The Very Best Acne Tips (In Case You Forgot)

One of the biggest roadblocks to achieving clear, beautiful-looking skin? Acne. Whether it’s a full-fledged breakout battleground or a sporadic pimple here and there, we’ve all had our bouts with blemishes at one point or another. Yes, zits are annoying. Yes, they’re aesthetically unpleasing. And yes, we feel your pain. That’s why we’re here to help you say bye-bye to breakouts once and for all. To get your skin back on the right track, we’re sharing our top acne-related tips and tricks to follow. Read on for dermatologist-approved advice on how to get your skin to look and feel its best. 

Don’t Over-Cleanse Your Skin

Washing your face is one beneficial, albeit basic, way to care for your skin. It’s usually the first step in any solid routine and while it seems easy, most people go about it the absolute wrong way. While you might be tempted to wash your face multiple times per day to address oilyness, this could potentially lead to just more oil-which is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Try to keep cleansing your skin to twice a day (morning and night) and use blotting papers to soak up excess oil on your skin throughout the day.

Hydrate with an Oil-Free Moisturizer

All skin, even acne-prone skin, needs hydration. It may seem counterintuitive to add moisture onto an already-greasy complexion, but it’s important—especially after cleansing. (Remember if skin becomes too dry it can lead to more oil and impede your anti-acne efforts.) The key is to find a moisturizer that can give your acne-prone skin the hydration it needs without leaving a greasy, slick finish. To help save you time searching, we’ve rounded up our picks for the best moisturizers for acne-prone skin, here!

Take a Shower After the Gym

Do you notice pimples and zits popping up after hitting the gym? All that sweat is mixing with the dead skin cells, oil, and impurities on your face and body and wreaking havoc. Post-workout, opt for a shower right away. This will help you cleanse sweat off your body and reduce the risk of “bacne.” If you can’t jump into the shower immediately, wipe down your face with cleansing wipes that are stored in your gym bag.

Bonus tip: Don’t work out with makeup on your face. Sweat, makeup, and impurities are a potential pore-clogging combo. Start your workouts with fresh, clean skin.

Stop Touching Your Face

Our hands come into contact with bacteria-laden surfaces like keyboards and doorknobs on the regular. When you subsequently touch your face or rest your head on your hands, that dirt and bacteria can transfer onto your complexion. Even if your hands feel clean, it’s highly likely that they’re not. Don’t risk it.

Sunscreen and Acne Can Play Nice

Even though SPF is a daily must to protect skin from harmful UV rays, many acne sufferers are reluctant to wear it. One of the biggest fears surrounding sunscreen is that it will clog pores and trigger breakouts. While that may have been true at one point, a large selection of today’s SPF formulas are specially engineered for acne-prone skin. Take for example, La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Clear Skin. This broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 60 is non-comedogenic, and oil-free with a dry-touch texture and finish. It’s formulated with a unique oil-absorbing complex to help keep skin matte—even in the heat and humidity. See? Nothing to be afraid of.

Wipe Down Your Smartphone & Wash Your Sheets

Did you know that your cellphone could be a culprit to pimples that appear around your chin and jawline? When dirt and grime from the screen of your phone mixes with the oils on your face, it can wreak havoc on acne-prone skin. Before taking a call, wipe down your device with an alcohol prep to remove any buildup of germs. Similarly, wash your pillowcases and sheets regularly to avoid a direct transfer of acne-causing dirt and bacteria onto the skin while you snooze.

Leave Your Zits Alone

Real talk: Your zits never look better after being popped. The area surrounding them often turns into an angry red shade, and there’s usually some pain involved. Why put yourself through that? Not only does popping pimples draw more attention to the area, the process also poses a risk of cross contamination, discoloration, and even permanent scarring. To quit prying at those pesky zits once and for all, follow these tips.