I've always had a love-hate relationship with my skin. My skin takes on just as many moods as I do, especially now in my late 20s. Acne is something I admittedly worry about less now than I used to, but I'm still plagued with the occasional breakout — more often than not due to stress.
Stress, of course, takes on many forms and can be ignited by many different things, but has been more prevalent than ever now that the majority of the world is quarantined in our homes. Though if that's the case, we are lucky to have the luxury our healthcare workers do not, stress is extremely prevalent either way, whether its boredom-induced, working from home has you on your computer, checking emails beyond the hours of nine to five, or you're suffering from anxiety, one of the first ways stress can manifest on the skin is through acne.
According to Dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the best ingredients to fight stress acne are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, and clay. Here are the products both he and I swear by.
Salicylic Acid
Zeichner recommends salicylic acid cleansers for those who are out and wearing face masks often right now. "It removes excess oil and dead cells from the surface of the skin to keep pores clear," he says, which is why consistent use of a cleanser with the ingredient in it is important if you're experiencing breakouts.
This Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum clears up any breakouts I may have overnight while I'm sleeping. It's my holy grail cure-all for blemishes.
Eve Lom's Dynaspot is the ideal spot treatment to soothe inflammation.
Dr. Jart's Cleansing Foam is gentle enough, even for dry and sensitive skin.
This Obagi Triple Acid Peel might be pricey, but it's better than any expensive facial I've ever gotten.
This light coverage BB cream for when I want a little bit of makeup.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Dr. Zeichner talks about how important benzoyl peroxide is in lowering acne levels because of its inflammation-inducing properties. Similar to salicylic acid, it fights acne-causing bacteria, but what's different is that benzoyl peroxide goes deeper, into the lower levels of acne to truly fight the source of pimples before they surface to the outer layers of the skin.
If I feel a breakout coming on, this Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion the first product I'll layer on my skin underneath my nighttime routine, and especially under makeup if I'm planning on wearing it.
This Pixi spot cream from Target is so gentle on my sensitive skin, but it still attacks zits I can feel forming under my skin before they have a chance to hit the outer layer.
Retinoids
Dr. Zeichner says retinoids are the foundational treatment for acne. "Think of them as pip cleaners, preventing cells from sticking together and blocking the pores," he says. He warns to only use a small, pea-sized amount for your face a couple of times a week because the products are so aggressive.
This cleanser is a great way to start with retinoids — not only because of its heavenly scent but also because it's such a light cleanser, great for sensitive skin.
This overnight mask that's time-released to redefine the meaning of beauty sleep. You'll wake up with transformed skin.
This retinol has hyaluronic acid in it, so its ideal for sensitive, dry skin.
Clay
We've all used clay masks before, but the problem with clay products is that they can oftentimes be drying, leaving the skin dry and taut even though it is, technically, cleaning it up. Zeichner says that with the right product that has high-quality and effective ingredients, they can be extremely soothing on irritated skin.
Clays are ideal for skin that is extremely inflamed and oily. He recommends kaolin clay, in particular.
One of the most gentle, high-quality cleansers I've ever used, this Circcell one heats up on the skin to really go deep into pores and clean out gunk you had no idea was there.
This clarifying mask is super calming, and has sulfur in it to reduce further breakouts.
This is a go-to for those long days after which your face needs a total clean-out — an essential in my routine.
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