There's a misconception that the key to getting rid of breakouts is a 10 to 15-step skincare routine. But ask any dermatologist: Simple is better when it comes to acne, whether it's whiteheads, blackheads, or hormonal acne. “Using too many active ingredients at once—like layering multiple treatments with AHAs, retinoids, and benzoyl peroxide—can be too harsh and irritate your skin, which can end up making breakouts worse,” says dermatologist Margarita Lolis, MD. “It’s often best to keep it simple: a gentle cleanser, a treatment product, and a noncomedogenic moisturizer, along with sunscreen during the day.” But “your skincare routine should be adjusted based on the type of acne you have,” says Dr. Lolis. So if you’ve got zits, incorporating acne treatments and ingredients like salicylic acid, retinoids, and benzoyl peroxide are pretty much essential for clearing your skin. Which brings us here: A full guide to the best skincare routine for acne. Cosmo's acne essentials: Makeup Remover: Olay Gentle Cleansing Balm Cleanser: Skinfix barrier+ Ceramide + Ectoin Hydrating Gentle Gel Cleanser Acne treatment: ZO Skin Health Complexion Clarifying Serum Moisturizer: Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Face Moisturizer Sunscreen: DRMTLGY Anti-Aging Clear Face Sunscreen SPF 45 What causes acne? Acne is caused when your pores get clogged with acne-causing bacteria, dead skin, and excess oil (which is triggered by hormone fluctuations). “Fundamentally, everyone’s skin is the same—everyone has hormonal fluctuations, oil productions, and acne-causing bacteria in their skin that could cause a huge breakout at any time,” dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, previously told Cosmo. But some people’s oil glands are more sensitive to those triggers, simply based on their genetics, causing more frequent inflammation and breakouts, Dr. Gohara added. What is the best routine to get rid of acne? If you have acne, your skincare routine should include three basic steps—cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF—but you can also include a few others to help exfoliate dead skin, kill acne-causing bacteria, and/or bring down inflammation. See below for a full dermatologist-recommended skincare routine for acne: 1. Remove makeup at night “For topical ingredients to absorb properly, you need clean skin that’s totally free of oil and grime,” Dr. Gohara once said. Meaning you’ve gotta start your routine with a clean face, no matter how tired you are before bed. No, a sad little face wipe doesn’t cut it (in fact, using one actually lead to more breakouts on acne-prone skin). Use the same cleanser you used in the morning to remove all the gunk that accumulated on your skin during the day. Side note: If you’re a makeup wearer, I highly suggest double cleansing—which is when you first use an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm to break down your foundation and eye makeup (so long as the oils are noncomedogenic, they shouldn’t clog your pores, but try a patch test first to be sure) and then use your gentle cleanser to rinse everything away. It’s way more effective at cleaning your pores and dissolving heavy makeup than a face wash alone. Take off your makeup with one of these, pls: 2. Wash your face Washing your face in the morning is actually up for debate—as in, some derms don’t think it’s a requirement. For those with dry skin who find cleansing in the morning is a lil stripping, feel free to try swiping on a toner pad or simply rinsing your face with some water before proceeding to your next step. Now if you’ve got oily skin, you prob want to rinse all the oils off your face that accumulated while you slept before going in with the rest of your routine. However, you don’t have to use a specific acne-fighting wash, which can potentially be drying if used twice per day. Instead, stick to a gentle, sulfate-free cleanser—it’ll dissolve excess oil, dirt, and bacteria without leaving your face tight and irritated. Yes, no ifs, ands, or buts. Even if you're not wearing any makeup, it's crucial to wash your face every day at night to avoid dirt and debris from clogging your pores. 2. Apply an acne treatment Now’s the time to incorporate the serums, gels, and spot treatments to help get rid of your zits. Morning is the perfect time for active ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, the two gold standards for acne. Salicylic acid is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) that dissolves the excess oil and dead skin cells that lead to clogged pores. Benzoyl peroxide, on the other hand, helps kill acne-causing bacteria on your skin and in your pores to help reduce pore clogging and inflammation. Opt for a 2.5 or 5 percent formula if your skin is sensitive (10 percent tends to be v drying but can be great for a very-oily skin type). And if you find it still a bit too irritating, choose a spot treatment that’ll target your acne-prone areas without drying out the rest of your skin. At night, though, the best acne treatment at night is a retinoid for acne, according to Dr. Gohara, especially if you’ve got cystic acne. “Retinoids speed up and regulate the shedding within your oil glands, kind of like a crossing guard that keeps things moving,” Dr. Gohara has said. “Without it, the glands get lazy, they don’t shed, they get plugged, and the bacteria starts feeding on the plug to create a zit. But if you keep the shedding regulated, the bacteria doesn’t really have anything to feed off of.” Dermatologists often prescribe tretinoin, the strongest form of retinol. It’s basically the gold standard of acne treatments if your skin can tolerate it. If not, though, try adapalene, an over-the-counter retinoid that’s strong enough to smooth skin texture and reduce breakouts without the harshness of tret. Just make sure to start small: Smooth a pea-sized drop across your entire face once a week for the first week, then twice a week for two weeks before working up to three times a week indefinitely. And always, always, always follow up with a moisturizer. But if you still can’t tolerate retinoids, try incorporating your morning acne treatment at night instead. In general, if you’re dealing with blackheads or whiteheads, go with adapalene or salicylic acid, and if you’re dealing with inflammatory acne, like pustules, try benzoyl peroxide or niacinamide, which can help reduce inflammation and discoloration while balancing oil production. Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and niacinamide can usually be used daily (and, on non-sensitive skin, sometimes twice daily), but start out using them every other night, gradually building your tolerance to every night and/or morning. 3. Moisturize “Moisturizer is absolutely necessary to balance your skin's oil production and keep your skin barrier healthy,” says Dr. Lolis. Yup, this is still true even if your skin is oily AF. To keep your skin hydrated, focus on moisturizers and gel creams that use lightweight hydrators—like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane—and avoid thick creams that are filled with heavy oils and butters like shea butter and coconut oil. Some of our faves: Before you ask, the answer is no, you don’t need a separate night cream. Most night creams contain active ingredients, and your skin should already be getting what it needs for acne from step 2. Plus, mixing and matching too many actives can lead to irritation—or even render your products ineffective if the ingredients don’t play well together. Does moisturizer reduce acne? Moisturizer on its own doesn't necessarily reduce acne (unless you're picking a formula that's packed with exfoliants), but dry skin can potentially lead to irritation that can both lead to breakouts or make existing ones worse. 4. Protect with sunscreen in the morning And of course, no matter your skin concerns or type, you need to protect your skin from the sun with sunscreen every single day, says Dr. Lolis (and the other 8 million derms I’ve interviewed in my beauty editor career). FYI: UV exposure from the sun can actually make active acne and acne scarring worse, as well as potentially lead to both premature aging and skin cancer. Make sure the formula you use (1) contains SPF 30 or more, which is the daily minimum recommended by dermatologists; and (2) provides broad-spectrum protection against both UVA rays (the damage-causing kind) and UVB rays (the cancer-causing kind). For some oily skin people (it me), you might not like the feeling of both a moisturizer and SPF. In that case, opt for a moisturizing sunscreen, like the ones listed below. Is sunscreen good for acne? Sunscreen can be really great for acne, especially zinc-based mineral SPF since it's anti-inflammatory and soothing for skin. But any kind of sunscreen can help protect skin from irritation that could lead to breakouts. Sun exposure can also increase hyperpigmentation and make it even more difficult to get of. Does moisturizer reduce acne? Is sunscreen good for acne? When to see a dermatologist for acne? “It’s always important to consult with a dermatologist before starting any new skincare routine, especially if you have persistent acne,” says Dr. Lolis. If you can’t see a dermatologist IRL, try a service like Apostrophe, Ro, or Curology, all of which offer 1:1 consultations with dermatologists online for a small fee, even if you don’t have insurance. What can a dermatologist do for acne? Dermatologists can help develop a personalized approach to clear your zits. If you have hormonal acne, they might recommend birth control and/or spironolactone, a blood pressure medication that is used off label to help treat cystic acne. They could also recommend prescription topicals, like antibiotics, retinoids, prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide (including Twyneo, a newish cream that combines benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin), an anti-inflammatory medication called dapsone gel, or a topical that targets hormonal acne known as clascoterone. Along with all of the above, a dermatologist can also suggest potential in-office treatments. Aviclear is a laser treatment that helps shrink your oil glands to prevent acne flares (I’ve tried it, and it really decreased my hormonal acne). When your acne is mostly calmed down, they might intro you to laser treatments like Clear + Brilliant and Halo to smooth uneven skin texture and reduce hyperpigmentation. Do acne devices work? It all depends which type of acne device you try. Blue light has been shown to potentially prevent acne, since it can kill acne-causing bacteria on your skin. When you wear a blue light LED mask, the “blue light acts on different cellular targets in the skin to induce therapeutic benefits, including the improvement of acne, chronic inflammatory skin conditions, sun damage, and wound healing,” dermatologist Sara Hogan, MD, previously told Cosmo. Other acne light therapy devices that use red light, however, can help bring down inflammation to possibly help with acne flares, but there isn’t enough evidence there yet on how it can help improve acne. Final thoughts: Not to be a buzzkill, but this routine—or any routine, for that matter—won’t transform your skin overnight. Most acne treatments take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks of consistent use before giving you any visible results (big emphasis on consistency here—using your products here and there won’t really make a difference). But just stick with it, and if you can, head to a dermatologist for other treatment options that are targeted to your needs and acne. Meet the experts: Margarita Lolis, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists in New York, NY and Hackensack, NJ, and Hillsborough, NJ. Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut in multiple locations in CT, as well as an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Gohara has also spoken to Cosmo about cystic acne. Sara Hogan, MD is a board-certified, fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist based in Washington, D.C. She is an assistant clinical professor in dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Why trust Cosmopolitan? Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from vitamin C serums to butt acne. She’s an authority in all skincare categories but an expert when it comes to skincare routines for acne, considering she’s been following one since she was 11 years old to curb her breakouts. She’s also constantly interviewing dermatologists and aestheticians about acne, as well as testing products ahead of Cosmo’s Acne Awards. Lauren Balsamo is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan with more than a decade of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories, like the best retinol eye creams to the best pore-minimizing treatments. She regularly tests and analyzes acne treatments for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top dermatologists and aestheticians to assess new formulas, brands, and technologies.
