I have acne now at 34 worse than when I was a teen. When it's not broken out it's dry and flaky. I hate my skin!! I have tried numerous cleansers, toners, scrubs, and creams to combat my skin. I have also spent quite a bit of money on acne fighting weapons in a bottle, and sadly a lot of it was money wasted. I decided to do some research and found a lot of great tips on what to look for in products for acne prone skin!
The key is to prevent a bacteria breeding ground without changing your skin's chemistry. Find a gentle cleanser and toner formulated for sensitive skin. Avoid alcohol-based astringent which is way to harsh for the skin and will only suck the natural moisture right out of your skin.
Scrubbing away your acne is pointless! All scrubbing will do is irritate it, make the acne worse, and further dry out and damage your skin.
Look for products that have salicylic acid and glycolic acid. In the evening use products with a gel form of benzoyl peroxide or retinol. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can help remove dead skin cells and kill bacteria. Sometimes these can be too harsh for some skin in which case products with tea tree oil may be better for you. Products containing vitamin A or glycolic acid are great for reducing pore size and bacteria and oil on the skin. After washing and toning use a lightweight or water-based moisturizer. There are many affordable products on the market that contain all of the above ingredients so you don't have to fork out a ton of money on stuff that probably won't work anymore!
