How To Put Together an Acne Safe Home Care Routine?
Certified acne specialist Nikolett Ivanyi explains what basic skincare products should you use if you are dealing with acne.
Have you ever tried an acne product, only to later discover that what seems to work for everyone else doesn’t work for you?
Have you ever thought that clearer skin was hopeless?
I get it, because I’ve been there. So have many, many others. In fact, it is very common for clients to come to me only after all other treatments have failed.
If you’re like them, you might feel skeptical. And I don’t blame you.
But don’t give up just yet… I’m here to tell you that clear skin is possible.
I’ve been helping people to achieve clear skin for many years, and one of the biggest challenges I find people facing is finding the right products.
Most people either can’t find skincare products that will deliver the results they looking for or if they do find good quality, acne safe products they don’t know exactly how to use them to get the most benefit consistently and for long-term.
Throughout the years of working with hundreds of clients and clearing up many different types of acne the one thing that was common in all of my client’s success is a basic skincare routine they were doing at home morning and at night to clear up their skin.
Sure the professional treatments and extractions were speeding up the process and contributing to their success, but without a proper home care routine, it would have never been possible to achieve clear skin.
So what basic skincare routine should every acne prone people use?
1, Cleanser: Using an acne safe, gentle cleanser is one of the most essential part of the home care routine. The emphasis has to be on acne safe and gentle. To make sure your cleanser is acne safe, avoid any harsh sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate and the major pore clogging ingredients.
If your skin is sensitive look for a gentle cleanser without any added colorings or fragrances. PoreInfusion Sensitive Skin Wash is a great overall cleanser for all skin types. If your breakouts are mostly inflamed and cystic I would recommend an exfoliating cleanser with benzoyl peroxide to help sooth the inflammation.
Properly cleansing your skin morning and at night will help remove impurities, makeup, and extra oil. If you use waterproof makeup make sure to gently wipe it off before cleansing with an acne safe makeup remover. By gently and thoroughly cleansing your skin twice a day you will create a clean and absorbent surface for your exfoliating products to penetrate the skin.
2, Toner: Toning the skin after cleansing has many benefits depending on the ingredients in the toner. For example for dryer and dehydrated skin types using a toner with hyaluronic acid can immediately provide moisture and reduce the tight feeling after cleansing. PoreInfusion Hydrating Toner is an excellent moisturizing toner for sensitive and dryer acne types. On the other hand, if your skin is mainly oily and has lots of inflamed breakouts I recommend a toner with salicylic acid. This gentle exfoliator can reduce excess oil and provide antibacterial action for your skin. Try PoreInfusion Salicylic Toner to give your skin a little antibacterial action.
3, Exfoliating serum: Exfoliation is one of the most important parts of the acne clearing process. Since the main cause of acne is the dead skin cell build up inside the pores, it is crucial to provide daily exfoliation.
There are many different types of exfoliating serum on the market but choosing the right one will depend on two different factors: strength and the active ingredient. You should never be using a serum on your skin that is too strong, stings or burns your skin after you apply it.
The most popular exfoliating ingredients used in serums are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid and mandelic acid. They all have unique exfoliating benefits and can work really well to clear up the skin. My personal favorite is the Mandelic Serum because it is a multi-functional exfoliating product. It will not only exfoliate the skin but will also help lighten dark spots and post-inflammatory scarring.
4, Benzoyl Peroxide Gel: is one of the most effective ingredients to reduce inflamed acne and cystic breakouts. Although this ingredient has a bad rep from people who have reacted to it in the past, but if it’s used correctly you can prevent any skin-sensitivity or irritation that may occur. (Unless you are truly allergic to benzoyl peroxide, which very few people are, then I would highly recommend not to use it.)
The most important thing to keep in mind when you are using a benzoyl peroxide gel is to apply it all over the face and not just as a spot treatment. Spot treating acne will only reduce current breakouts but it will not prevent any future ones.
5, Moisturizer: The most common mistake I see is that many clients with oily and acne prone skin tend to avoid using a moisturizer. This is a big no-no. Why? Because your skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time and if you don’t take proper care of it, it will build up those unwanted dead skins cells.
To prevent those unsightly breakouts use a non-comedogenic lightweight moisturizer or hydrator. The difference between a hydrator such as PoreInfusion Hydra Gel (which is perfect for oily skin types) and a moisturizer like PoreInfusion Vitamin B Lotion is that the hydrators are usually water based and the moisturizers are oil or lotion based. (Remember, not all oils are pore clogging.)
6, Sunprotection: is one of your most important weapon for fighting against acne scars and premature aging of the skin.
As an esthetician and acne specialist, I always stress the importance of wearing sun protection during the day. Sun exposure is responsible for 90% of premature aging, dark spots and slows down the skin’s natural process of healing acne scars.
It is important to apply your sun protection in the morning right after you wake up and make sure to wear it throughout the day. The more you protect your skin from the sun the less chance that you will develop post acne scarring.
How should you be using your acne safe home care products?
Since there are many different environmental and lifestyle factors affecting your skin during the day and at night, you should be using different skincare products according to the time of day.
Your morning routine should look like this:
Cleanser, Toner, Exfoliating Serum, Moisturizer, and SPF.
Your night routine should look like this:
Cleanser, Toner, Hydrating Gel and Acne Gel.
As you can see by incorporating a couple of essential skincare products into your daily home care routine you will be on the right track to clear up your skin.
Related posts:
Do you trust the product label?
This common mistake will ruin your skin
How to protect your skin from incidental sun exposure?
If you are serious about getting clear acne free skin please visit an acne specialist, get on a good home care program and you don’t have to worry about pimples anymore.
Do you need expert skin care advice from an Acne Specialist? Schedule your appointment for a consultation to get the personalized advice on products and treatments that are right for you.
Visit www.envisionacnecenter.com and book your Acne Consultation Now!
© 2017 Nikolett Ivanyi, Envision Acne Center
Copyright © 2017 Envision Acne & Skin Care Center, All rights reserved.
Envision Acne & Skin Care Center
Please note that all blog posts and content created by Envision Acne and Skincare Center are not intended to be used as medical advice or as a substitute for it and are designed for your information and educational awareness only. We always recommend that you consult with a medical practitioner regarding any health or skincare issues you have, as they may wish to carry out a full health assessment before recommending you to a licensed aesthetician and acne professional.
