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Skincare Recommendations from an Acne Prone and Dry Skin Girl
23
items I’m currently 20 years old and have been struggling with severe acne since middle school. Trough trial and error, I have found the best products that work on my acne prone and dehydrated skin type to leave me with clearer and healthier skin
Sections
8
Oil Based Cleansers
Cleansers
Retinoids/Retinols
Toners
Serums, Essences, and Ampoules
Moisturizers
Oil Based Cleansers
I love love love this cleansing balm for taking off my heavy faces of makeup I wear almost daily. It cuts right through mascara and is a super soft creamy texture. I find this doesn’t trigger my acne and also doesn’t make my eyes get foggy after usin...
Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original - Banila Co
This is my everyday oil cleanser. It does have fragrance, sort of a natural spa herbal scent, but it is not super strong and doesn’t irritate my skin. I find this works better when I have no makeup on, as it doesn’t work super great at getting heavy ...
Milky Oil Cleanser - Byoma
If I had unlimited money I would have a stock of this cleansing oil on hand at all times. This works amazingly on thick makeup as well as on a bare face. The texture is amazing and it does not give me break outs. This is like the Byoma oil on steroid...
Deep Cleansing Oil - DHC
I love the pink version of this micellar water when I am feeling too lazy to oil cleanse. This on a microfiber makeup wipe is so quick and easy, and doesn’t irritate my eyes like most other micellar waters. It also lasts super long, and I recommend g...
Micellar Cleansing Water - Garnier
Cleansers
I love this cleanser for my exfoliation step! I find many serum or toner exfoliants are too harsh and stripping for frequent use on my skin. This cleanser is gentle enough I can skin cycle it with my retinoid! I scrub it into my skin for ~1 minute an...
AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - SkinMedica
This is my favorite every day cleanser that I use every morning and on my recovery/hydration days of my skin cycling. It is super gentle and acne friendly, and leaves my skin feeling not stripped. There’s very minimal ingredients so there’s less chan...
Gentle Facial Cleanser - Vanicream
This is a second pick for me next to the Vanicream wash. I find this one to be just a bit more stripping/ harsh, so I like to use it at night vs in the morning oftentimes. It works great on my acne and I haven’t noticed any irritation from it! It als...
Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash - La Roche-Posay
Retinoids/Retinols
This is my favorite over the counter retinoid I’ve ever used! It is gentle enough that I can use it multiple times a week, and it’s perfect for skin cycling. I find prescription retinoids too strong for my skin. This one is gentle enough that it does...
Acne Treatment Gel 0.1% - Differin
Toners
This is an incredible hydrating barrier repair toner! I use this on recovery days or under my retinoid when I’m feeling extra dry, and it gives my skin so much moisture as a base layer for my other products. Toners usually make me break out really ba...
Hydrating Milky Toner - Byoma
Serums, Essences, and Ampoules
I don’t buy this serum all the time because it can be a little pricy, but the results I get from it are so awesome. Thick and creamy serum that restores my barrier like no other. Be warned, it smells a bit like maple syrup, but other than that I love...
Great Barrier Relief – KraveBeauty
I LOVE this essence! It is so hydrating and not super thick. To me this is what people should have been raving about instead of the snail mucin by Cosrx. This didn’t trigger any fungal acne like Cosrx did, so if you struggled with that product I woul...
Snail Bee High Content Essence - Benton
If hyaluronic acid serums don’t work for you, but you still want a hydrating serum that won’t break the bank, this is the serum for you! I use this almost every single day, morning and night and it has done wonders for my skin barrier. Since I use a ...
Hydrating Serum - Byoma
This is one of the only non prescription products for fading marks that I have actually seen results from. I have tried Kojic acid bar soaps in the past, and found it too stripping and drying for my skin, but desired the same efficiently of clearing ...
Discoloration Correcting Serum - Good Molecules
This is the only face oil I can use that won’t break me out at all. I find my skin reacts well to squalene oils, and this Ordinary one is comparable in quality to any of the high end ones I have tried. I use this for slugging when I’m feeling extra d...
100% Plant-Derived Squalane - The Ordinary
Moisturizers
This moisturizer may be too heavy for some, but I only use this when my skin is really dry and needs extra love. I use this almost as a slugging agent. There is shea butter, but I have found it doesn’t trigger any breakouts for me and always makes my...
Lipikar Daily Repair Moisturizing Lotion - La Roche-Posay
Many nourishing moisturizers tend to make me break out, but this one is amazing for acne prone skin. It is not super thick and heavy, so my skin doesn’t feel suffocated, but it has great hydrating ingredients to lock in moisture and prevent flaking o...
Daily Facial Moisturizer - Vanicream
I love this moisturizer for the summer when my skin gets more oily! This is super moisturizing but since it is a gel it is a lot less heavy on the skin. Be warned, I believe there is a version with fragrance and without, and the fragrance version bre...
Hydro Boost Gel Cream - Neutrogena
I believe this is supposed to be an anti aging cream, but it works so well as a thick and nourishing night cream for my acne prone skin. There’s minimal, if any fragrance. The texture is silky and feels amazing on the skin.
Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream - Olay
Eye Creams
As I use so many actives, the skin around my eyes can often get a bit irritated and dry, so I need a good quality eye cream. This is my favorite and most affordable option. The gel texture is cooling and hydrating, and it’s thick enough to keep the c...
Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel - Good Molecules
I loveee the feeling of this eye cream! It’s pretty thick but doesn’t give me any milia, which I get from a lot of eye creams. I would recommend to use this at night if you get dry eye skin from actives like I do
Hyaluronic Eye Cream - Hydrating Aloe Vera - Mario Badescu
I love this eye serum for when I am feeling extra puffy or my eye bags are looking especially terrible. It is still hydrating for my under eyes but helps great with dark circles because of the caffeine
Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG - The Ordinary
Sunscreens
I have had trouble finding a sunscreen that doesn’t clog my pores for YEARS. This is the only one I haven’t had problems with. It is also significantly cheaper than majority of sunscreens on the market. This does leave a tiny tiny bit of white cast, ...
Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 - Good Molecules
I love this moisturizer when I want to whack out sunscreen and moisturizer in one step! This isn’t heavy and I haven’t noticed that it breaks me out. Also leave literally no white cast at all! This is nice and nourishing so it’s great under makeup or...
Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer with SPF 30 - La Roche-Posay