Transcription
You already know what the video is about. Let's go.
Number one, Poxil Acne Wash. This is a benzol peroxide medicated acne cleanser. Benzol peroxide is a well-established over-the-counter acne treatment that helps clear up and prevent breakouts by tackling that acne-causing bacterium that lives in our pores, known as cutie bacterium acne. It's also mildly anti-inflammatory, and it helps to exfoliate the skin and break up clogged pores.
This particular cleanser comes in two percentage strengths: 10% and 4%. The higher 10% strength may work a little bit faster, maybe more effective on particularly thick areas of acne, especially on the body like your back, but is a lot more likely to be drying and irritating in comparison to the lower percentage. Both will work, but the lower percentage may be less drying, and it may take a little bit more time to work.
When you use this wash, do not use it to wash your eyelids. Eyelid skin is very delicate and will get very dry and irritated from a benzol peroxide.
Now, maybe you prefer to use benzol peroxide in your skincare routine not in a wash form, but rather as a leave-on form. In which case, I suggest considering Neutrogena's stubborn acne AM treatment. This is a 2.5% micronized benzol peroxide leave-on treatment in a moisturizing base. 2.5% is a very effective concentration, much less irritating in comparison to higher percentage strengths. Can be very well tolerated. Allows for that active drug, by virtue of the micronized formulation, to efficiently localize down in the pore to go to work tackling that pesky acne-causing bacterium.
Now, this particular treatment can be used as a spot treatment. Say you get a pimple, all of a sudden you're like, "Oh my gosh, what can I put on this to make it go away fast?" Yeah, you could use a Levon benzol peroxide as a spa treatment. But if you're somebody who really deals with acne and you want something that will not only clear up your breakouts, but prevent you from getting them moving forward, this treatment works best if used to the entire face, sparing, of course, your eyelids, cuz like I said, too drying.
Now, a word of warning about benzol peroxide, whether it be the pinoxil or the Neutrogena stubborn acne AM treatment, is that A, it can be drying and irritating. So, you'll need to put a moisturizer on to combat that after you rinse it off in the case of the cleanser. And B, if it gets on fabrics like towels, washcloths, your pillowcase, your shirt, it will bleach them. Very annoying. Very annoying. Not going to sugarcoat that. Less likely to happen using the poxil wash because you're using it in the shower and then you're rinsing it off the skin. Although, it can get on a washcloth. It does not bleach skin, however, but it can bleach your hair. So, just be really conscientious of that issue when using it.
Moving on to another excellent acne fighting ingredient: salicylic acid. Just like with benzol peroxide, you can entertain using it in a cleanser form or a leave-on form. The decision is up to you, and you'll need to tweak this around to figure out what works best for you. Some people's routine favors one method versus the other.
The salicylic acid cleanser I have been loving over the past several years and continue to recommend is Caravey's acne control cleanser. It offers 2% salicylic acid. The advantage of using salicylic acid for acne is it's anti-inflammatory. It helps to exfoliate the pore. Of all the chemical exfoliants, salicylic acid is able to finesse getting down in the pore. Plus, it has the added benefit of gently exfoliating the skin, helping to clear up and, by its anti-inflammatory effects, prevent to a certain extent post acne dark marks. Okay? And a lot of the stuff I'm recommending in this video is not only going to address the active breakouts, but also will step on in there and help to address those post acne marks, whether it be redness or dark spots.
In addition to salicylic acid, this also has nioinamide. Speaking of post acne marks, nycinomide can help with those dark marks. It can help with the redness. It's a B vitamin, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. And of course, it's a cave product. So, that means it's got camides in there, lipids naturally found in your skin. Applying them exogenously may help combat dryness and irritation by helping your skin make more of its own natural barrier components. Fragrance-free, of course. Like the medicated benzol peroxide cleanser, don't use this to wash your eyelids. Too drying, too irritating.
Now, maybe you prefer instead to use a leave-on salicylic acid. One I have been recommending for several years now. And please, fingers crossed they do not discontinue it or tweak it or change it or, you never know. Brands, you know, they they they march to the beat of their own drum, aka what is driving sales. But the Cetaphil acne mattifying moisturizer, underrated. As a matter of fact, Cedaphil's acne line in general, very good.
So, this has 0.5% salicylic acid. Just like benzol peroxide, you could use this as a spa treatment, but I encourage you to use it to the entire face. Of course, sparing the eyelids, cuz too drying in that area. 0.5% is effective, but works very slowly. So, this is something that you want to be patient with, but as a leave-on treatment, it's a great option at this percentage. Less likely to be drying and irritating.
But the other reason I like this product so much is not only the vehicle, cuz it's pretty moisturizing without being greasy or oily, but it also sneaks in there something called kic acid, which is excellent for those of you whose acne heals with a dark mark. Kic acid chilates copper, which is necessary for the enzyme tyrosnise. So, in other words, it puts the brakes on a hyperpigmentation. Excellent ingredient to include in an acne targeted product.
I can't believe it's taken me this long in the video to get to what is arguably the best, the best over-the-counter FDA approved acne treatment option available, and that is adapylene, brand name Differin Gel. But honestly, there are so many brands out there who have adapylene. You don't need to be brand loyal when it comes to buying adapylene. Go with what is the best value for you. And honestly, that'll vary depending on where you're shopping and the time of the year, probably.
Adapene, though, it's an FDA approved acne treatment. It is a retinoid. Retinoids are a gamecher and a staple when it comes to clearing up and preventing acne breakouts. Retinoids help to normalize skin cell turnover, reducing the pore clogging issue. Adapene is well established to also have these anti-inflammatory properties that make it an effective retinoid for acne. Of all of the topical retinoids, historically it was one of the most well tolerated, although now we have newer generations of topical retinoids that are super gentle as well. Adapylene is also amazing for those post acne marks, the dark marks.
The thing about adapylene, it does not work as a spot treatment. You don't want to just put it on a pimple when it pops up and hope that it does anything. Maybe it'll moisturize it, just like any moisturizing base, but the active drug is not going to do squat overnight. It takes time for this drug to work, and it works so long as you continue to use it. To get the best results, you need to stay consistent with it. You want to apply it to the entire face, sparing the eyelids, the corners of your mouth here, and this little area around your nose can be too irritating there.
Now, starting a retinoid is something that you want to read up on. I'm not going to cover my tips in today's video about introducing retinoid, but I do have lots of videos here on my channel explaining how to introduce different gel into your routine. So, check those out. They're in the retinol playlist. And adapylene also has some anti-aging benefits. It's been shown to improve collagen production. Ultimately, that's going to be helpful for wrinkles. It's been shown to be helpful for sunspots. And it is a bit slept on, in my opinion.
Now, I want to take a brief moment to make a suggestion. The things I'm recommending in this video are excellent. However, don't get everything and put it all on your face at once. Pick and choose one, maybe two things. Try them out. Stay consistent with them if you tolerate them. And then, only after using them four to six weeks, consider introducing something else. Because a lot of people get impatient and they think something's not working, but they just haven't given it enough time. Acne treatments can take a while to work. And to get the best results, you have to be consistent. But if you use multiple products, throw everything but the kitchen sink at your face, it can get very dry, very irritated, and make the acne worse.
But the next treatment that I really like, not only for acne but for other acne like conditions that look like acne but lack blackheads and white heads, these include rosacea, porficial dermatitis, and that is a sulfur treatment. The de la Cruz sulfur mask I have been recommending for so many years now. Sulfur is excellent for reducing inflammation in the skin. It has mild commalytic properties, meaning it'll help reduce blackheads and white heads. Unfortunately, it does smell like eggs.
So, how do you use this? Well, it's used as a mask. After cleansing, you rinse the skin and apply a thin film of this. You can use it to the entire face. Although, I suggest sparing the eyelids again because it can be super drying in that area. Leave it on for 10 minutes, and then rinse it off and follow with a moisturizer. If you're using it in the morning, follow it with, of course, sunscreen, which is a moisturizer. As a side note, this mask can be done multiple times a day as tolerated. It can be a bit drying, but overall, it is one of the more gentle, if you will, acne treatments that you can buy over the counter without a prescription. Also helpful for rosacea. As a side note, if you're confused, "Do I have acne? Do I have rosacea?" Yes, this would be a good option if you're confused. What would be an even better thing is if you watch my video on how to know if you've got acne or rosacea. So, I will link that down below in the D box, the description box.
Nothing will jeopardize your acne healing journey quite like your own hands. Picking the skin is not a good idea if you have acne. But unfortunately, people who have acne, it can be very challenging not to pick at your skin. Sometimes you might want to do something. Sometimes you're bored, you're stressed out, and many people actually struggle a lot with skin picking. It can become a full-blown disorder. Check out my video on tips for skin picking disorder if that's something you're struggling with.
But one of my go-to recommendations that can help anyone out who is dealing with acne breakouts is to get yourself some hydrocoloid patches. Hydrocoloid helps protect the pimple, first and foremost, from your fingers, which, don't get it twisted, you may not even realize you're doing this. Some people do it when they're bored. They don't think about it when they're stressed out. Hydrocoloid also helps to absorb some of the inflammatory exidate, helping to shrink and flatten a pimple a bit. All of these are of great cosmetic benefit.
Hero Cosmetics mighty patch. Excellent options. You've seen me talk about them in many videos over the years. They're very thin. They're very flexible. You don't even realize you have them on. Neutrogena also has their sensitive acne patches. Regardless of what brand you go with, they these both are excellent. They stay on the skin really well. You completely forget you have these on. And the other reason why I like them is that they offer a bit of cosmetic camouflage. They make the pimple less visible. They don't completely block it out or cover it up. But if you've ever had one of those pimples that you try and cover up with foundation or concealer, you know it can end up making it look even worse. Gets all cakey and flaky. Slap a hydrocoloid patch on there. Yeah, you can still see it through the hydrocoloid patch, but it's a lot less obvious. Keeps it comfortable and reduces the chances that you pick.
One of the things people don't realize about acne, thanks to the 1980s, 990s acne skincare marketing, is that it's actually not a condition where your skin is inherently moisturized. In fact, quite the opposite. Many people with acne have a baseline and impaired skin barrier. Their skin is more vulnerable to water loss. And many of the acne treatments, as I've already pointed out, can be drying. So, you want to make sure you are moisturizing the skin. Don't be afraid of moisturizers clogging your pores. Even straight up petroleum jelly, the most olusive moisturizing product you could put on your face, has actually been shown not only to not clog the pores of patients with acne, but to help reduce their acne spots. Not everyone's skin responds the same. All right, so keep that in mind as well.
But one facial moisturizer I really like for acne is from, uh, different. It is their restorative night moisturizer. It's a lightweight, hydrating facial moisturizer for reducing water loss from the skin. And it also has caffeine in it, an antioxidant that can really help reduce redness and soothe the skin. It also has camides in it. Again, those lipids naturally found in your skin. Applying them in a moisturizer can help clue your skin into repairing the barrier and getting things back on track for better moisture retention. And it has licorice root, which is excellent for redness and hyperpigmentation.
A lot of the cleansers I've mentioned up until this point, I specifically tell you guys, "Don't use these around the eyes." They can be very drying. You also may be wearing makeup throughout the day, and you want a gentle cleanser to just remove oily residue and cosmetics, and you're going to need to use that around the eye. What is a good option for acne prone skin? Truthfully, there aren't really any established bad options. Everyone's skin reacts differently to things. There's nothing particular about any given cleanser out there that makes it for or against acne, unless it's a medicated cleanser with a tried-and-true acne treatment in it. General basic cleanser. There's nothing about the formulation that makes it pro or anti acne. But everyone should wash their face at the end of the day before going to bed to remove oily residue. Cleansing is an important part. But as a side note, having acne has nothing to do with hygiene, okay? So, keep that in mind. Some people have horrible hygiene, and they don't bathe, and they've got the clearest skin imaginable. Other people, excellent hygiene, and surprise, they still have acne. And then they're, of course, people in between.
Let's talk about some serums really quick before we round this video out. Again, like I said, don't go in with all of these, way too much. Pick and choose. But if part of your battle is post acne redness and dark marks, you want something that will help soothe, hydrate, and moisturize the skin.
About a month ago or so, I did a sponsored post over on my Instagram with a Korean brand I really like, Anua. They have some amazing serums. This one is particularly good for those of you with acne prone skin because it's got 10% azelleic acid. Now, azelleic acid is actually a medication that could be prescribed. It's not an over-the-counter medication, but it's one that can be prescribed for acne and can be quite effective. Also can be effective for rosacea and for hyperpigmentation. But you can buy skincare, aka cosmetics, that have lower percentages of azelleic acid that may be helpful for reducing inflammation in the skin. In addition to that, this also has hyaluronic acid, which is helpful for improving water content in the skin. Ultimately, that's going to aid in better barrier function, a really important part of acne management. And this also has nioinamide, that B vitamin that's soothing, anti-inflammatory, helps calm down redness, and helps with the dark marks.
Another one, though, that you might consider, and again, don't get everything, but this is one that has some other ingredients in it that you might find to be beneficial as well. It's got subtle trenexamate mezolate, um, which is a form of tranexemic acid, which when applied to the skin can help with barrier function and may help reduce redness. This also has 4.5% nyioinamide, that B vitamin, good for redness, dark spots, the moisture barrier, really good actually, a really good ingredient if you tolerate it for acne prone skin in general. Licorice root, good for redness, hyperpigmentation. Sentella, botanic extract that's anti-inflammatory. This also has kic acid. Kic acid, underrated for dark spots, helps keilate copper, ultimately interfering with tyrosinase and putting the brakes on abnormal pigment production. This particular product builds itself as a discoloration serum, but it's a very lightweight moisturizer. So, this alone might be enough for you as your facial moisturizer, or you may want to use it as a serum and use a moisturizer on top if you find that works best in your routine.
So, those two are great for those of you whose acne heals with a dark mark or stubborn redness. Speaking of acne that heals with a dark mark or stubborn redness, what are you doing? What are you doing skipping sunscreen and sun protection? It is a must. It is a must. It's going to help your barrier. It's going to help your skin clear and not be as likely to heal with stubborn discoloration. It's going to allow the discoloration fighting ingredients to actually fight the discoloration because you're not constantly pouring gasoline and lighting a match on your hyperpigmentation, on your redness, by getting unprotected sun exposure. Make sure, in addition to sunscreens, you are wearing hats when you're outdoors, uh, with a broad brim. You're seeking shade. You're not sunbathing. You're not laying out, especially in the middle of the day when UV rays are most intense and most damaging to the skin.
Now, I know what you're wondering. "Every sunscreen out there breaks me out. What's a good sunscreen for acne prone skin?" This is a million-doll question, but here's the truth. There is no single best sunscreen for acne prone skin. What works for one individual and is there a holy grail will end up being irritating for any number of possible reasons and aggravating acne for another. In general, though, I do suggest considering, if you have acne prone skin, especially if it's oily, considering a sunscreen gel on the ends slate. I'm going to put my sunscreen gel video. I give a lot of recommendations right there. So, check that one out next. If you are in the market for a sunscreen, but if you've already found your holy grail sunscreen, stick with that. Stick with that. If it doesn't aggravate your skin, stick with what works. Cuz when it comes to acne, it is a fickle pickle.
All right, y'all. I hope you enjoyed today's video. If so, give it a thumbs up. Share it with your friends, and as always, don't forget sunscreen and subscribe. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow. Bye. [Music]