I was blessed to grow up with relatively easy skin.
I had phases of breakouts and struggled with dryness, but in general, my skin was really nice.
Until I turned 23.
I got hit HARD with adult acne. Just as everybody else’s skin was clearing up, mine was becoming less and less tolerable – and honestly really painful.
(Seriously, if you’ve ever had a cystic pimple you know that shit HURTS. Now imagine dealing with 5-10 every single day.)
Googling ways to clear my acne turned into an obsession. I tried every product, technique, and pro-tip under the sun. Most didn’t work, but I did find some winners that I was able to implement to my benefit.
As you can see in the photo above, I had for real acne – not just a pimple here and there – and it was unrelenting. I felt like I was taking good care of my skin yet each morning I’d wake up with 3-4 new bumps on my face.
It was so frustrating, but I will say that having gotten through it, I have so much more appreciation for my good skin now than I ever did before.
Here is what I suggest if you’re wondering how to get rid of acne, looking for acne treatments that are natural or inexpensive, and/or trying to figure out how to at least reduce the severity of your breakouts.
#1 Double cleanse each night.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but double cleansing isn’t just a ruse to get you to spend more money or time in the evening on your skincare. If you wear makeup, and especially if you wear SPF, you must consider double cleansing in order to remove grime trapped in your pores. Double cleansing typically consists of a liquid or balm oil cleanser followed by a regular gel or cream cleanser. The goal is that when you towel dry your face or go over your skin with toner on a cotton pad after cleansing, not even a smidge of makeup will come off because you got it all with thorough double cleansing. If you’re feeling particularly committed, I’ve also heard of triple cleansing: balm/oil first, gentle scrub second, gel cleanser third. (Looking for product recs? Here are my favorites.)
#2 Don’t forget to moisturize.
It is a total myth that oily or acneic skin should avoid moisturizing. All skin needs to be properly moisturized after cleansing to replenish the moisture that was removed. Contrary to popular belief, a good moisturizer will not cause more acne; rather, moisturized skin benefits from regulated oil production and therefore functions better. If you’re worried about breaking out from moisturizer, consider oil free and/or silicone free, patch test, and give it 1-2 weeks without any other product changes in your routine to determine if its the moisturizer giving you troubles. Here are a few of my favorites moisturizers and facial oils for acne prone skin.
#3 Exfoliate, but only once per week.
Exfoliating is super important. By removing dead skin cells and other buildup that is sitting on top of your skin, fresh, soft, and clear skin comes to the top faster. This process also speeds up fading of scarring/hyperpigmentation and reduces texture. BUT…and this is a big “but” that I feel like I’m going to be shanked for saying…90% of y’all are over-exfoliating. I’ve talked to skin professionals and formulating chemists about it, and they all agree that exfoliating more than once per week is too much. When we exfoliate, we’re intentionally damaging our skin barrier to bring fresh skin to the surface faster and to allow our products to penetrate deeper. That’s good. But when we overdo it, we damage our skin to the point that it can’t heal properly and becomes dry, flaky, overly oily, etc. That’s bad. Keep it simple: choose one chemical exfoliator you like and use it 1x/week. Here are my exfoliator recommendations.
#4 Sleep with your hair in a bonnet.
This is one of my favorite tips because I rarely see anybody talk about it. If you don’t wash your hair before you go to bed each night, sleeping with your hair down is the perfect setup for acne. Throughout the day, our hair accrues oil, dirt, bacteria, etc. – none of which are an issue for your hair, but do pose a concern for your skin. Consider purchasing a head scarf or bonnet like this to put over your hair at night. I was pleasantly surprised how much of a difference this made for me. This one is my favorite from Amazon.
#5 Change your pillowcases weekly.
In a similar vein, pillowcases collect a lot of sweat, bacteria, and grime during regular use. If you’ve got spoiled dogs who sleep on the bed like I do, this is true to the 10th degree. Frequently changing your pillowcases is key to keeping your skin fresh. I recommend buying an extra set of pillowcases (silk is ideal, but not necessary) to rotate in each Sunday even if you don’t change the rest of your bedding at that time. These satin pillowcases are my favorite because they are affordable and satin is better for your hair and skin.
#6 Ditch SLS in your detergent.
Acne is characterized by inflammation. The infection beneath the skin creates inflammation which we see/feel as redness, swelling, and soreness. SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is suspected to enhance irritation and inflammation because it is a harsh detergent ingredient. It’s not worth the risk that it may make your skin act up, so consider switching to an SLS-free detergent.
#7 Don’t lean on your hands.
This is such a big piece to the puzzle for those pesky chin breakouts. I just wish it wasn’t so hard to self-monitor! Each time you lean on your hands, whether you mean to or not, you’re depositing extra bacteria and grime onto your skin and also potentially spreading the beneath-the-skin infection of your existing breakouts. Make a conscious effort to stop leaning on your hands and your chin/jawline breakouts will thank you.
#8 Don’t pop or pick at your skin.
This is such a big one. I know some people love to pop pimples, but it’s really a bad idea for two reasons. 1) If done improperly, it can cause scarring and hyperpigmentation that lasts far longer than it should, and 2) it can easily spread the infection to the surrounding skin or even re-infect the same pimple. I beg of you: stop popping and picking at your breakouts. But if you can’t resist, at least do it the right way.
#9 Take a good probiotic.
So much of our health stems from our gut health, and skin health is no different. Just like many people experience inflamed acne from eating dairy or chocolate, you can improve your skin by taking good care of your gut. It’s always a good idea to cut out excess sugar, but the easiest place to start is to take a quality probiotic. (I love this probiotic/prebiotic/digestive enzyme combo by Organic Olivia.)
#10 Take 25-30mg zinc daily.
Zinc has major anti-inflammatory properties and there is data to support that taking a zinc supplement each day can help reduce the inflammation of your breakouts, making them less frequent, less red, and less painful. Try taking 25-30mg of a pure zinc supplement daily (I recommend on a full stomach, as taking it on an empty stomach made me kind of nauseous). While this method is 17% less effective than taking monocycyline – a prescribed acne medication – I actually think that’s fairly promising for a natural supplement that you can easily grab at a grocery store.
Those are my top 10 tips for how to get rid of acne naturally! If you’re in the thick of it, I know it can be frustrating – and even depressing at times – but just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I hope these tips help you with your acne treatment!
Sarah
P.S. I think it’s also important to mention that if you’re dealing with severe cystic acne, you should see a derm or at least use Curology so you can consult with a dermatologist. Do not mess around with that kind of acne; it can leave pitting/deep scarring as a result of a super deep infection and intense inflammation.
