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8 common mistakes when treating acne-prone skin

Acne or pimples form when the opening of a sebaceous gland gets clogged with sebum and dead skin cells along with bacteria. The sebaceous gland becomes inflamed and pimples appear.

That’s why it’s especially important to:

keep the skin clean from bacteria and dirt.
wash away excess sebum so that more hair follicles don’t get clogged.
exfoliate dead skin cells that clog the skin.
keep the skin moisturized to reduce sebum production and dry skin cells.

Avoid this if you have acne

There are things that can worsen your acne. Make sure to avoid these traps, especially if you have stubborn recurring acne that you can’t get rid of.

1. Drying out the skin

What you want to avoid at all costs is drying out the skin. Sebum plays an important role in a healthy skin barrier. When the skin is dry, it is stimulated to produce more sebum, which can contribute to more acne. In cleansers and facial toners, it is mainly soap agents and alcohol that dry out the skin.

Therefore, choose cleansing products that:

is mild and doesn’t foam much (or at all).
is moisturizing.
does not smell like alcohol, is alcohol-free, or contains a small amount of alcohol.

After cleansing, the skin should feel clean, comfortable, and supple. If the skin feels irritated, dry, tight, or oily, you need to change your cleanser.

2. Incorrect skin pH

The skin and the natural sebum it produces have a slightly acidic pH around 5. Soaps and anything that foams have a higher pH and are usually alkaline. Since bacteria thrive best in alkaline environments above pH 7, it’s important to consider the skin’s pH.

Create an unfavorable environment for bacteria by lowering the skin’s pH.

Choose a mild and moisturizing facial cleanser.
Use facial toner, especially after showering or washing your face. Its main purpose is to balance the pH.
Use a clean herbal water or hydrolate as a facial toner. They have a pH value around 4-6.

3. Squeezing or picking at acne

Not even freshly washed hands are completely bacteria-free. Fingers and nails only worsen acne. Don’t touch or feel the acne. Squeezing, picking, or scratching is the worst thing you can do. Fingers introduce more bacteria to the skin and worsen inflammation.

Then it can:

the acne bursts. Sebum and bacteria spread on the skin, causing more pimples, spots, and impurities.
bacteria and dirt are pushed deeper into pores and hair follicles.
damaged skin forms scars.
the cell walls get damaged. The pores get larger the more they are squeezed and picked at.

4. Dirty makeup brushes

No skin gets better from dirty makeup brushes. Oil, dirt, and bacteria sooner or later cause acne, blemishes, and blackheads. Wash your brushes as often as you can. If you don’t have time in the morning, set them aside and wash them in the evening.

5. Exfoliating the wrong way

Acne can tighten the skin and sometimes cause pain. A good way to reduce pressure, dead skin cells, dry skin, and soothe inflammation in the pores is to exfoliate. However, it’s easy to overdo exfoliation, which does more harm than good.

Therefore, keep in mind that:

avoid pressing too hard, especially if you use scrubs with coarse abrasive particles that can aggravate acne.
exfoliate with enzymes or acids.
avoid combining products that contain different acids, vitamins, and bioactive ingredients. This is to prevent severe skin irritation.
exfoliate moderately. Follow the instructions without extending the treatment time or exfoliating more often than recommended.

6. Mineral oils and silicones

Watch out for mineral oils and silicones in your creams and makeup.

They form a film on the skin like a barrier that:

blocks the absorption of moisture and other nutrients in your skincare products. The skin becomes dry and lifeless.
can trap bacteria, dirt, and sebum and contribute to acne breakouts, (black)heads, and impure skin.
causes dead skin cells to stay longer on the skin.
is difficult to wash off. It requires strongly foaming cleansers and multi-step cleansing, which can irritate and cause unbalanced skin.

Read the ingredient list and avoid silicone, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, paraffin, and anything ending with -cone, -conol, -silane, -siloxane. New names and variants of silicones constantly appear, which can be hard to keep track of.

Our tip is to choose organically certified or natural products – an easy way to avoid silicones on skin and hair. All the products you find here at Glimja belong to these categories.

7. The fear of vegetable oils

There is a general fear of oils. Remember that there is a wide range of pure vegetable oils, each with different properties. Heavy oils can work wonders on dry skin, while they can clog pores on oilier skin types.

Avoid heavy oils such as coconut oil, cocoa butter, waxes, and palm oil. Instead, use light oils.

Keep in mind that oil blends behave differently on the skin. For example, coconut oil (which has antibacterial properties) can have a positive effect on oily and acne-prone skin when combined with other oils.

The advantage of using pure cold-pressed oils is that they are usually:

without fragrance and additives.
incredibly concentrated and therefore cheaper than creams.
multi-products that can be used on body, face, and hair.

If you have sensitive skin or tend to react to different products, oils are the best choice. They are free from additives and it’s easier to keep track of what you (don’t) tolerate compared to a cream that usually has a long ingredient list.

8. Feed inflammation

Remember that the skin is the body’s largest organ. What you eat affects the skin’s overall health. Support the skin by drinking water, eating healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits. Keep in mind that these foods feed inflammation in the body:

refined sugar.
hardened fats.
refined carbohydrates.

Skip semi-processed and ready-made meals, fast food, processed food, and fried food. The list of inflammatory foods is long. Focus on eating varied, fresh food, preferably plant-based, and include all the colors of the rainbow on your plate with plenty of vegetables.

Eating healthily is important for the skin’s well-being.

Products for those with acne

If you have acne or pimples, it is important to have the right kind of skincare products. This, combined with a good skincare routine, can calm, prevent acne, and drastically reduce breakouts. How many products you need in your routine is highly individual.

Generally, this applies:

If you have sensitive skin or don’t usually use skincare products, start with a minimalist routine consisting of cleansing, spot treatment (mask/peel/serum), and face cream or facial oil.
Prioritize cleansing products if you have a tight budget.
Then add more products for faster and more effective results.

Cleansing

Your cleanser should be able to remove dirt and excess sebum without washing away the natural sebum needed in the skin. It should also be moisturizing, soothing, antibacterial, and antiseptic.

Odylique Lemon Tea Tree Facial Wash meets all the criteria for a really good cleanser for acne-prone skin.

It is also:

gentle – beneficial for sensitive skin types and teenage skin.
moisturizing – good for both dry and oily skin.
easy to rinse off with water – perfect for those with painful acne.

Other good facial cleansers for acne-prone skin:

Eco Cosmetics – a good budget choice, suitable for normal to oily skin.

Evolve Daily Detox Facial Wash detoxifies and rebalances the skin, suitable for normal to oily skin.

Toner

Your facial toner should balance the skin's pH level. For acne-prone skin, it should also be moisturizing, soothing, antiseptic, sebum-balancing, mildly exfoliating, and provide good bacteria.

Good toners for acne-prone skin:

Akamuti Tea Tree Water – a good and mild hydrosol for acne-prone skin.

Evolve Daily Defence Moisture Mist with Prebiotic – toner with prebiotics that feed the skin's good bacteria and strengthen the skin's microbiome.

Gentle exfoliating toner with AHA fruit acids.

Evolve Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner – with a blend of AHA and BHA acids that help increase exfoliation.

Tip! If you wear makeup or have troubled skin, it’s best to sweep your toner with a cleansing pad to catch the last traces of dirt. Use gentle strokes if you have sensitive skin.

Exfoliation

Your exfoliant should help remove dead skin cells. It can also be anti-inflammatory, cleanse pores, and have balancing effects.

Good exfoliation for acne-prone skin:

Evolve Miracle Mask is an exfoliating mask with AHA acids.

Evolve SOS Balance Mask is specially designed for troubled acne-prone skin. It reduces clogged pores, exfoliates the skin, and brightens the complexion. Suitable for oily and combination skin as well as skin prone to acne. Good for large pores.

Super Acai Exfoliator is a mask that removes toxins and brightens the skin.

Mask

Your face mask should provide deep cleansing. It can also have antibacterial and balancing effects and soothe the skin.

Good face masks for acne-prone skin:

Sheet Mask Anti-acne

Dr Sannas Detox Face Mask

Eco by Sonya Face Compost Purple Power

You can read more about face masks.

Serum

Include a serum in your skincare routine for best results. Choose one that is anti-inflammatory, preferably hydrating, soothing, and balancing.

Odylique Spot On Serum is a wonderful serum specially made for troubled acne-prone skin. The serum is also gentle on the skin and suitable for sensitive skin.

Other good serums for acne-prone skin:

Evolve Rainforest Rescue Blemish Serum – soothes inflamed skin.

Spot treatment:

SOS from Weleda – targets impurities spot by spot. It is designed to combat pimples and blemishes.

Zippity Dew spot cleans and reduces blemishes and stubborn pimples that just won’t quit.

i+m Naturkosmetik Anti-Pimple SOS Treatment – spot cleans and reduces blemishes.

Face Cream

A face cream with strong antibacterial effects can easily become too harsh and irritating on the skin. Instead, focus on a face cream that keeps the skin calm, balanced, and hydrated.