Balancing Act: Oily, Acne-Prone Skincare Routine

Caring for oily, acne-prone skin isn’t easy. One wrong move and you could find yourself facing a sprinkling of new breakouts, making putting together a skincare routine a very fine balancing act.

The good news is that Lavelier is here to help. Read on as we talk you through a skincare routine that will soon have your oily skin looking matte, smooth, and acne-free!

Wash Your Face With a Sulfate-Free Cleanser

If you’ve had acne-prone skin for a while, then you’re probably aware of how important it is to keep your skin clean. Not only do you need to prevent acne-causing bacteria from building up on your skin’s surface and spreading around, but you also need to stop your pores from getting clogged. By removing dirt, oil, and other impurities from the surface of your skin, there’ll be less of them there to work their way into your pores and form blockages.

When searching for a cleanser for acne-prone skin, it can seem like a no-brainer to pick one that has been formulated specifically for oily skin types. However, checking out the ingredient list is vital. Many of the acne-specific cleansers out there contain sulfates. These are cleansing agents that are a little too good at removing sebum from the skin. They tend to strip away too much. This leaves the skin dehydrated, resulting in an increase in sebum production in the long run.

If your main aim is to achieve skin that doesn’t look and feel so greasy, then stay away from sulfates. Instead, go with a gentler cleansing formula, such as the Lavelier Biology Mousse Cleanser. Don’t let the word ‘gentle’ put you off as this cleanser is thorough and effective, yet it’s not so harsh that it will cause your skin to start producing more oil. 

Balance Your Complexion With a Toner

If you aren’t already using a toner, now is the time to start. The right toner can produce a huge visible improvement in acne-prone skin.

How? For starters, it’ll hydrate your freshly cleansed skin. As we’ve explained, dehydration can cause an increase in sebum production, making it crucial to keep your skin as hydrated as possible. A toner like the Lavelier Marine Facial Toner will contain a blend of hydrating ingredients that will keep your skin feeling plump and soft.

Toners are also great for balancing the pH level of the skin’s surface. If your skin’s pH level falls out of balance, it creates an environment where bacterial growth flourishes. As you probably know, the more bacteria on your skin, the greater your chances of experiencing breakouts, making it so important to keep your skin’s pH in check. 

Some toners, including the Lavelier formula, have also been designed to soothe the complexion. Our toner contains a few ingredients that can do this, including chamomile extract, cucumber fruit extract, aloe vera leaf juice, coral seaweed extract, and allantoin. These ingredients pack a punch in many ways, one of which is how they lower the feeling of inflammation in the skin. Without inflammation, breakouts aren’t able to form, meaning that a simple toner has the potential to keep your acne-prone skin looking calm and clear.

Use a Targeted Product on Your Acne Marks

Unfortunately, even once you manage to eradicate your most recent bout of pimples, you may still find yourself dealing with the consequences of that breakout in the form of hyperpigmentation. This is common after severe breakouts, particularly in those with darker skin tones. 

It’s all down to how the skin produces extra melanin when it’s healing from acne-induced inflammation. This gives that area of skin a darker color. 

The depth of this discoloration, along with how long it lasts, can vary. For some people, those marks will naturally disappear after a few months, whereas others are left sporting their dark spots for years. Either way, using skincare products designed to fade the look of hyperpigmentation can help to speed this process up.

That’s where the Lavelier Skin Clair Repair comes in. This specialized serum contains a cocktail of ingredients that have been proven to help lighten the visibility of discoloration. For best results, you’ll need to use it daily, applying it directly to any discolored patches of skin. Using it after cleansing and toning will give it direct access to your skin cells. This will maximize the effects that you see since there won’t be any other products on your skin to interfere with penetration.

Apply a Vitamin C Serum

There are several ingredients out there that are worth adding to your skincare routine if you have oily skin. With that said, vitamin C is one that you should definitely prioritize.

Why? Because vitamin C can help with acne-prone skin in a few different ways. Research confirms that it’s great at calming the look of swelling and redness that accompanies acne-prone skin thanks to how it lowers the feeling of inflammation. In fact, clinical studies show that using vitamin C twice a day can significantly reduce the appearance of acne lesions. 

Vitamin C can help to optimize skin hydration levels as well. This will counter the feeling of excess oiliness that dehydration can cause. 

Of course, let’s not forget about vitamin C’s ability to brighten the complexion and fade the look of dark spots. Numerous studies have found the ingredient to be effective at doing so, making it a must-have if previous breakouts have left you battling acne marks.

When shopping for a vitamin C serum, it’s worth keeping in mind that studies have shown that vitamin C works even more impressively when combined with vitamin E. Try to find a serum that uses both ingredients, just like the Lavelier Nourishing Vitamin C Serum. You’ll find vitamin A in this formula as well, along with coral seaweed extract to give your skin some extra hydration and a boost of botanical antioxidants.

Lightly Moisturize Your Skin

We’ve already talked about how important it is to keep acne-prone skin fully hydrated. Even a slight drop in hydration levels can cause your skin to ramp up oil production, which will leave your complexion greasier and shinier. 

Use the two serums that we’ve featured above and you’ll be well on your way to giving your skin the hydration that it needs. However, the only way to ensure that your skin cells feel fully quenched is to finish off your skincare routine with a moisturizer.

Many people with oily, acne-prone skin hate moisturizing because of how using the wrong cream can quickly clog pores and trigger breakouts. This doesn’t mean that you should skip the moisturizer – instead, pick a formula that’s suitable for oily skin. 

During the day, an SPF moisturizer, like the Lavelier Divine Day Defense SPF 30, can be extremely useful. This way, rather than having to layer a separate sunscreen over the top of your skin once you’re done moisturizing, you’ll be able to turn to a single product to get both jobs done. The fewer products you apply to your skin, the less chance you’ll have of experiencing clogged pores. 

For evening use, find yourself a lightweight, oil-free face cream, such as the Lavelier Moisture Allure Cream. This formula hydrates the skin with a blend of aloe vera, coral seaweed, and glycerin. Thanks to the addition of green tea and vitamin A, it’s packed with antioxidants too, ensuring that you wake up to skin that looks brighter and healthier.

Don’t Forget to Exfoliate 2-3 Times a Week

Now that we’ve covered the daily skincare routine that you should be following for your acne-prone skin, let’s talk about the extra steps that you need to follow each week. One of these is exfoliation. While people with dry or sensitive skin only need to exfoliate once or twice a week, oily skin sometimes requires a little more than this, meaning that you may need to exfoliate two or three times a week.

With that said, over-exfoliation is also a very real problem. This is when you either exfoliate too often or you use an exfoliator that’s too harsh for your skin. Either way, both cause damage to the skin’s natural barrier. Not only will this leave your skin more susceptible to bacterial infections but you’ll likely also notice an increase in oil production, clogged pores, and breakouts.

The key to successfully exfoliating oily skin is to use an exfoliator that’s gentle enough to be applied two or three times a week, just like the Lavelier Intensive Facial Peel. It exfoliates both physically and chemically thanks to its combination of bamboo powder and mandelic acid. It also contains vitamins A, C, and E, along with a variety of other ingredients that can help to reduce the look of acne.

Add in a Face Mask Once a Week

While there are plenty of acne-specific products out there, many of these only mask symptoms rather than helping with the root cause of breakouts, one of which is clogged pores. If your pores don’t end up clogged in the first place, then breakouts simply won’t be able to form.

Cleansing and exfoliating will go a long way in keeping your pores clear. However, it can also be beneficial to add a clay face mask to your skincare routine. Clay is incredible at drawing excess oil away from the skin. It absorbs the sebum and then takes this with it when the mask is rinsed off. 

With clay being one of the oldest skincare ingredients around, there’s no shortage of clay masks out there to choose from. However, if you want to add a touch of luxury to your skincare routine, consider the Lavelier HydroTherm Intense Masque. Not only is this a clay mask, but it’s also a self-heating formula. This ensures that the pores feel relaxed and elastic during your masking session. This will make it even easier for the clay to remove excess sebum.

Caring For Acne-Prone Skin With Lavelier

Is it possible to banish the appearance of breakouts for good? It sure is, but only if you’re using the right skincare products. Following a skincare routine that focuses on prevention is the way to go, as this will help to encourage and maintain a naturally blemish-free complexion. If you’ve not had much luck when it comes to clearing up the look of your skin, incorporate all of the steps and products that we’ve shared above and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you notice an improvement in your complexion!

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