We are continuing the conversation on breakouts because I have a lot to say about acne. If that’s something you are struggling with, keep reading.

Here are some do’s and don’ts for acne. If you have acne, sometimes less is more especially with active breakouts. I believe that anyone with active breakouts should do a double cleanse. Having a makeup remover is essential because congestion is trapped dirt and oil and a make remover helps to eliminate this congestion. So you want to make sure that you’re using something to properly cleanse your skin. I recommend using a makeup remover to get your off your sunscreen and make up. Next you will cleanse with a regular cleanser.

Ideally you should have a makeup remover, a cleanser, and a toner because depending on which cleanser you have it raises the pH balance of the skin. Finally use a moisturizer, using a non clogging, over top, spa treatment that is non comedogenic would probably be a great place to start.

After this you can then start to assess what’s really happening with your skin. Now everybody’s acne is so different, for some people they thought they had acne, however they discovered over the years that it was in fact rosacea. Rosacea and acne can sometimes seem very similar, in fact they can actually look very similar too. Both acne and rosacea can look like active pustules, so if you are dealing with this issue on your skin make sure you know which skin issue you have. I’ve talked a lot about exfoliating the skin and being careful to not over exfoliate because we all have a natural barrier on our skin. If you strip away too much of your barrier, basically this is what’s protecting your skin, you can make it more vulnerable and than it will start to break out and produce more oil. So if you are struggling with this issue, make sure that you’re not overly stripping your skin because in fact it will start to produce more oil.

It is also important to understand your skin type better. There are so many different skin types that we all have. One common misconception is that sensitivity is a type of skin, this is in fact not true. The types of skin are oily, combination, normal and dry. There’s different conditions that we can have for the skin, so understanding your skin type is super essential to combating your acne. If you would like to learn more about your specific skin type or if you have any questions about the products you’re using then reach out to me or book a personalized one-on-one skin consultation through my website.

It is also very important to understand if you have any underlying issues, so always check things such as your hormone levels to make sure they’re balanced.

Regarding your cleanser, you’ll definitely need to use an oil based cleanser to remove your makeup and sunscreen. Oil is basically the only thing that’s really going to get off your makeup. If you don’t like oil there are some bombs that will emulsify into an oil and that’s really going to break down your makeup and sunscreen. Once you have removed all of that your skin can breathe a little bit more which will help reduce or limit your active breakouts.

So in conclusion, these are some simple tips that you can do to help with active acne breakouts; use a cleanser, a toner, ideally a moisturizer, a spot treatment and a sunscreen. That’s where I would start and then if your skin doesn’t improve, I would recommend looking at things like your hormones, your stress levels, and the foods you’re eating. I hope you found this blog helpful and if you would like a personalized skin assessment and recommendations you can contact me or book a personalized skin consultation through my website.