How I Clear My Skin When I’m Having a Breakout

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As someone with crazy sensitive, acne prone skin that tries a LOT of beauty products, I often break out. Why I do this to myself? No one can be sure. It’s a problem. But after nearly 34 years of my life, I have finally figured out how to quickly calm my skin down and heal the breakout fast so I can go back to feeling my best self (and inevitably, trying more products and doing it again because I’m a masochist). Here’s how I clear my skin when I’m having a breakout… as an adult.

It’s highly ironic I even got into beauty blogging because majority of this role/job consists of testing out new products and launches pretty much constantly. Multiple new launches happen a week and some things even get sent to me in PR (which is amazing now… so thankful and so is my wallet, haha). But it basically wrecks havoc on my sensitive, acne prone skin.

I used to have sensitive, super oily, acne prone skin. Since post-pregnancy, I now have sensitive, _normal/dry_, acne prone skin.

It is an even tougher balance because many acne-fighting ingredients tend to dry out the skin. When you already have normal/dry or even dry skin and still struggle with acne (which totally happens to tons of people), it’s a delicate balancing act to bring the skin to its clearest and healthiest state.

This is what seems to work for me regarding how I clear my skin when I’m having a breakout…

How I Clear My Skin When I’m Having A Breakout

First and foremost, you MUST stop anything new you’ve been trying. NEVER try more than one new skin care or makeup product at the same time. Always give at least a full week before trying a second, new product.

On times you fail to remember this rule (#guilty), cease all new products.

Then, incorporate this routine (or something similar):

MORNINGS

• Cleanse with the most basic cleanser you have. I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. It’s super gentle, removes my makeup and leaves my skin comfortable and as calm as it can be.
• In the morning, exfoliate with a chemical exfoliator that uses BHA. I use the cult-favorite, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Treatment. Follow immediately with the mask below.
• Give yourself an extra ten minutes in the morning for a gentle, balancing mask you know works for you. I have been a Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant Rebalancing Mask user for YEARS now. I use it weekly when I’m having my best skin days. I notice a difference pretty quickly when I stop. But PARTICULARLY when recovering from a reactionary breakout, I use this every day until my skin is in a better place. Where the breakouts are particularly bad, I mix a little of the mask with baking soda. For me, this is usually my jawline (hello, hormones).
  • Nothing TRULY compares to Masque Vivant when my skin is in a state of chaos, but if you need a budget alternative, the Freeman Oatmeal Avocado one is a good one at drawing out impurities while keeping the skin from getting too dry/over irritated. I just find Mask Vivant does a remarkably better job at balancing my entire skin… not just the breakout areas. YMMV.
• In the morning, use a vitamin C serum and your normal moisturizer/SPF. I have religiously used a vitamin C serum in the mornings for a long time. I always switch it up. They help fade hyperpigmentation and fight damage over time.
  • If you don’t already use a vitamin C serum, skip this step and worry about finding one after your skin recovers.
  • My go-to moisturizing SPF lately is the Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical SPF 30. If you’re super oily, I’d go for the Paula’s Choice RESIST Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.

EVENINGS

• Cleanse with the most basic cleanser you have. I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. It’s super gentle, removes my makeup and leaves my skin comfortable and as calm as it can be. When I wear makeup, I double cleanse using this and it works well.
• At night, tone with Witch Hazel or any non-alcohol toner. I use the Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner.
• In the evening, after cleansing, this is my routine:
  1. Moisturize with my normal moisturizer. I have been using Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream and it’s wonderfully calming and deeply hydrating without feeling super heavy. If you’re oily, you have to try Tatcha The Water Cream. Both are beautiful and I haven’t had any issues with either.
  2. Layer on a dime sized 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Treatment everywhere (except your eye area of course)… even where you don’t have the breakouts visible. It can be a little difficult to find this mild of a % in drugstores. I find this works 2,000x better than the typical 10% you find in stores. Way too abrasive. I use Paula’s Choice RESIST Daily Skin Clearing Treatment (photographed product is in old packaging, FYI).
  3. Apply your normal eye cream. I use the ETude House Moistfull Eye Cream.
  4. If I find any extra dryness, particularly near the breakouts that are healing, I’ll use 3-5 drops of the Paula’s Choice Moisture Renewal Oil Booster (photographed product is in old packaging, FYI) and gently press into my entire face. I ONLY do this if my skin has felt a little too tight/dry when I got ready in the morning. This is literally THE ONLY OIL that doesn’t irritate my skin, clog my pores or break me out.
  5. *IF* there is bad scarring/hyperpigmentation from certain marks, I will use this super potent 25% vitamin C spot treatment from Paula’s Choice every night until I feel the marks have faded significantly. Then I’ll just use my normal morning vitamin C serum. This stuff really works quick to fade tough spots and it’s pricey but worth it if you scar easily. Which I do.

Within two days of this routine, I notice my skin dramatically clearer with all breakouts drying up and fading away. Within 4-5 days, it’s perfectly clear just working on rebalancing the skin. It’s amazing.

If only I just didn’t have this addiction to trying new beauty products, hahaha…

Well, my loss is your gain. I hope this helps you!

-Steffanie