How I Deal With My Acne-Prone Skin

If you:
1. are Asian,
2. live in a humid tropical country,
3. have oily instead of normal/dry skin,
there's a high chance that you've been suffering from acne ever since puberty kicked in, just like me.

I am one of those people who get "the occasional breakout" and always have at least one pimple on my skin. But through many tries (and errors), I've come to learn many things about my skin that enables me to keep the breakout at bay. My skin is now 100% acne-free most of the time, except when I'm on my period or when I put the wrong cosmetics on my face (in that case, I just have to stop using the product and stick with my skincare regimen, the breakout will go away in no time).

Before I start, I think I have to stress that this is what I do and what works for me. I'm simply writing this for my little sister because she's also dealing with acne problem. I think the three of us (me, my older brother, and my sister) inherited this bad gene from my dad, lol, since my mother has always had good skin.

So here's a few things I realized about my skin this past year:

• My skin always reacts badly to dust, sweat, and sun. That's why I always breakout the worse during July-September (read: when I'm vacationing; swimming, snorkeling, being at the beach a lot).
  
• Using harsh cleansers will only make it worse.
• Rubbing/picking at my skin will also only make it worse.
• I can never use thick, rich moisturizers/creams. Ever. They break me out.
• Most sunscreen lotions break me out (especially the ones with high SPF).
  
• Not getting enough sleep break me out.
• Any product that claims to "mattify" my oily skin (like mattifying moisturizers for instance) would break me out with tiny whitehead bumps. :(
  

If you're suffering from acne, you might always want to "try things out". You buy cleansers/gels/toners/lotions that are labeled "for oily skin" whereas these products might actually strip your skin dry or even cause flakiness. Just because your skin is oily, doesn't mean it's well-hydrated. Using harsh products will result in your skin getting oilier and more prone to breaking out.

Here's what I did instead: back to basics.

I stopped using everything that I was using back then; no more harsh cleansers and thick night creams. Most of the time, these "suitable for oily skin" cleansers only dry my skin out and make my skin look dull.

If your acne already spread all over your face or if you have nodular acne (go here to check out types of acne), I highly recommend visiting a dermatologist. A year and a half ago I had severe cystic acne problem. It had spread all over my jawlines and it was SO painful. I went to a dermatologist and got cortisone shots. It wasn't bad actually, it helped lessen the pain and swelling. My dermatologist did prescribe me with some products of his but what helped my skin condition most was actually getting facial treatments done (and stop overdoing my skincare routine!). Back then I only used a light cleanser, toner, plus day & night creams all from the dermatology clinic. At the first few months of my treatment, I would get facial at least twice a month, a chemical peeling at least once a month, and I also went through several light therapies.

After about 3 months, my face almost cleared up completely. I was left with nasty scars though, so I still had to go through facials and chemical peelings to improve the appearance of my scars. I also used Bio Oil very religiously back then and I think it helped with healing my skin. Fast forward to 8 months later, I've stopped using creams from the dermatologist (I didn't get addicted or anything) and I have finally found a perfect regimen to maintain my skin condition without having to use prescribed medications and/or go through facials again.

With the right regimen, you can maintain healthy skin even if your skin type is oily or even acne prone.

Here's what I do...

My Skincare Regimen

1. Cleanse my face twice everyday, morning and night, using a gentle liquid cleanser.
If you wear makeup (foundation/bb cream/what have you), be sure to take off your makeup first using milk cleanser or cleansing oil, then wash your face. It's important because your makeup contains oil and washing your face alone would not be able to fully get rid of it.

I find that liquid or gel-type cleansers work best for my skin, not cream cleanser (like those from Pond's) or soap bars. Soap is definitely a NO NO.

I'm currently using a light cleanser from Natasha Skincare; it's green in color and it's liquid. Unfortunately, it's not available in drugstores or supermarkets in Indonesia, you have to be a member of Natasha Skincare clinic if you want to try it. It costs around Rp 40.000 for a 100mL bottle but I heard it's more expensive in other cities other than Yogyakarta. The reason why I use this cleanser instead of those that can be found in store shelves is because I still haven't found any products in Indonesian market that is gentler than this. If stuff like Purpose or Cetaphil gentle cleansers are available in your area, then go for them. Those would be great to use for oily/acne prone skin because they're not harsh and won't dry up your skin (and they're liquid!). Unfortunately, they're not available here in Indonesia. :(

Definitely DON'T GO FOR CLEANSERS/FOAMS THAT CONTAIN SCRUBBING BEADS. I don't know why in our market these products always got labeled "good for everyday use" but that's simply not true especially if you have oily/acne prone skin. Scrubbing your face everyday could irritate your skin and cause more acne problem. I've tried Ponds' and Garnier foams alike and they're rubbish to my skin. I certainly would not recommend them.

Here's some alternatives (for readers who live in Indonesia) that you can try out if you're looking for a gel/liquid cleanser for your oily skin:

Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Wash (the orange one): it's liquid in texture and inexpensive, BUT I think you have to use a lot for it to lather well each time you're washing your face.

Bless Acne Cleansing Foam: it's gel in texture and it works pretty well. I tried this once and I liked it. But again, I prefer liquid cleansers. Costs around 34.000 rupiahs depends on where you get it (can be found in Guardian).


The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash: It's also gel in texture and it claims to be suitable for people with sensitive skin. Soap free, fragrance free, oil free; it sounds like a good product all the way. So if you have extra money in your pocket, might as well try this one.

How I Wash My Face

I believe how you wash your face plays important role if you want your oily/acne prone skin to clear up. What I see is that people usually rub their face A LOT. Too much rubbing would only irritate your skin and that's not good if you want to avoid getting acne. Here's how I do it:

• I begin with with splashing water to my face with my hands. I don't rub my skin when doing this, just splash the water... no touching.
• I work the cleanser with my palms until it lathers up well.
• Be very gentle when washing your face and neck, NEVER EVER RUB YOUR FACE, just let the the cleanser glides and works its charm. I usually work my way up; starting from my chin and jaws, then move my fingers up to my cheeks, nose, and lastly forehead. It doesn't take more than 25 seconds to wash my face. Dan Kern even tells you to wash your face less than 10 seconds to avoid irritation but hey, he doesn't wear makeup! :P
  
• I splash my face and neck with water again without touching my face until the cleanser is completely rinsed away.
• I don't towel-dry my face, only my neck. If you have to dry your face using towel, do it very very gently. I usually just go on with my toner. I pour some toner to cotton pads and gently swipe my wet face with it, then I'm ready for my moisturizer.
  

2. Tone my face with a basic toner every after washing my face (morning & night).
The next step is toning. Toning helps getting rid of your cleanser residue and preps your skin before you apply moisturizer. A good one is from The Body Shop, it's called the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner.


I like this one because it doesn't feel harsh on the skin (non alcohol) and it really does hydrate the skin; thus when you apply your moisturizer, it'll glide on easily and gets absorbed faster. I have repurchased it two times already. I sometimes switch toners to ROC Purif-AC Exfoliating Lotion (I usually buy it at Century or Guardian) which is also a good product but it's a bit pricey. The Body Shop's one comes in a 200 mL bottle so it lasts quite a while.


If you're on a budget, Clean & Clear Oil Controlling toner is a really good alternative. I usually use this toner instead of The Body Shop's one when I'm traveling because it's more effective in removing dirt. The scent is also not too bad compared to a lot of other cheap drugstore toners out there that are too perfumey.

Also remember to be extra gentle when swiping the cotton pad to your face. Again, DON'T RUB! Especially around the eyes. Just let the damp cotton pad glides, don't put it against the skin too hard.


3. Moisturize my face every after toning in the morning & night with moisturizing gel.
It is very important for me to avoid moisturizers/creams that are too thick and rich because those moisturizers will most likely clog my pores. If you've never moisturized your face before because you think moisturizers will only make your skin becomes oilier, then START NOW. Well-hydrated skin is less prone to irritation = decreasing your chance in getting acne.

The best moisturizer I have tried so far is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisture Gel. This stuff simply rocks. It's a basic moisturizer that gets absorbed well by my skin and never causes me clogged pores unlike many other moisturizers I have tried. When it dries, it leaves your skin smooth and soft! It's perfect under makeup too so I really, really recommend getting this stuff if you have extra cash (a little goes a long way, so it's really worth it in my opinion). It really moisturizes without adding more problem to the skin. And it maintains your skin condition too. I recognize that after using this moisturizer for a month, I rarely get pimples anymore and my skin has become smoother. The only downside is that, if you are used to creams/lotions, you might feel that it's not moisturizing enough for your skin so you start applying more product and as a result a bottle doesn't last you long. Trust me, you don't have to, in my opinion it's moisturizing enough because we live in a humid place and we never have to go trough harsh winters or anything. If you need more powerful moisturizer at night, use Bio Oil (again, not available in Indonesia, I got two bottles from a friend who went to Malaysia) or Jojoba Oil before you apply this moisturizer. I usually put Bio Oil around my nose and mouth because that's where I get rough patches.


Again, there are always alternatives. I recently found out about this brand Biokos (an Indonesian brand) through my friend who's an avid fan of the Hydro Gel Moisturizer. Biokos is available in drugstores and supermarkets. I have yet to try any of their products but the Pure Balance line sounds really nice.



Or, if you can get your hands on The Skin Food (a Korean brand, I see many Indonesian online shops selling them), try the Lettuce and Cucumber Emulsion. I find the texture almost similar to Clinique DDMG except that it's more watery instead of gel-like, so it doesn't dry very fast. That is also a good moisturizer, cheaper than DDMG, and didn't clog my pores either. The downside of the Skin Food emulsion is THE PACKAGING. It's in a glass bottle so it's not very travel friendly.


4. Exfoliate/scrub my face twice a week.
Yes, just twice a week. Nothing more. I use Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream and I swear by it. I've been using it for a year or so.


Here's how I exfoliate at night:
- If I were wearing makeup, I'd take it off first using milk cleanser.
- I start with splashing my face with warm water.
- Put the scrub on my palms and gently scrub my face with circular motion starting from my forehead, nose, cheeks, jaws, and chin. Avoid eye area!
- Rinse the scrub cream away by splashing water to my face.
- Proceed with washing my face with liquid cleanser and I'm done.

Other exfoliators outthere (by Indonesian companies):

Biokos Pure Balance Scrub Gel

Wardah Acne Gentle Scrub

Look for something that's mild and won't likely to irritate your skin. Avoid soapy scrub cleansers if you can. Again, avoiding irritation and overdrying at all cost counts.


So basically those are the four main steps I do in my skincare regimen and it's been working well on me. I hope one or two things in this post could be helpful for other people outthere who are still struggling to find the right regimen for their oily/acne-prone skin. Also, for the makeup newbies (like my sister who just started using BB cream), please pay more attention to your skin! Find out what it likes/dislikes and never ever use more than one new product all at once (especially when you're breaking out!). Believe me, it took a long time (and a lot of googling) for me to finally understand my skin. So you're not alone. Take your time and good luck! :)