Best Ingredients for Acne Prone Skin

With an overwhelming amount of acne products across so many different stores and brands, it's hard to even know where to start.. It can be expensive and frustrating to figure out which products will work best for YOUR skin and we totally get it. So, we put together a list of some of the industry's more effective acne ingredients to help narrow your search for products that meet your skin type and needs. 

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy-acid that is commonly used to treat acne by reducing excess sebum in the skin. In other words, it's a chemical exfoliant (opposed to a physical exfoliant) that helps regulate and balance oil production and can help unclog pores. Its anti-inflammatory and exfoliant properties are perfect for oily and acne prone skin types. In addition, it's able to dive deep into the pores underneath the surface level of your skin to remove dirt, oil, and bacteria, which is ideal in managing blackheads and breakouts. 

How and How Not to Use:

- Use daily or every other day

- If skin begins to feel dry, reduce usage to 1x or 2x a week

- Can be applied after pimple extraction to cleanse area

- Do not mix with products containing Retinol

Niacinamide

Niacinamide is an incredible ingredient because of its versatility. Not only does it benefit almost any skin type, it can also address multiple skin concerns. For example, for those who have acne prone skin and sensitive skin, it can work to strengthen the skin's barrier, repair previous damage such as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. In addition, it can help keep pores clean but prevent dirt, oil, and debris from building up while tightening and minimizing pore size if used consistently. 

How and How Not to Use:  

- Apply morning and evening

- Versatile and can be used in conjunction with other ingredients that can be layered

- If you experience redness or irritation, reduce usage. if it persists, stop using and opt for products with lesser concentration, or other acne ingredients.

Benzoyl Peroxide 

Benzoyl peroxide is great for treating and preventing acne by killing bacteria underneath the skin. It's particularly good for more severe forms of acne such as inflammatory acne: red bumps, pustules, papules, cysts, and nodules. Whiteheads and blackheads while still considered acne, are classified as noninflammatory. 

How and How Not to Use:

- if using for body acne, opt for a body wash and let sit on skin to absorb 

- great for persistent, inflammatory acne

- for whiteheads and blackheads in particular, it may not be the best treatment option 

- may cause dryness and peeling 

- avoid on sensitive skin

Sulfur

Typically, acne is caused by the excess production of oil and sulfur's ability to reduce this can help those with oily acne prone skin. It is one of the best ingredients for extremely oily skin types as it essentially works by drying out the skin. This is important to remember as we're trying to treat the acne but in doing so we don't want to over dry the skin. Sulfur also has antibacterial properties that can help fight bacteria that may cause infections. 

How and How Not to Use:

- start slowly with moderate use to prepare skin for routine exposure

- sulfur smell may not be pleasant, but is tolerable

- good for more oily prone areas such as nose, forehead, and chin.

Overall, while all these ingredients can be extremely beneficial in your acne care routine, the most important thing to do moving forward is maintain consistency with your regimen. Even the best acne ingredients need a consistent regimen  otherwise the products are unable to effectively do their job.