So many skincare products in the world! How do you know which ones are worth your money and time? I’m happy to report that after years of struggling I have found my personal top skincare products for my acne-prone skin. I am a woman who has struggled since my teens with acne. It used to aggravate me so much when people would tell me “oh I just wash my face with water and I have magically picture-perfect porcelain skin” If washing your face with only water works for you, God bless. That’s remarkable, and I am extremely jealous. Sadly I was not as blessed and have dedicated my whole right side of my bathroom vanity with my daily face products, and let me tell you it takes up a shit load of space.
I never struggled with cystic acne. Mine were more blemishes. Lots of blackheads that refused to come out no matter how many facials appointments I scheduled. When I was younger I would get more zits on my face, and to this day I still do. However it usually occurs a few days before my period, and I am pretty positive that will never change… ahh the life of being a woman.
I have always taken really good care of my skin. I wash my face religiously. However, it wasn’t until the past two years that I have incorporated a daily morning and night time skincare routine.
My husband struggled with extremely horrible cystic acne when he was a teen, and proactive happened to work magic on his skin. Convincing me to try it I have started using proactive for the past two years. Did my face magically clear up? NO, not at all. I still have my stubborn blackheads and many blemishes on my face, but comparing my skin now to a few years ago, there is an astonishing difference.
No, my face is not flawless, and I still feel that I have many blemishes. Skin doesn’t magically clear up overnight. It takes time, and it’s a huge investment.
No one in this world has the exact same skin, and just because it worked for someone else doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. I can’t tell you how many dermatologists appointment I went to and the variety of medicines I tried. Finding the products that work for your skin takes time. Trust me I know how aggravating it is when you don’t see the results you want.
It took me years to finally find a skincare routine that I loved. I am just praying that spending so much time on my skin will leave my face glowing until I’m old and proudly supporting gray hair.
My products:
Proactiv 1 Renewing Cleanser, Proactiv 2 Toner & Proactiv 3 Repairing Treatment
Trying to find the perfect skincare product to wash your face with is, is a struggle! After my years of searching, I made the decision to buy Proactiv. Best decision. No, it did not clear up right away. It took almost a year of using Proactiv to get to a place where I was proud of my skin. If you decide to put Proactive into your skincare regime, be consistent and know that it will take time to see results.
I wash my face every night with Proactiv 1 Renewing Cleanser. From the first time I washed with it, it never burned or aggravated my skin. I’m always cautious about what creams I apply to my skin. Years ago my face swelled up for days from one of my products. I was never able to pinpoint the exact reason for my bad reaction. So to this day, I am cautious of what I apply on my face.
I find Proactive to be pretty spendy, but it costs to have clear skin.
The cleanser exfoliates your skin without leaving it red and blotchy. I use Proactive Toner. I have been using it for two years and I honestly don’t know if it’s been helping. Toner claims to shrink the appearance of your pores and balance your pH. Is it beneficial? I have no idea. I’ve been using it for so long, I don’t think I will stop. I feel that I am doing my face justice when I apply it.
I don’t want to be 50 years old with the skin of a 70-year-old. So I use it and cross my fingers that it will help in the long run.
Proactive repairing treatment I use every night and I apply a layer on my affected acne areas. It says to apply in the morning also, but I don’t. Simply because I feel like so much product constantly on my skin 24/7 isn’t beneficial for me and can make my skin oily.
It says that when a person first starts using Proactiv for the first few weeks their face can experience dryness, flakiness, and possibly irritation. Thankfully I never experienced any of that, but I also lathered my skin in lotion after step 3. If you have acne-prone skin, I encourage you to try proactive. I have been using it for almost 2 years now, and I wish I discovered it sooner.
Vitamin C Serum
I live in a place where the sun is out all day every day. Personally I need that Vitamin C serum. I go back and forth between two Vitamin C Serum. One is TruSkin serum Vitamin C 20 E & Hyaluronic Acid. I loved it and it worked really well for me. Again, it didn’t clear up my face, but I felt as those my face was protected. I recently switched to the brand Drunk Elephant vitamin C serum. Mainly because I read great reviews on the product and I loved the name of their brand.
Be warned though the first few times I used it, it smelt a little funky. Anyone else smell something strange? Now I don’t smell it anymore, but I think it is because I got used to it. I started incorporating vitamin C serum into my skincare routine fairly recently, but I am so glad that I did. It brightens my face in the morning and we all need that protection layer from the sun.
Lavender Essential Oil
So many mixed reviews on essential oils, but in my opinion… if it doesn’t hurt and there are no negative symptoms on using the oils, why not?
Lavender oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, allowing it to be soothing for your skin and can also unclog your pores. If that isn’t enough it also kills bacteria making it perfect for acne-prone skin… is this not a magical product? I love it. It doesn’t irritate my skin, and I really wanted a product that calms my skin. Lavender oil does exactly that! I use my lavender every morning and night. After I wash my face in the morning I apply my toner, vitamin C serum, & lavender on my whole face.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Daily Moisturizer
I am a huge lover of the brand Kiehl’s. I use their lotion every day, and it does exactly what it claims. A little bit of it goes a long way. When I first used their lotion I would smother my face with it. Which resulted in my face looking extremely oily- especially when I would sweat.
A dime-size is all you need, and don’t forget to moisturize your neck..no one wants those wrinkles.
I’m always worried about products clogging up my pores. I’m happy to report that with Kiehl’s that isn’t the case. Their lotion absorbs into my face well without leaving it greasy and blotchy. It keeps my skin soft leaves it hydrated all day and night.
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
Oh man! If you don’t use eye cream, start using it TODAY. I love Kiehl’s eye cream. It has such a silky smooth texture that I feel the moisture absorbing right into my skin.
All you need is an extremely small amount and dap it under your orbital bone. I know many people who started using eye cream and would put way too much of the product under their eyes. From the over usage of the eye cream they broke out in little red bumps. Don’t make that mistake.
Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask
Did I mention that I’m a huge fan of Kiehl’s products? I love this mask! Honestly anything with a key ingredient of Aloe I have to have.
I use this mask usually once a week, or if I feel that my skin needs an extra pick me up. It is also great to have when traveling. My skin always tends to break out and become dry after boarding a plane, so I always pack this mask and apply it right when I get off the plane and settled into my place. Its hydrates and calms my skin, so any redness that was there before is now gone. I have been using it for so long now, I really believe it is one of the reasons why my skin is glowing and feels healthy.
Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask
I know! I have a strange obsession with Kiehls, but I don’t care.
When I find a brand I like I get a little crazy. This mask is great if your skin leads more towards the acne side (like mine). I use it once a week, and the bottle says to keep it on for ten minutes, but I keep mine on for 20-30 minutes…. I really want all my pores on my nose and cheeks to magically be gone.
The price for the product is fair for how many usages you can get out of it. I have used the mask ten times already and have more than half left. So many times in the past I would use a face mask and instead of giving me clear skin, it would cause me to break out and leave my face red and bumpy. With Kiehl’s, I am happy to report that this is not the case. My face feels clean, soft, and refreshed.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray w/ Aloe Cucumber & Green Tea
Ah, the magical skincare product ingredient: Aloe. I seriously love this spray. I use it every morning after applying my serums and throughout the day I respray. It gives my skin a pick me up, and especially in the mornings when I haven’t really woken up and looked like a walking zombie, after one spray it leaves my face glowing and doesn’t give me the just rolled out of bed look.
It is the perfect wake me up (besides coffee), and I truly can’t recommend this product enough.
I have used their rosewater spray, but it didn’t provide my skin with the glowing look so I switched over to the aloe one and never looked back!
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
I feel like my lips are naturally always dry no matter how much chapstick I apply. I stumbled across this product from another blogger and I have recently incorporated it into my nightly routine. Honestly so many reviews about this lip mask that all rave about how great it is.
I’m not going to lie, I don’t love it.
It has a great texture, and I do feel that it hydrates my lips, but I also feel that my pomegranate Burts Bees chapstick provides the same results. Anyone else feel this way? I am going to keep applying it at night, but when my bottle finishes I am not sure if I will be spending the money on another one.
Looking over my list, I realize I use a shit ton of products.
It took me years (sadly I am not even a little bit exaggerating) to find the perfect products for my skin. Finding the right products that work with my skin was a struggle, but I thoroughly enjoy my night and morning skincare routine, and I feel pretty accomplished knowing my skin will thank me for all the extra minutes I spend on it in the future.