I have used other products in the past that moisturized my skin, but left it feeling oily and really made my acne worse, and I have used moisturizers that contained acne-fighting ingredients that helped my acne, but didn’t do a great job moisturizing my skin. Even though my skin is very oily, I still need a moisturizer to ensure that it is balanced and not overproducing oil to compensate for dryness. I use this product every morning after using a cleanser and astringent.

JB :) > I would recommend leaving behind specifically acne directed products. Sometimes using the harsh, really popular chemicals (like BP gels or things that you leave on your skin for really long periods of time) cause more irritation. They usually work in adolescence because the skin is more durable, it can take a beating, but the closer towards our twenties and beyond we get, the more likely our skin is to respond to such treatment with peeling, drying, burning, etc. Also, like I said earlier, I love the list, but not everyone’s skin is the same, so certain things simply won’t be comedogenic to you, even if they’re listed as high, and others that are supposed to be safe may be disastrous to you (it sounds scary, I know, but there are certain products that tend to be relatively safe, as in, it won’t worsen any conditions, even if it doesn’t cure them. I usually recommend products that are hypo-allergic and fragrance free as good starters, as they are intended for those who are the most prone to having bad reactions).

I would find a really gentle cleanser (I recommend Cetaphil, they do have one for oily skin too, but I tend to encourage limiting major treatment to a less powerful prescription and/or masking treatments, rather than stripping the skin during cleansing). Cetaphil’s gentle skin cleanser is a good start (it removes makeup/eye makeup, and preps for exfoliation), also, Mario Badescu Spa (available online) makes several gentle cleansers such as Seaweed Cleansing Gel and Aloe Cleansing Gel, I can’t vouch for either as I have used Cetaphil for the past six years, but Mario’s products are good quality and they’re extremely helpful in handling returns with full refunds, even if you’ve finished more than half the product. I follow in the evenings with Neutrogena Gentle Daily Scrub (it has a beta hydroxy acid, a low about 1.5% Salicylic Acid. Never use the high %s unless recommended by a doctor, higher doesn’t = better, and can lead to irritation, whereas a lower concentration can effectively treat without causing unpleasant drying), I then use a prescription 1% Clindamycin morning and evening (I urged my younger brother to ask his doctor for it, they’re almost always willing to do so because it’s a fairly gentle treatment, it is also inexpensive, running about $20/month without insurance, and $6-$10/month with insurance), it’s the consistency of a toner (clients love this discovery, as it leaves no residue and won’t dry/peel/itch your skin), you pat it on the whole face, it dries (like water might) and you proceed as usual. I use Cetaphil Skin Cream (not the lotion, but the cream that comes in a jar) in the evenings for moisturizing (even if you have oily skin, which I used to (it has balanced out in the past two years of adhering strictly to my own routine, I’m 25), you STILL need to moisturize, otherwise your skin will continue to overproduce oil, this is also why I never recommend using a powerful cleanser, you don’t want too many harsh products abusing the poor skin and stripping away oils constantly!), and go to bed. No overnight treatments. Skin needs time to relax, moisturize, and breath. A beauty editor I know recommends moisturizing in the morning and leaving the skin free of moisturizers at night (she swears it allows her skin to “balance out”), however, if you have oily skin, you may want to avoid the possibility of adding shine during the day with a layer of moisturizer. I discourage the use of moisturizers marketed as “shine reducing”, over the years I’ve tried every one from cheap Neutrogena to $60 Arcona (frequently poor online customer service, by the way), and they all invariably leave a filmy residue, and some people complain that they itch as well (if anything, foundation never lays well over these types of moisturizers).

Now, as to specific treatments to help unclog the pores and assist with oil control; I recommend two brands: Professional Solutions and Mario Badescu. I like one mask from Professional Solutions, the Corrective Clearing Mask, it has sulfur, zinc, and a low concentration of glycolic acid. You won’t hear them advertised, but my spa and various dermatologists offer their products in office. I recommend people purchase them online though, as several websites sell their products and frequently offer coupons (the mask runs about $38+SH, and should last about 1-2 months, using it about 2-3 times a week, longer if you use it only as I do). I use this about once or twice every other week for about 25 minutes, usually only for the day or so after I’ve had a microderm (it helps calm and basically zap anything that’s been brought up by the microderm before it can become noticeable). For weekly maintenance, I recommend two masks by Mario Badescu: The Drying Mask and the Whitening Mask. The Drying Mask is a sulfur/kaolin based mask that helps reduce oil, calm any inflammation, clear up/prevent congestion/blackheads, etc. I use it about 4-5 times a week for about 25-30 minutes. The Whitening Mask (not as scary as it sounds) is really just a moisturizing treatment that soothes redness, and has exfoliating properties (it is chemical free, and licorice extract is the “whitener”), it’s gentle, and I find it does double-duty in helping to maintain a more “glowing” complexion. I use this about 3-4 times a week as well, for about 30-45 minutes.

In addition to this, chug water with lemon (helps you drink more if you don’t like the taste), this not only helps your body function, but gives you a less fatigued look, plumping the skin naturally :), and don’t try to extract blackheads yourself! If you have inflamed breakouts, I recommend trying 4-6 weeks on the basic routine above (evening: Cleanser+Scrub+Prescription+Moisturizer / morning: rinse w/ lukewarm water, splash with icy water, + Prescription + light makeup such as Physicians Formula Mineral Pressed Powder, their Mineral Veil, Vincent Longo’s Water Canvas Foundation, or any other more sheer foundation/makeup, less is more, and the heavier the makeup, the more unhappy your skin will be). Monitor your response over this time, sometimes decongesting masks can bring up impurities, do not pick, but simply continue using it (I developed this to be a combination of gentle cleansing/non irritating deep cleansing/exfoliation, and careful moisturizing so that we’re conditioning the skin as we treat it, it will not, absent an allergy to one of the ingredients, and please ALWAYS check to be sure nothing is a known irritant to you, in any way worsen the condition of your skin). After this period of time, see if your skin has begun to improve, it really only took mine about two months of religious adherence to this to stop breaking out altogether (minus my little adventure three years ago with the cystic reaction to Bare Escentuals but, again, two months later, back to perfection). If you like the results, keep going, the only deviation or additions to this I recommend are to see a registered esthetician for microdermabrasion and skin clearing facials. I had hyperpigmentation from my acne (it was virtually invisible once I put on a sheer powder or foundation, the Whitening Mask may not be powerful, but it does gently improve things over time), and began having microderms every two weeks and a facial once a month about a year ago. I still do, mostly because I’m vain and fearful of any form of avoidable aging of the skin (naturally avoided, never any injections!). In addition to this, a microderm can be good, deep exfoliating maintenance to keep your skin clear, and combined with the occasional facial (my sister only gets two a year and swears it keeps her skin the way it is) congestion such as blackheads can be removed at an even deeper level if you think it is necessary. Both of these are optional, however. I only push a microderm if clients want to get rid of hyperpigmentation/scarring/melasma, etc. I personally love them, and they did graduate me from “only the occasional breakout right before a period” to “no breakouts, ever, at all, unless I foolishly try an unknown product”. I remember how awful breakouts are (after the Bare Escentuals incident I moped about the house for three days, feeling like Quasimodo and doing nothing but watching cartoons, wondering where it all went wrong), the good news is, there might not be a cure for acne/breakouts, etc. but you can improve and heal the complexion, it just takes gentle care, and consistency. I hope this helps, and good luck!

Best Wishes,

EM

does anyone know of a good foundation that wont cause acne? what do you guys think of Clarins Ultra Matte or Clarins True Radiance ?

ahhh i need a new makeup asap. help pleaseee

I checked the ingredients for my favorite liquid foundation, and it contains sodium chloride which has the 5 rating. I suppose that could be the culprit, although I can’t really know for sure. Either way I’m not going to purchase any more makeup without consulting this list first- I’ve wasted too much money already and spent too much time fretting over my face. I now have horrible acne scarring that will take forever to get rid of. I HATE MAYBELLINE!

My mom says I should give up and stop wearing makeup but there’s really no way that I could do that. I’m going to try Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra foundation next, none of the ingredients seem harmful. It’s pretty expensive ($50) but I’ve already tried all of the drugstore foundations available.

Thanks again for the help- wish I had seen this sooner!