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skincare recommendations for melanin-rich skin✨ (dry + acne-prone + dark spots)
15
items A good rotation of skincare recommendation for dry, acne prone skin and good to use if you’re on prescription skincare (like tretinoin)
Sections
7
Moisturizers
Water Based-Cleansers 💧
Sunscreen ☀️
Exfoliants ✨
Cleansing Oil/ Cleaning Balms 🌟
Toners ⚡️
Moisturizers
favorite moisturizers for very dry acne prone skin across various brands and price points🧴💧
One of my favorite moisturizers of all time. It’s deeply hydrating, nourishing, repairing and plumping and soothing. It’s amazing to use after tretinion and works wonders at helping repair my skin barrier. It’s also fragrance free! Price: $45 for 1.6...
Instant Angel Moisturizer | Lipid-Rich, Nourishing Face Cream
The SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream is a straightforward, no-fuss moisturizer that does exactly what it promises: strengthen and comfort stressed-out skin. The formula leans on Panthensoside™, a blend of panthenol (to restore and hydrate) and mad...
ETUDE SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream Original, Face Moisturizer ...
This cream made with 25% shea butter, so it feels deeply nourishing and dense, along with glycerin to pull in moisture, and tapioca starch to help it finish without looking greasy. The formula also includes sunflower seed oil and chestnut seed extrac...
25% Shea Ultra Rich Cream | L'Occitane
Water Based-Cleansers 💧
all around solid cleaners, mostly for dry, acne-prone and sensitive skin at can be used by all, at various price points 🧼
The KraveBeauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser is packed with antioxidant-rich matcha to help calm and protect the skin, hemp seed oil for nourishing omegas, and 15% glycerin to keep hydration levels up. The texture is a light gel that foams just eno...
Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser | Krave Beauty
The a soap-free foaming gel designed to cleanse without stripping, which is huge for anyone who deals with dryness or sensitivity. Instead of harsh surfactants, it leans on ingredients like lavender (to calm and ease redness), balm mint (to soothe a...
Special Cleansing Gel | Dermalogica
Sunscreen ☀️
moisturizing/ hydrating sunscreens that don’t leave a white cast on melanin-rich skin and is acne prone safe !
If you’re looking for a sunscreen that actually feels like skincare, KraveBeauty’s Beet The Sun might be worth a spot in your routine. It’s a lightweight chemical SPF 40 that blends into the skin without leaving a white cast or that heavy, greasy fil...
Beet The Sun SPF 40 PA+++ | Krave Beauty
This has quickly become one of my favorite sunscreens, especially with melanin-rich skin. It’s a moisturizer and SPF in one, which makes mornings so much easier, and what I appreciate most is that it blends in completely without leaving any white cas...
Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 | Naturium
Exfoliants ✨
facial exfoliants, mainly in the form of chemical exfoliants or exfoliating cleansers that help keep my acne prone dry skin clear and even toned!
Krave Beauty Kale-Lalu-yAHA is one of those exfoliants that manages to be both effective and gentle. It uses 5.25% glycolic acid to dissolve dead skin cells, unclog pores, and smooth texture, but it’s balanced with a blend of kale, spinach, and parsl...
Kale-Lalu-yAHA: 5.25% Glycolic Acid Treatment
This powder exfoliant is more unique than usual, as you sprinkle it into your hands, add a little water, and it transforms into a soft, creamy paste that gently buffs away buildup. It’s powered by salicylic acid to clear impurities from deep in the ...
Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator Smooths & Brightens Skin
I’ve been using this toner for a while now, and it’s honestly one of the few that delivers what it promises, especially for my acne-prone, dry skin. The 2% salicylic acid clears pores and calms breakouts, while glycolic and lactic acids help smooth s...
Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner - Salicylic Acid & Glycolic
Cleansing Oil/ Cleaning Balms 🌟
oil-based cleansers that emulsify and remove sunscreen and makeup well !
This is a lightweight cleansing oil that melts away makeup, sunscreen, and daily build-up including stubborn waterproof formulas without leaving behind a greasy film, which I love. The texture spreads easily and emulsifies with water, so it rinses cl...
Precleanse Cleansing Oil Melts Make-up
This cleansing balm has become one of my go-to first steps, especially on days when my skin feels tight or aggravated. It starts out as a solid balm and melts into a buttery oil that glides over dry skin, breaking down makeup, sunscreen, and excess s...
The INKEY List USA Oat Cleansing Balm 150ml
Toners ⚡️
hydrating, soothing and exfoliating toners my dry, acne prone skin loves !
This had beensuch an interesting step in my routine because it’s not your typical watery toner. Milky toners really stand out since they’re designed to bridge that gap between hydration and gentle exfoliation, which is especially helpful if your skin...
Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky Toner | The Ordinary
I really love this toner because it feels like the perfect balance for my acne-prone, dry skin. The texture is lightweight and milky, so it’s deeply nourishing and hydrating without ever feeling heavy. It’s one of those toners you can actually layer ...
Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion | good light
Serums ✨
my favorites serums overall, whether for morning or night these are my rotation of serums
This serum has become a reliable staple in my rotation, especially since I’m using tretinoin and dealing with dryness, sensitivity, and occasional flares. It’s a bi-phase formula, meaning it combines a richer oil layer (with 4% shea oil) and a more h...
Shea Bi-Phase Face Serum | L'Occitane en Provence