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Skincare is essential in many people’s life and unfortunately, despite a rigorous routine, some people suffer with acne. I was one of those people but recently my skin has cleared quite a lot and therefore I’m sharing some facts and secrets that I’ve learnt on my skincare journey, so if you feel stuck then please read on!
1. You can use face masks everyday!
I know, so many say that this is a huge mistake but one week I used a face mask every day and my face was the clearest it’s ever been! I think that as long as you use ones with different purposes each day then you’re good to go, for example, one day using a clay mask and the next using a hydrating mask. This way you’re not drying out your skin or giving it the wrong things, you’re giving it many benefits each night. My particular recommendation for a clay mask is the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay mask. I actually have written a review on this mask that evaluates it’s performance in-depth.
2. No matter how popular a product is, it may still not work for you!
For me, this was tea tree oil. It just never seemed to work for me, I’d apply it religiously every night and the spots I applied it to never got better and eventually it caused me to break out even more. I was so upset since it worked for so many and I was positive that when I bought it, it would work for me! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try a popular product but I advise that you don’t convince yourself that it’ll work before you give it a good try. As well as this, witch-hazel isn’t amazing either. These products are highly raved about for acne. On my acne, it really didn’t work.
3. When trying a new product, use it for at least a month!
I use Lush’s Dark Angels cleanser and it’s a life saver, however when I first used it, I purged. This is where your skin is bringing all the bad stuff to the surface so you get a break out but once your pores are clear then your skin will clear. However, this purge can last rather long which is why I advise a month, I almost gave up on the Dark Angels after the second week but I researched the product and that was when I discovered about skin purging and I am so glad that I didn’t give up on it! Paired with my Foreo Luna Mini 2 it’s a match made in heaven!
4. When wearing makeup, always double cleanse!
I think this is undeniably the most important tip on this list. Always wash your face with a makeup remover then your usual cleanser as this ensures a thorough clean and makes sure there’s no traces of makeup left that can cause a breakout. It may seem like a pain to wash your face twice but your skin will thank you for it and it’ll be so worth it! Even with double cleansing you may find traces of makeup left when toning. Imagine how much you’re leaving if you only cleanse once!
5. Sometimes the best spot treatments aren’t meant for your face!
No, I’m not talking about toothpaste because I can confirm that it doesn’t work for most people. It only irritates my skin. One of my favourite skin clearing products is Sudocrem which isn’t primarily invented for the face but it does a very good job with reducing the size of my spots! Best results are gained from wearing it overnight but I don’t like getting it on my pillow so I wear it like a mask for a couple of hours before bed then rub it into my skin before I sleep.
6. Don’t rule out drugstore’s own brand products!
These can be equally as good as the branded products and are often cheaper or always part of deals due to the shop obviously wanting to sell them! I use Superdrug Vitamin E moisturiser and their face masks which are better than my glam glow masks in my opinion. I’ve also heard many good things about the Boots Tea Tree and Witch hazel line which is obviously targeted towards acne-prone skin. Drugstores know a lot more than many think and therefore know how to combat it and make products that work!
7. Price tag does not indicate effectiveness!
Many may see this as common sense but there’s still people out there who feel the need to splash the cash in order to find a miracle skincare product but the truth is, there isn’t one. No product can clear your skin overnight but there are drugstore cleansers that can clear your skin just as quickly as high end ones. I don’t think any of my face wash’s cost more than £10 which is amazing! It doesn’t hurt my bank account whenever I need to restock!
8. You don’t need to give up makeup for clear skin
It doesn’t seem true but as long as you wash it all off at the end of the day then there isn’t a problem. I wear makeup pretty much everyday but I always double cleanse and tone my face at night and this ensures my face is completely clean and there’s no chance of makeup then clogging my pores and producing a pimple. I’ve seen so many articles before blaming makeup for acne and some products do but a lot don’t and I believe that rumours like this need to be explained properly instead of a general comment being made about all makeup products since it’s not true.
9. You don’t need a 10 step Korean skincare routine
My routine contains quite a few steps but that’s simply because that’s what works best for me. I’ve seen that some people have cleared their acne by splashing their face with water at night then applying moisturiser. I envy those people but I’m also appreciative that I’ve found a variety of products that work well on my skin. It’s all a matter of adding and taking things from your routine to see what works best for you. I have tried an 8-step Korean Skincare before which I wrote about on my blog.
10. Exfoliate as little as possible
The average recommended amount to exfoliate is once a week but I usually go around 2 weeks before I exfoliate as it’s not needed for everyday use so I see it as not as important. I use a manuka honey exfoliator and it makes my skin so soft after using but I don’t see a significant difference straight after using. For me, my exfoliator just keeps my skin texture more even and it works just fine when used once a fortnight. Also since mine’s a physical exfoliator, excessive use may lead to micro-tears in the skin which would make acne worse. I also have a chemical exfoliator that I use once a week and of course my choice is the Ordinary peeling solution. This makes my skin tingles like no-ones business but the results are gorgeous!
11. You don’t need a face brush, roller or any other device to achieve clear skin
They may be popular and pretty for Instagram but many of these devices don’t work! I’m not saying that ALL don’t work but you can get clear skin by simply using your hands. As long as your hands are clean then there’s no reason as to why you’d break out from it. I only use the Foreo Luna mini 2, as this really makes my skin feel soft and clean, and helps especially when wearing makeup. The face rollers however, not as effective…
I hope I taught you all something in this post, please share a lesson that you’ve learnt about skincare!

My skin is terrible and probably because I’ve been doing many of these ‘don’ts’ like exfoliating too often! I’m going to try Sudocrem – I never would have thought to use it on my outbreaks! A great post!!!
Thank you! Sudocrem is one of my holy grails for breakouts, I hope it has the same effects on you!
Such a great list! I completely agree with number 6. I’ve tried some high end skin care products and some drugstore products. In my experience, the drugstore products do as good of a job, if not better, for half of the price! Thank you for sharing this 🙂
So many people doubt the drugstore but it’s so good and no problem! Hopefully it helps! Xx
WOW I really needed to read this! Recently my skin hasn’t been to great and I have no idea why, I will defiantly be putting these tips to use, I have already started washing my face twice, I think that is very important!
Double cleansing is very important, I hope they work for you as well as they did for me! ?
Hey this is such an amazing article! Every point you mentioned is so real, I feel like a fool for investing so much into new skin care products all the time. This is such an eye opener. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much! Glad it could help! Xx