A Dermal Therapist’s Guide to the Best Products to Treat Acne

Choosing products to treat your skin can be overwhelming on a good day, let alone when you are experiencing acne, congestion and breakouts!

Between navigating creative advertising and buzz words, celebrity skincare lines, and recommendations from influencers that are promoting products they get for free, there can be a lot of misinformation and confusion online. Not to mention how damaging self diagnosing skin conditions can be to your poor little face!

Acne Treatment Advice Tip #1

Our number 1 piece of advice before we even kick off our must have products is, book in for a consultation with your skin therapist! Believe it or not when it comes to treating skin and seeing results, 20% of results come from in-clinic treatments and roughly 80% of results are seen from consistent use of good quality skincare (that’s suited to your skin)!

There is no one size fits all approach to creating a routine for problem skin, however, these are some of our favourite and most recommended products:

Cleanser | Serums and Treatment Products | Moisturisers | SPF | Masks

 

Cleansers

Cleansing is an important part of keeping on top of problem skin, it helps remove the sweat, dirt, debris and products from the skin so they don’t clog the pores and lead to further congestion. At Face Fit we recommend a gentle cleanse in the morning and 2 cleanses at night. The first one will remove all the debris from the day, including SPF and make-up from the skin, and the second cleanse will actually cleanse the skin and allow any ingredients in your cleanser to work. Ensure you are cleansing for roughly 60 seconds to get the most out of your products.

Depending on the severity of your acne and where it is located, you may like to add a treatment cleanser into the mix a few times a week. We especially recommend this for those suffering with Chest and Back Acne.

Everyday Cleanser: Aspect Dr Mild Clean

People often think that if they have breakouts they need to get an exfoliating cleanser or salicylic acid cleanser to help ‘clean’ their face, and this may be making your skin worse! As the saying goes, everything in moderation.

Hero Ingredients: Glycerin (helps prevent loss of water in the skin), Canadian Willowherb Extract (botanical antioxidant that soothes the skin).

We love this because: it’s gentle enough to be used AM and twice in the PM (because double cleansing is important!). It won’t strip your skin and effectively removes make-up when used properly too.

 

Treatment Cleanser for Teen Skins: Cosmedix Clarify

For teens and those with slightly more sensitive skin, Cosmedix Clarify Foaming Cleanser is a great product for second cleanse at night (start every 3rd night and work your way up to ensure tolerability).

Hero Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate & Saccharide Isomerate (Probiotics), Aloe and Cucumber Extract, Green Tea, Ginseng and Vitamin B.

We love this because: it’s active but still gentle and will help reveal a healthier complexion without stripping or drying the skin.

 

Treatment Cleanser for Adult Skins: Aspect Dr AHA & BHA Cleanser

For a treatment cleanser that packs a little bit more punch, best for adult skins or thickened skins, we recommend using Aspect Dr AHA & BHA Foaming Cleanser for your second cleanse at night.

Hero Ingredients: L-Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Vera

We love this because: The Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid work in combination to remove excess oil as well as smoothing the skin texture to help create a more illuminated complexion.

 

Serums and Treatment Products

A basic skincare routine is a great place to start, but sometimes we might need a little bit more to create real change in problem skin. Serums and Treatments are a great way to target specific concerns with the right active’s and vitamins to get results. This is definitely not a one size fits all kind of guide, there are so many amazing serums available to target the specific causes of problem skin, but these are a good place to start for most skins.

Spot Treatment: Aspect Stop Spot

Sometimes you may not need a whole routine for problem skin, you may just find you have the odd spot here and there, whether it be hormonal, after a big weekend, or for the millions of other reasons we can experience breakouts. This is the perfect product for spot treating breakouts big or small.

Hero Ingredients: Niacinamide (B3), Salicylic Acid, Beracare AAA (plant extracts to reduce the appearance of redness and relieve irritated skin)

We love this because: it’s effective, good value for money and can easily be used to treat one spot or many, a must have for your skincare collection.

 

Essential Serum: Aspect Dr Problem Skin Serum

Whether you have active breakouts, are prone to breakouts, or are just a combination/ oily skin type this serum is good for everyone with problematic skin (dehydrated skins too). It is gentle on the skin barrier, aids in reducing inflammation, helps brighten and prevent post-inflammatory pigment from acne scars, soothes, calms and mattifies excess oil.

Hero Ingredients: Beracare AAA (plant extracts to reduce the appearance of redness and relieve irritated skin), Stay C®-50 (Vitamin C), Canadian Willowherb (Antioxidant)

We love this because: it has a lotion consistency so it can be used without a moisturiser if preferred, it also goes well mixed with Aspect Dr Multi B Plus and can be layered with your A Serum at night.

 

Perfect Pair for Problem Skin Serum: Aspect Dr Multi B Plus

When you think B Serum, think – Boost, Brighten, Balance, Barrier Repair, some even say Berocca for the Skin.

Hero Ingredients: B Complex (Niacinamide, Panthenol, Folic Acid), Vitamin E, Sea Plant Extracts

We love this because: It’s suitable for ALL skin types, but it can be especially beneficial for problem skin due to its ability to help regulate oil flow, and reduce inflammation and redness.

 

Vitamin A Serum (Retinol) for Teenage Skins: Cosmedix Clarity

This gentle but effective Retinol, Salycillic and Niacinamide blend is perfect for Teen Skin or for anyone with oily or problem skin that can’t tolerate strong retinol products. Great for clarifying, brightening, calming and removing pore clogging impurities, it also doubles as a fantastic spot treatment for problematic areas.

Hero Ingredients: AGP (Retinol) Complex, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide.

We love this because: it’s a great product for teen skin, as well as for treating hormonal or cyclic breakouts.

 

Vitamin A Serum (Retinol) for Adult Skins: Aspect Dr Exfol A Plus

This powerhouse Retinol serum packs a punch and is better suited to an adult or more thickened skin, with a high concentration of Vitamin A as well as Lactic Acid and Lanablue (a retinol mimicking algae). It’s important to ease into this product and follow the directions carefully, but the results are worth it!

Hero Ingredients: Retinol, Lactic Acid, Lanablue (Blue Green Algae that mimics retinol), Vitamin E Antioxidant Complex

We love this because: it can help get sluggish and stubborn acne prone skin moving again, as well as normalise cell and immune function in the skin, regulate oil flow and help with the healing process.

 

Moisturisers

A good quality moisturiser is SO important in nourishing and protecting our skin against environmental stressors and allowing our body to heal acne and inflammation. These are our favourite moisturisers by skin type and preference!

All Skin Types: Aspect Dr Hydra Shield with Zinc

At Face Fit we are kind of obsessed with this moisturiser. if you aren’t oil/ moisturiser phobic, this is definitely our go-to!

Hero Ingredients: Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E, Glycerin.

We love this because: It’s great for all skin types, day and night, it’s packed with calming and nourishing ingredients and best of all the Zinc is an incredible ingredient to support the healing and repair of problem skin.

 

Dry Skin: Cosmedix Harmonize

The GOAT for barrier impaired and dry problem skin (or most skins if we are honest), this Cosmedix moisturiser not only works to boost moisture in the skin, but is also designed to help restore a healthy skin microbiome and balance the complexion.

Hero Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed), Zingiber Officinale (ginger), Boswellia Serrata (frankincense), L-Bisabolol (active ingredient in German Chamomile), Lactococcus Ferment Lysate (probiotic)

We love this because: it helps strengthen the skin’s natural barrier function, which helps with balancing, soothing and boosting lasting hydration and aids in protection from environmental stressors.

 

Oily and Teen Skin: Cosmedix Shineless

One of our fave products for Teenage Skin and anyone who likes a lightweight, oil free moisturiser, the look and smell of this product only adds to its appeal!

Hero Ingredients: Lilac Stem Cells, L-Carnitine (helps reduce oil production), D-Trehalose (anti-oxidant), Prickly Pear Cactus Extract, Niacinamide

We love this because: it’s lightweight and can help reduce shine throughout the day as well as provide lasting hydration and support to the skin’s barrier function.

 

Moisturiser Phobic and Teen Skin: Cosmedix Skin Thirst

Especially great for teens who are fussy about texture but desperately need a little bit of hydration back in their skin! Skin Thirst is a gel to cream consistency (and works great as a make-up primer too, might we add).

Hero Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate Acid (Hyaluronic Acid derivative), Witch Hazel

We love this because: it helps lock in hydration without excess shine and helps protect the skin from environmental stressors.

 

SPF

You will never see a product recommendation list from us that doesn’t include SPF! BUT it is often left out of skin routines when people are struggling with problem skin because of the way it feels or in case of further irritation. It is SO important to be protecting your skin, especially when regularly using active ingredients and AHA and BHA’s (acids) in your routine. We love all of the products in the Aspect Sun Range, however if we had to pick just one to recommend for problem skin, it would be:

Aspect Sun Physical SPF 50+

Hero Ingredients: Zinc Oxide.

We love this because: it’s a zinc based product (meaning it’s assisting in healing and repairing, while protecting your skin from UV rays), and because it is a physical sunscreen the chemicals won’t irritate sensitive and inflamed skin.

 

 

Masks

Supercharge your treatment results either by enjoying some time to yourself with a nice at home facial or to target particularly problematic areas. Depending on your concern we recommend:

Blackheads: Cosmedix Detox

Hero Ingredients: Activated Charcoal, Dandelion Extract, Hydrolyzed Candida Extract, Kaolin Clay, Diatomaceous Earth.

We love this because: It gently exfoliates the skin, draws out impurities and cleanses away pollutants for brighter and more radiant skin.

 

Combination, Oily & Breakout Prone: Cosmedix Clear

Hero Ingredients: Sulfur, Kaolin Clay, Bentonite Clay, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid.

We love this because: it’s super absorbent and detoxifying and can help restore clarity to the skin as well as reduce the appearance of redness.

 

Inflamed Skin: Aspect Dr Soothing Gel

Hero Ingredients: Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Cucumber.

We love this because: it’s like a cool and refreshing drink on a hot day, but for your skin. This gel mask is perfect for soothing inflamed skin and reducing the appearance of redness.

 

Rough, Sluggish & Dull: Aspect Dr Lanazyme Micro Peel

Hero Ingredients: Lactobacillus/ Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Extract, Lanablue (phytoretinoid), Vitamins A, E & C, Fruit Enzymes, Malachie Extract, Coffee Extract.

We love this because: it works to exfoliate, smooth, strengthen and protect the skin when it needs a little bit of a wake-up.

 

The Bottom Line

Treating problem skin can be a rollercoaster! Just when you think you are getting on top of it, you could have a flare-up for reasons you have no immediate control over and be left feeling very disheartened. Stick with your skincare routine, consistency is so important in long-term results (and don’t forget to try to get to the bottom of what is causing your breakouts too!)

If you’re not 100% sure what your skin type is or what the root cause of your breakouts are, we urge you, book here for an over the phone 20 minute skincare consultation with our team of professionals, it’s $40 and is completely redeemable in our online shop (and will save you money in the long run by purchasing the right products for your skin).