Morning Skincare Routine for Acne Prone Skin

Acne prone skin has been the bane of my life since my early teens. I’ve done a lot of research over the years and I’m pleased to say that I’ve finally found a morning skincare routine for acne prone skin that works to control my oily skin and fight blemishes.

When you have acne prone skin, it can be easy to jump to a routine that strips all the natural oils from your skin. Whilst this sounds sensible, what will actually happen if the skin is stripped of oil is that it will make more oil to make up for it! The perfect morning skincare routine for acne prone skin maintains the natural balance of the face whilst also cleaning and nourishing it.

Step 1: The Best Gel Cleanser for Oily & Acne Prone Skin

The first step of the morning skincare routine for acne prone skin should be a gentle gel cleanser. My favourite cleanser (and I’ve tried A LOT) is COSRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser. It’s mildly acidic so keeps a similar pH to the skin at between 4.7 and 5.5 so it’s not changing your skins natural balance. It also contains Tea Tree Oil which helps to unclog pores and control sebum production. It contains a whole host of botanicals that keep skin hydrated whilst keep it clean and free of blemishes.

Step 2: Should I use Toner if I have Acne?

Absolutely yes! It’s actually even more essential to tone acne prone and oily skin than other skin types. Here are a few of the benefits of toning your skin:

• It’s another way to maintain the natural pH of your skin
• Removes excess dirt and oil so can help pores appear smaller
• Can tighten the skin and add a layer or protection against environmental contaminants.
• Helps your skin absorb moisturisers better using something called humectants

In my morning skincare routine I don’t use a harsh toner. I want it to protect my skin for the day ahead rather than strip anything away so I use Pixi Rose Tonic. Not only does it smell incredible, it’s soothing and calms redness because it contains aloe. The combination of rose and elderflower help to build up hydration levels to keep skin moisturised and healthy. It’s also paraben free and not tested on animals, lots to love!

A great thing to come out of all the additional restrictions on air travel is that most brands now offer travel sizes of their products. This means that you can try products for lower cost to see if they agree with you or not before splashing out on the full size version. Most of the Pixi toners come in travel sizes which last for about two months for £10.

Step 3: What Serum Should I Use for Acne?

Serums have become a revolution in skincare in recent years. Whilst it does add an extra step into the morning skincare routine where time may already be tight, it certainly is a worthwhile one!

The skincare hero that has really helped my acne is The Ordinary 10% Niacinamide and 1% Zinc. If you only buy one thing from this routine, this is the one to get! At a surprisingly low price tag of £5.00, the list of benefits of this serum is everything that you could want if you suffer from acne!

So what is Niacinamide? It’s another name for Vitamin B3. It helps to reduce the appearance of blemishes, decongest the skin and brighten skin tone. The addition of Zinc to the formula helps to balance oil production. It doesn’t contain alcohol or oil and it’s vegan and cruelty free!

Step 4: The Best Moisturiser for Oily Skin & Acne

This step is absolutely vital for oily skin. The better moisturised your face is, the less oil you’ll produce!

The most important thing to look out for in a moisturiser if you have acne prone or oily skin is that it’s non-comodegenic. This means it won’t block your pores. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, if your skin is prone to breakouts, look for this in anything you’re applying to your face (make up too!).

I love the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ to keep my skin hydrated. It contains Niacinamide (yay!), glycerin and Salicylic Acid to lock in moisture whilst also targeting blemishes to help them heal faster. It also helps fade the red and brown marks left behind once a breakout has gone.

Step 5: Always Wear Sunscreen!

Ok, I must admit that I don’t always do this. I work in an office with no windows and am outside for less than 10 minutes a day most days. If you are going to be exposed to the sun for longer than this (and experts would probably say I should still wear it everyday anyway) the same rules apply when picking a suncreen.

If you have acne, make sure that you’re going with a non-comodegenic product as part of your acne morning skincare routine! This is particular important for suncream becuase it can clog up your pores and cause breakouts pretty much immediately if you don’t choose the right one!

I love The Ordinary’s Mineral sunscreen because it feels light and goes on well under makeup (it’s cheap too!) I haven’t linked it because at the minute it’s sold out everywear! Instead I’m wearing Hawaiian Tropic Air Soft Face which does the job but leaves me quite shiny if I’m not planning to wear powder or foundation. It’s a cracking primer for under make up though, keeps your face in place all day!

How Long Does it Take for a New Skincare Routine to Work?

I wish I could say you’ll see benefits right away. I’m sorry to say that you’ll need a bit of patience. It can take 6 weeks before you start to see and improvement. It can actually get worse before it gets better. Your skin may do something called purging. Basically, a whole load of spots may erupt in the first couple of weeks. This is a good though because your skin is clearing out all the bad stuff.

The best thing to do is take weekly photos of your skin to see progress. You can see mine below. I had loads of spots around my mouth, on my forehead and near my eyebrows to start with. Over the six weeks it has improved a lot!

Do I still get spots? Of course! There’s no wonder product you can buy over the counter unfortunately but you can definitely make a marked difference! If your acne is really severe or it’s causing you a lot of distress, make an appointment to see your doctor. There are prescription medicines available that can help.

I hope this has been helpful, feel free to ask me any questions and I’ll do my best to answer! Keep an eye out as I’ll be posting my night time skincare routine soon!