The Best Skin Care Routine for Blemish-Prone Skin

Many of us will experience breakouts at some stage, and some of us have worse luck than others. If you’re prone to persistent pimples or you’re in constant battle with blemished skin, then despair not, there are plenty of products out there that will be your right hand person in the fight against spots.

In this guide we’ve outlined our recommended morning and evening skin care routine, including the best products for acne-prone skin at every step. A new skin care routine always takes a little while to get used to - give it a go for four to six weeks to allow your skin to acclimatise and to see how any potential purging settles.

Note: Purging is the term used to describe a reaction to an ingredient that increases your skin cell turnover rate - whereby excess sebum, dull skin flakes and the buildup that clogs your pores are forced to the surface, resulting in breakouts, dry skin, or even tiny ‘pre-pimples’. It’s not ideal, we know, but it can occur with any new routine and it’s worth it in the long run.

And remember, for proper acne treatment you should always consult your doctor or dermatologist.

MORNING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR BLEMISH AND BREAKOUT-PRONE SKIN

STEP ONE: CLEANSE

Start your day with a non-foaming cleanser. Most products we use as part of our evening routines are designed to regenerate and reset our skin whilst we sleep, so you don’t want to come in with something harsh a few hours later and disrupt all of the repair work that’s happened during the night. Choose a gentle morning cleanser (a gel, balm, oil, milk or clay) that’s packed with vitamins and minerals to prepare and protect your skin for the day ahead.

Decree’s Light Cleanse is one of those products you find yourself looking forward to using because it's just so soothing and effective. It gently removes overnight congestion and excess oil thanks to its creamy blend of healing rose water and mineral-rich seaweed extract, and leaves your skin feeling soft, hydrated and beautifully prepped for your next skin care step.

Alternatively, use fresh’s Soy Face Cleanser. This creamy gel formula contains soy proteins, which work to deeply replenish your skin cells, improving its texture and tone, and borage seed oil, which is known to eradicate impurities and restore balance to your skin.

STEP TWO: TONE (AND MOISTURISE AT THE SAME TIME!)

Immediately follow this with a mist of Omorovicza Queen Of Hungary Mist. A quick hit of hydration, this formula Hungary’s mineral-rich thermal waters - where the earth’s crust is thinner , which is why the waters are jam-packed with skin-beneficial elements - to impart your skin with lasting hydration without any irritating fragrance.

Top tip: It can also be misted on to your face throughout the day to refresh and relieve the skin.

STEP THREE: MOISTURISE AGAIN

For some added hydration, especially during colder months, applying a daily moisturiser on top can make all the difference in reducing the visible appearance of blemishes in your complexion. REN Clean Skincare’s Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream is one of the best moisturisers for acne-prone skin. This lightweight cream was created with combination skin in mind and is rich in potent antioxidants to protect against the elements. Omegas 3 and 7 instantly begin to reduce the appearance of redness and improve the balance of hydration in your skin, leaving it looking and feeling soothed and calm.

STEP FOUR: SPF

As the final step in your routine, you’re going to want to protect your skin with a well performing SPF. Superactive Oil + Pore Control SPF 50 Moisturiser is a lightweight formula that will sink into your skin without feeling or appearing greasy when layered on other products. Oleanolic acid delivers this SPF’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it the perfect choice to support your skin’s integrity throughout the day.

SHOP YOUR AM ROUTINE

£17.00

199

£15.00

Omorovicza Queen Of Hungary Mist (100ml)

£62.00

REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream 50ml

£42.00

Murad Superactive Moisturiser SPF Oil + Pore Control 50ml

£45.00

EVENING SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR BLEMISH AND BREAKOUT-PRONE SKIN

STEP ONE: CLEANSE

Wash the day away with OLE HENRIKSEN Daily D-Clog Pore-Clearing Cleanser. Supercharged with a blend of salicylic acid, Danish purple willow ferment and juniper berry extract, this refreshing face wash balances out excess oils and refines texture over time. Working into a generous lather, this transformative hero works hard to keep skin supple, soft and most importantly, clean.

Use this skin care staple at night by lathering in hands before massaging it on skin and rinsing thoroughly.

STEP TWO: APPLY NIACINAMIDE SERUM

Next, apply The INKEY List’s Niacinamide serum to your face. It contains a blend of niacinamide alongside vitamin b3 and hyaluronic acid to help regulate your sebum production, rehydrate your skin and visibly reduce the appearance of breakouts with continued use. This can be applied day and night to freshly cleansed skin, prior to moisturising.

Pour a little into your hand and gently press it into your face - if your skin feels sticky or tacky to the touch once it has dried, that means you've used a little too much!

STEP THREE: MOISTURISE

To moisturise, reach for La Roche-Posay's Effaclar H Iso-Biome Moisturiser which uses clever physiological pH, to reduce the look of blemishes while comforting complexions. Quenching thirst for up to 48 hours, this famed formulas blends vitamin B5, squalane and glycerin to revive redness and diminish dryness. What's more, the addition of aqua posae filiformis (a prebiotic biomass) supports your skin barrier, leading to a softer-than-soft sign off that appears health, happy and hydrated.

STEP FOUR: FINISH WITH FACIAL OIL

Lastly, apply a facial oil as the final step in your evening routine at least once per week to allow its benefits to further heal your complexion while you sleep. One of the best face oils for acne-prone skin is Pai Skincare’s Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil.

A fan-favourite amongst celebrities and Cult Beauty staff alike, this non-clogging and fast-absorbing facial oil was created after the founder's own struggle with her irritable skin, and promises to gently nourish even the most stressed-out of complexions without any aggravation. A beautiful blend of rosehip seed and fruit oil will encourage your skin to remain hydrated from within, naturally encouraging cell turnover (say goodbye to breakout scarring - this is one of our best products for acne scars) and boosting collagen production to reveal a more youthful complexion over time.