Let's chat about creating an acne skincare routine that ACTUALLY supports your clear skin goals and scar reduction. Skincare is a big topic in the acne community, but is it really that important in your clear skin journey? Let's find out.
External skincare is things like cleansers, serums and moisturizers, but also basic acne-supportive hygiene practices like washing pillowcases, makeup brushes, the hair line and phone screens. External skincare is best used as a part of a larger, root-case based clear skin plan using internal skincare.
Internal skincare is things like nutrition, mindset and stress management, therapeutic supplementation, gut support and hormone balancing habits. Internal skincare should be your first approach to getting the clear skin your want!
Image from: organicelementsspa.com
Anatomy of acne- why skincare is NOT the end all be all
Acne is the result of a clogged hair follicle. Acne starts when the sebaceous gland, which is the oil gland that sits beside the hair stem in the hair follicle, produces too much oil. There is also excess skin cell proliferation, or dead skin cell accumulation in the hair follicle. These two factors in combination then clogs the hair follicle. Once the follicle has become clogged there is then likely going to be an overgrowth of bacteria, either C. Acnes (cutibacterium acnes) or a fungal over growth of Malassezia.
So, it seems like the logical first step is to incorporate an anti-oil skincare routine to stop the oil from causing acne, right? wrong. Think deeper than skincare, ask WHY. Why is there an over production of oil in the first place? Is there a hormonal imbalance? Is there a gut imbalance? How are my stress levels? All of these things are ROOT CAUSE factors in acne that will lead to increased sebum (oil) production.
So, instead of looking at acne as just an issue on the skin, start looking much deeper into yourself and find the root cause of your breakouts to clear the acne for good.
MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE
Step one: Wash your hands!! Before you ever touch your face you should be washing your hands to rid them of any dirt, oil or bacteria that could cause or worse breakouts.
Step two: Splash your face with cool water. This helps to lower any puffiness and improve cortisol levels.
Step three: While your face is still wet, get out your clean gua sha and gua sha your entire face. tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is4T4Zrvf_g Once you're done with the gua sha dry your face with a clean towel or face cloth.
Step four: Apply a vitamin C toner to dry face. Vitamin C helps to increase the efficacy of sunscreen.
Step Five: Put on your sunscreen!! Sunscreen is really important in reducing acne scarring, and once you've completed your skin-clearing journey the last thing you'll want to deal with is acne scars.
EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINE
Step one: Wash your hands!! Before you ever touch your face you should be washing your hands to rid them of any dirt, oil or bacteria that could cause or worse breakouts.
Step two: Cleanse!! I love the dual cleansing kit from Organic Formulations, starting with an oil cleanser to remove any makeup from the day, then going in with a gel cleanser to remove the oil. Message 1-3 pumps of oil cleanser into your dry skin for 1-2 minutes, then wet your hands and message the water into the oil for 1 minute (until a milky color forms on your skin). Rinse off the oil cleanser, then go in with the gel cleanser on wet skin and hands. Message for 1-2 minutes then rinse of completely.
Step three: Dry your skin with a CLEAN towel or face cloth after removing the cleansers.
Step four: Apply a serum to your clean, dry skin. This step is optional, but I recommend adding a vitamin C serum to your skincare routine to improve skin cell recovery and reduce acne scarring.
Step five: Once the serum is dried add a non-comedogenic moisturizer. I love the Hydraglow Moistruizer from Clearstem!
WEEKLY SKINCARE
Clean the surfaces that touch your face!! This includes makeup application devices (blenders, brushes, etc.), skincare devices (Gua sha, LED face mask, stone roller, etc.), phone screens, and pillow cases.
Use an exfoliating mask to help unclog and clear the skin. I use the Organic Formulation Exfoliating Gel Mask twice a week in the evening after cleansing, and before adding my serums.
The bottom line
A good acne skincare routine can be helpful in managing acne breakouts and oil on the skin, but skincare will not fix the root cause of acne. It's best to address your internal skincare routine before spending thousands on expensive, anti-oil skincare. Find your acne root cause here and clear your skin for good!