soothing and Barrier Support Serum (As Needed)
• Haruharu Black Rice Cleansing Oil (PM)*
• Prescription salicylic acid cleanser (PM)
• Prescription retinoid (PM)
• Mario Badescu Cucumber Facial Spray (As Needed)
• E.L.F. Holy Hydration Gel-Yeah Moisturizer (AM/PM)*
• Curology Barrier Balm (PM)
• Solwave Light Therapy Wand + Serum and Bye Acne light

A few things:

• I don’t always use a cleanser or moisturizer in the morning. I find that my face is less irritated and dry in the morning if I skip the cleanser. However, lots of times I do notice more dirt or dead skin and decide to use an ultra gentle cleanser
  • I also skip moisturizer because the combo of essence + serums is hydrating enough for me. Another reason I might skip this step is IF I use sunscreen (check out my sunscreen post).
• I don’t double cleanse with an oil if I didn’t wear spf or makeup that day. But you should DEFINITELY double cleanse (PM only) if wearing spf or makeup
• Although I think Salicylic acid is gret for quickly gtting rid of my breakouts, I would not use it twice a day and I’m working on not using it more than 3-4 days a week because it’s drying

Why do I still have so many Curology products if I’m no longer satisfied with them? Truthfully, I do like them just not enough to buy more, so I’m finishing what I have (but the barrier balm is a non-rx item from their store that I highly recommend for super dry patches at night). I also reccomend getting an OTC retinol, especially if you struggle with large breakouts, rough texture, or clogged pores.

Another product that I use everyday is pimple patches. I use them to suck the gunk out of whiteheads or just to soothe and protect other sensitive bumps. They also keep me from picking them. My favorite are the ones from Curology and you can purchase them online or in store. IMO they are the most effective, sticky (yet gentle), and discreet. However, they are small and kinda pricey. I use a lot in a week so I like packs that come in 80+ for less than $20. You can get bundles from COSRX, Rael, and Biorica. Biorica has the largest number in a pack at 135-216 and the best price. But I believe the best quality consistently is COSRX except they’re kinda thick.

As for the Solawave lights, I would do my research before buying. Not because of the effects, because it’s very low risk and high reward. It’s very easy to use with the serum and its a warm, slightly tingly experience. The results are very clear: your skin with be more glowy and firm, and it reduces inflammation. The serum is very hydrating, but the one downside is that it’s easy to use too much or too little, and it may pill during the process or with other skincare. The big kicker here is the price. costs about $170, check any sales. Bye Acne is a spot treatment blue/redlight that runs around $70, and the serum costs 30 something. Its good to use it every morning or night but it’s time consuming and is inconvenient with pimple pacthes or other skincare sometimes. So I use it when I can. I wish I had the mask, which is less hands on, but its $400. Visit Solawave.co. I also love red light saunas. Planet fitness is the cheapest and most accessible option, but also check out local saunas near you. I go to Perspire in Ohio.

Lastly, there are several things in the picture I haven’t mentioned yet:

• The Ordinary BHA + AHA Peeling Solution
• iNNBEAUTY Project Mineral Sun Glow Broad Spectrum SPF 43
• Gleamin Vitamin C Clay Mask
• DRMTLGY Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
• **toner** (I’m currently out, I used the Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion and Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid, but those are harsh and I’m moving into hydrating toners, starting with the Haruharu rice one)

Quick rundown: The Ordinary acid peeling solution as an exfoliator. On days where I really have a bunch of clogged pores and dead skin it smooths it out more than I ever could alone. Be CAREFUL though, it is very common for people to burn themselves if their skin is very sensitive or they don’t follow instructions.

I was influenced to buy the INNBEAUTY sunscreen by @glowbymonica (the amazing ‘brown girl friendly’ content creator). I got it because it’s mineral, has a high SPF, isn’t $50, and is supposed to be glowy and hydrating with no white cast. Long story short, it does leave me a bit paler and if I don’t do the rest of my skincare just right the sunscreen won’t blend in and will cling to my dry spots. When it works, it’s great though. However, SPF should be applied everyday and this product does not make me we want to wear it every day. I’m in the sun ALL the time so I’m still on the hunt for something good. Reminder: even if it’s chilly or cloudy you still need SPF!

At the height of my struggle with hyperpigmentation, the Gleamin mask did wonderes for my my skin’s texture and complexion, espeically around the sides of my face. Lately though it hasn’t been doing that much for me. However, I don’t apply it as much as I should (at least 3x a week) and I haven’t tried their new formula. So go give it a shot. The DRMTGLY pumkin mask went viral and it did leave my skin feeling clean and supple, but it’s definitely not a staple and not worth spending $50 every few weeks.

With everything said, keep in mind that my #1 takeway is that the best skincare routine is concise and comfortable. In the AM and PM I’m using 3-5 on average and I adjust as needed for dryness, irritation, time, etc. If something irritates my skin I either don’t use it, use less, or use other products before it as a barrier. Check out my other guides coming soon (or leave comments with questions)!