Life-changing Acne Skincare Routine For Oily Skin

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Want to know the best skincare routine for acne-prone oily skin and exactly what products are best for you?

It’s not a secret that oilier skin types tend to be more acne-prone than others. When dealing with oily skin there are a lot of mistakes you can make.

You know that feeling when you just want your acne to go away so you try and rub your skincare harder to get faster results? Well, if that is you you’re in the right place.

Today you’re going to learn exactly what you should do and how you should do it to achieve the perfect acne skincare routine for you. Sometimes it can really be a struggle but it doesn’t have to be. With the right skincare, every skin issue can be accomplished.

Before we begin, I suggest that you check out this article on acne dos and don’ts, especially if you are a newbie you need to know your starting point: what are you doing right and what are you doing wrong.

Disclaimer

if you are using any prescription products already, talk with your provider first. it is good practice to talk with your Dermatologist before you start any new products.

How to shop for acne products that will clear your skin

Before we get to the routines, I want to give you some vital information. I want you to be educated on the products I recommend, this way you can also do your own research.

Also, it’s really easy to get overwhelmed by all of the skincare products out there these days, so it’s important that you know exactly what you’re looking for.

Basically, there are four main ingredients you absolutely need to include in your skincare routine for acne: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, retinoids, and sulfur.

Benzoyl peroxide

Products containing benzoyl peroxide can be used to treat mild to moderate acne (jump to this article to know which acne type you have).

Benzoyl peroxide is anti-inflammatory which means it can be your best friend especially if you have inflammatory acne. It is also comedolytic, meaning it prevents the formation of comedones. In other words, it is also able to treat whiteheads and blackheads.

This ingredient is anti-bacterial as well but it does not cause bacterial resistance. Basically, even if you use benzoyl peroxide regularly bacteria won’t be able to defeat it as it can occur with antibiotics for example.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a chemical exfoliant, specifically, it is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) that is able to unclog pores, therefore, is awesome for clearing acne.

There are a lot of other ingredients that work similarly but salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This means it is able to be absorbed in your oil glands to unclog pores more efficiently.

It is anti-inflammatory and comedolytic and it can work in just a few days.

Retinoids

Retinoids are wonderful ingredients. They are best known for their anti-aging properties but they are able to treat acne as well. Honestly, I think these should be among your top choices.

If you want to know more about retinoids and retinol check out this article on how to introduce retinoids and retinol into your skincare routine.

Sulfur

Honestly, I think sulfur is not talked about enough when it comes to acne. Sulfur has anti-bacterial properties and helps peel away dead skin cells avoiding the clogging of your pores as well.

Implementing this ingredient just a few times a week into your skincare routine could work wonders for your acne.

Ingredients to avoid for acne-prone skin

We covered the amazing ingredients you should look for now let’s just talk about what ingredients you definitely need to avoid when it comes to acne.

1. Coconut oil: it is extremely comedogenic.
2. Physical exfoliants: they can cause more inflammation and spread more bacteria around your face causing more breakouts.
3. Denatured alcohol: it can break down your skin barrier
4. Shampoos can contain ingredients that will cause acne over time, here is what you should avoid
   • Isopropyl Myristate
   • Isocetyl Stearate
   • Isodecyl Oleate
   • Isopropyl Isosterate
   • Isopropyl Palmitate
   • Isostearyl Isostearate
   • Isostearyl Neopentanoate
5. Some ingredients in makeup products can also cause acne. In particular, avoid blushes and powders with the D&C Reed Dyes.

Morning skincare routine for acne-prone oily skin

1. Cleanser

Cleansing your skin is a must, especially if you have acne. You absolutely need to get rid of all the gunk that built up on your face during the day.

Since oily skin types need to get rid of some of the excessive sebum they produce you should use a foaming cleanser. One that I think could work fantastic for you is the CeraVe foaming cleanser.

Aurora’s tips

If you’re reading this post even if you don’t have oily skin avoid hyaluronic acid, since it’s going to make your acne treatments penetrate deeper into the skin making them potentially more irritating.

2. Benzoyl peroxide treatment

As we discussed before, benzoyl peroxide is a wonderful ingredient for acne so it most definitely should be part of your skincare routine.

Since you have oily skin I think you should be able to tolerate it but make sure to patch test anyway since it can dry and peel your skin off.

My top choice is Paula’s Choice Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment. It is a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment which is regular strength. I suggest you start with this, especially if you never used this ingredient before. Slowly, with time, you can build up to 5% strength.

You should only apply a small thin layer, a little bit goes a long way with this product.

3. Sunscreen

Of course, sunscreen is included in this skincare routine. SPF is an absolute must since it can reduce the likelihood of getting scars and dark spots as well as avoid inflaming your acne even more.

Since you have oily skin, I think you should choose a moisturizing sunscreen and skip the moisturizer step altogether. The keyword being “moisturizing sunscreen”, you still need to provide hydration to your skin.

If you don’t, you risk damaging your skincare barrier causing more inflammation and more acne to form, and you don’t want that.

I have two products to suggest for this purpose:

I think you should try the one that looks like something you could like more if you end up don’t liking it just try the other one. They are both really great, I love using them, especially during summertime.

Night skincare routine for acne-prone oily skin

1. Cleanser

For cleanser, stick to the same one you picked for your morning routine. If you’re following my recommendations it would be CeraVe foaming cleanser.

Even if you chose another cleanser I encourage you to use the same one morning and night, this will be more cost-effective and also you will keep your routine simpler.

2. Retinoid treatment

Retinoids, as we discussed, are amazing for treating acne. There are tons of products out there so it can be a little difficult to choose.

I definitely recommend Adapalene, which is actually a retinoid. In fact, it used to be a prescription-only product but in the last few years some over-the-counter versions popped up.

The most popular is Differin adapalene gel 0.1%, there are others but honestly, I looked at the ingredient list and they are basically the same products for different brands. For example, La Roche Posay also has one.

When using adapalene you MUST BE CAREFUL and educated on the topic. Retinoids can be very irritating so you need to build up a tolerance for them.

If you want to know exactly how to use adapalene like a pro I have an entire article about that.

3. Moisturizer

Moisturizing should be your last step, this is actually pretty self-explanatory. For moisturizer, I highly recommend Neutrogena oil-free moisture. This will hydrate you but still help you control the shine so you will be less likely to wake up to an oily mess.

It is basically the same product you use in the morning but without SPF in it. They also have a version of this for sensitive skin if you’re interested in that: Neutrogena oil-free moisture for sensitive skin.

How to increase the effectiveness over time

Aurora’s tips

you could use this cleanser to wash your body if you also have acne there and also, it works wonders to avoid razor bumps and folliculitis in your legs.

Another thing you could really benefit from is sulfur. You can introduce it to your skincare routine after you see some results from this skincare and you’re certain you tolerate it well.

There are two ways you can go about it. You could switch your cleanser with a sulfur soap three times a week. In this case, you wouldn’t include salicylic acid in your routine since you would be using three different cleansers and we want an effective but simple routine.

If you’re curious among the ones I tried my favorite was the Azufre sulfur soap.

This is why I prefer to use a sulfur mask. I use it two to three times a week and it works wonders. I use the Acne Free therapeutic sulfur mask, I LOVE this one. It made such a difference in my skin, plus it won’t break the bank.

Why you should trust me

I know you don’t know me and you can’t see me so here are a few reasons why I think I’m worthy of your trust.

1. I’m not a dermatologist but I am a med student, which means I’m studying these topics right now or I studied them very recently. All the information is fresh in my mind 😂.
2. I have suffered from acne in the past and I know the struggle also, for this reason, I have tried to clear my acne and failed many times which gave me a better understanding of what’s wrong and what’s right. Plus, now I know why what I was doing was wrong.
3. I am a skincare junkie, I love talking, reading, and gaining new knowledge about this topic
4. I am a research girlie through and through. Before I purchase ANYTHING I research it until I know exactly how to use a product and why I should use it.
5. I follow some fantastic dermatologists on Youtube and many of today’s tips were taken from the budget dermatologist.

This post was all about the best acne skincare routine for oily skin.