If you’ve ever dealt with acne—especially the deep, angry, stubborn kind—you know how much brain space it occupies. I’ve had acne for over half my life, which means I’ve done a lot of Googling, patch testing, and trying stuff that made things worse before they got better. After years of trial and error, here are ten things I always keep in mind that have made the biggest difference.
Use Hypochlorous acid spray every time you sweat
After a workout or even just being outside on a humid day, I spray down my face with hypochlorous acid. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep skin bacteria in check when I don’t have access to washing my face immediately.
2. Don’t let your conditioner touch your back
If you’re dealing with bacne and can’t figure out why, try this. I realized that while I let my conditioner sit in my hair for a few minutes, it was also sitting on my back, allowing those rich emollients to seep into my pores. Now I put my hair into a low bun (so I don’t get the conditioner too close to my scalp).
3. You still need to exfoliate while using retinol
This tip is straight from Sofie Pavitt, and it has totally changed the game for me. Retinol speeds up cell turnover, but it doesn’t actually remove the dead skin from your face. To prevent clogged pores, you still need to gently exfoliate regularly to clear away those dead skin cells. I aim for 1-2 times a week, depending on how my skin’s feeling.
4. Cleanse for at least 60 seconds
Cleanser needs time to lather up and really get to work + you need time to massage and clean every nook and cranny of your face (temples! corners of your nose! jawline!) Washing your face for at least 60 seconds ensures you’re thoroughly removing sunscreen, makeup, and oil at the end of the day.
5. Use Non-comedogenic skincare Products
I am ruthless about this now. I avoid anything with shea butter, coconut oil, or other known pore-cloggers. I’ve written a few deep dives on products that are acne-prone-skin safe if you’re curious:
6. Exfoliate your forehead if you have bangs
When I got bangs, it took me maybe three days to get a big, red breakout on my forehead. Lesson learned. Now I make sure to use a gentle acid cleanser in the morning, and am careful to keep my bangs clean too.
7. Wash your hands before you do your skincare
Applying skincare with dirty hands is like brushing your teeth after eating an Oreo. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer, then do your skincare.
8. Brush your teeth before your skincare routine
This one is sneaky. Toothpaste and mouthwash can drip or splash, leaving residue on your skin that can clog pores or cause irritation. I always brush first, then wash my face.
9. Be careful with greens powders, supplements, and seaweed snacks
I went through a week of eating seaweed snacks daily as a healthy alternative to chips. Then I started breaking out all over my forehead in little red bumps. Turns out, seaweed is high in iodine, which can trigger breakouts in acne-prone people in high amounts. The same goes for some greens powders and supplements. I still love seaweed…just in moderation.
10. Wash your pillowcase
We all know this one, but it's an important reminder. Go wash and change your pillowcase!
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