I love skincare and beauty, but dealing with acne is not fun. The best thing for it in my experience is a consistent skincare routine. I’ve been using the Erno Laszlo ritual I described in this post, and it balances out my skin by cleaning it really well and then putting the moisture back in with the lotion. When my skin feels congested, I use my Clarisonic or one of my favorite exfoliating masks. When spots do come up, here are the products I use:
Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Mask: This is a super thick, strong mask. I like it best as a spot treatment. The paste texture stays put and really dries out spots. I have to be careful with this one because if I use it too many days in a row, it can be too drying. I also have their rose stem cell mask, and I’ve heard about mixing the two to moisturizer and take care of spots at the same time.
Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot and Area Treatment: This is packed with good stuff. It’s stronger and smells like sulfur, so I usually use this at night and I don’t put it all over. Reading up on this I was surprised how many acne fighting ingredients it has. 5% Sulfur absorbs excess oil and controls existing breakouts & the formation of future acne. 4% Glycolic Acid Complex helps to exfoliate dead surface skin cells and helps stimulate cellular turnover. 1% Trikenol™ * (Manuka Concentrate & Willow Extract) helps reduce redness, detoxify pores and helps fight acne-causing bacteria. Aloe Vera helps to soothe and hydrate the skin. Allantoin soothes and calms the skin. Vitamins C & E – anti-oxidants help to fight free radical attack and pro Vitamin B5 helps to moisturize, nourish and clarify.
Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel: 2% Salicylic Acid and 10% Glycolic Acid. This is one of my favorite new products. This, the spot treatment and mask all came in this kit with some other minis. At $35, this is a great way to try a bunch of products at once. I put this gel all over the areas of my skin that tend to breakout and I can really tell it’s clearing things up. It doesn’t try out the skin at all like a lot of acne creams do.
Erno Laszlo Anti-Blemish Beta Purifying Mask: This one has some of the same effects as the sulfur mask, but it’s a lot more gentle. I like to use this one over a whole area (I typically break out on my chin). I’ll sometimes use this in the morning for a few minutes and wash it off before I put on my makeup. It has a thin, green texture and smells herbal.
Lather Advanced Blemish Control Serum: I love this spot treatment for during the day. Peppermint, geranium and tea tree oils make it smell wonderful, and it’s very gentle. It’s also clear, so I can put it on before my makeup and I carry it in my makeup bag in case I want to reapply later in the day.
Malin + Goetz Nighttime Acne Treatment: 10% active sulfur dries out your pimple and zinc oxide heals the spot where you have the blemish.The product is separated in the container. Dip a cotton swab into the jar and dot on your face. If you’re familiar with Kate Somerville’s EradiKate or the Mario Badescu drying lotion, this is similar.
One of the worst things about acne is the marks that spots leave on the skin for a long time after they’ve cleared up. When I got a facial back in February, I told the aesthetician I was looking for a product that would help fade scars/discoloration leftover from acne spots. She told me to look out for products with a high concentration of Vitamin C. I knew I had a sample of this at home, so I started trying it out morning and night and have been really liking it.
The Somme Institute Serum: It’s softening the skin on my whole face, and I’m noticing it even out my skin tone. The advanced technology in Somme Institute®’s Serum combines Vitamin C along with a high concentration of Molecular Dispersion Technology 5 (MDT5™), a patented technology of highly engineered vitamins A C E B3 B5 designed to help improve skin tone, texture and clarity. Serum helps reduce the visible signs of premature aging, smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and evens skin tone.
Coola Classic Face SPF 30 in Cucumber: A lot of people feel like bring out in the sun helps dry out spots and clear up skin, but the sun makes pigmentation even worse. My regular moisturizer has an SPF of 15, so I double up with this before I apply my foundation. This one’s organic and the cucumber relieves puffiness and moisturizes.
Don’t forget to use the code TIRAMISU to get 10% off these and any other products at Elementsbeautyshop.com or in their Carytown boutique.
*This post is a sponsored collaboration with Elements Beauty Shop. All opinions are my own.
This is an amazing roundup! I really hope to try some of these products, because I, too, suffer from some painful acne breakouts. Especially with all my travels as of late, my face is freaking out a tad. I usually get them along my forehead and chin area. Not sure the sulfer scented product is right for me, but the PTR acne gel sounds right up my ally!