Top 5 Skincare Ingredients to Treat Acne

I have struggled with acne to one degree or another for around a decade now. Over time, I grew tired and frustrated of being constantly referred from one professional to another. No one seemed to offer solid advice beyond issuing an antibiotic prescription. For years my skincare regimen consisted of the same predictable prescription tablets and antibacterial face scrub (since banned by the FDA). It wasn’t until I took matters into my own hands, out of desperation and frustration, that I began to see improvements in my skin. It was a painful process but in my own research, I found skincare ingredients to treat acne, and not just cover it up.

After much trial and error over the years, I have narrowed down my top 5 skincare ingredients to treat acne. These are the most effective skincare ingredients to treat acne that I have found, with astounding results. All of these ingredients are topical, and most are available over the counter.

1. Salicylic acid.

I have sung the praises of BHAs in numerous blog posts. As someone who has battled with acne, it is an ingredient I strongly recommend. I will say however, that if you struggle with more severe cystic acne, salicylic acid will likely not be a cure-all. But for people with mild to moderate breakouts, it is certainly a tool you need in your acne kit.

Salicylic acid is the main type of beta hydroxy acid. It is lipophilic (or “oil-loving”), meaning it is solutble in oils and fats. This enables it to penetrate the pore and remove excess sebum. It encourages exfoliation, skin cell turnover and decongests pores. This prevents follicles from becoming clogged with dead skin cells and excess oil. As a derivative of aspirin, it is anti-inflammatory and can calm inflammation caused by breakouts and exfoliation.

If you want more information about salicylic acid, the best products, its properties and uses, I have written an entire blog post about salicylic acid.

I would highly recommend a leave-on salicylic acid exfoliant such as this 2% BHA solution. It is one of my favourite salicylic acid products and makes a huge difference. You will wake up with radiant skin and clarified pores. 

2. Benzoyl Peroxide.

A blocked pore creates an oxygen free environment. It cultivates the ideal conditions for P Acnes bacteria to grow and thrive. Benzoyl peroxide introduces oxygen into the follicle and kills the bacteria causing the breakout. This makes it the perfect spot treatment to get rid of a pimple quickly.

Let me tell you, that if you feel that under-the-skin painful pimple threatening to surface, benzoyl peroxide works wonders. Oftentimes, when I feel a breakout coming on, just dabbing a little 5% BPO onto the area will do the trick. Even if you just want your pimple to clear more quickly, benzoyl peroxide will help that process. It will dry out your skin though, so make sure you keep the surrounding area moisturised. This prevents dry flaky areas of skin.

3. Azelaic Acid.

This is one of my favourite skincare ingredients to treat acne. It is the most underrated skincare ingredient when it comes to breakouts. You often hear about salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for acne. But no one ever seems to give azelaic acid the necessary praise it deserves. Azelaic acid is conventionally used as a treatment for rosacea, and it is great for doing so. However, I have found from my own experience that it is a game changer when it comes to treating acne.

As an antibacterial agent, azelaic acid reduces the growth of bacteria in the follicle. It decreases inflammation and helps loosen the build-up of dead skin cells and oil. It is keratolytic and comedolytic, meaning it inhibits the formation of comedones by reducing the growth of keratin surface skin cells that pores and sebaceous glands.

The beauty of this ingredient is that, if you do struggle with redness and rosacea, you will see your skin greatly managed and more even. You will no longer wake up with a face that looks red and irritated, and there will be less inflammation overall to your skin. Unlike benzoyl peroxide, it will not cause excessively dry skin either. It’s a win all-round!

This azelaic acid suspension is inexpensive and highly effective. However, I do find that it does not last an awfully long time. For a more sophisticated formula, this azelaic acid + BHA treatment works wonders for breakouts, enlarged pores and blackheads. It has the added benefit of targeting dark spots and brightening the complexion.

4. Niacinamide

Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide has an anti-inflammatory effect. As inflammation causes oxidative damage to sebum, it leads to pimples. Applying niacinamide topically can reduce inflammation and decrease the likelihood of a blemish forming. It can also reduce moisture loss and regulate oil flow for those with excessively oily skin.

I have spoken about the benefits of niacinamide in my how to get rid of blackheads post and several other posts. This ingredient is one of my absolute favourite all-round skin restoring and protecting ingredients. While it is one of the best skincare ingredients to treat acne, it is also effective at balancing oily skin and and maintaining skin health. Whether my skin is behaving particularly well or I am experiencing an increase in blemishes, I try to incorporate this ingredient into my daily routine.

Effaclar Duo contains both niacinamide and salicylic acid to work double duty at battling breakouts. For an even greater boost of niacinamide, the 10% Niacinamide Booster contains a hefty dose of niacinamide along with vitamin C to help brighten any pesky post-acne marks.

5. Retinoic acid.

These are vitamin A derivatives. Aside from their anti-ageing benefits, they are gold standard skincare ingredients to treat acne with. There are several different options, from over the counter retinol, tretinoin, differin, tazarotene. Retinoids have hormone-like chemical messengers that bind to receptors in the cell. This alters the way cells behave. They promote cellular turnover of dead skin cells, making it harder for oil to clog pores. Thus, they keep sebaceous follicles free of comedones. Retinoids reduce oil production and also reduce acne associated inflammation.

While many retinol can work for combatting acne, Differin (or adapalene), was specifically formulated for acne treatment. This retinoid can be obtained by prescription in the UK and is readily available over the counter in the US.

Retinoids do sensitise skin so I would recommend slowly introducing them into your routine. In my previous post about Fall Skin Care Tips, I suggested reintroducing retinoids back into your routine during the Fall. Now that your sun exposure will likely be reducing over the cooler months, your retinol use can increase without so much sun sensitivity.

Caution: Do not overdo active ingredients

I want to emphasise that you should not overdo these skincare ingredients to treat acne. The active ingredients I have mentioned are effective but very potent. Before you go to happy town smothering every single one of these ingredients on your face at once, I urge you to pause. More is not more when it comes to active skincare ingredients. Piling on a number of strong topicals all at one go may not only be ineffective, but it may also exasperate your skin condition.

I have fallen into the trap of thinking that if a little is good, then more must be better. I bombarded my face with salicylic acid twice a day, along with retinoids daily, benzoyl peroxide on every inch of my face and so on. Not only did my acne not subside, but it only seemed to be getting worse no matter what I did.

Often acne arises as a result of excess inflammation showing up on your face. I would not recommend using such powerful ingredients all at one time due to the increased risk of irritation. In individuals with darker skin, this irritation can increase the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In a future post I will be explaining how best you can safely and effectively use these ingredients and how best to incorporate them into your routine.

You can get your acne under control

I know how frustrating breakouts and acne can be. Trust me, I’ve been there. Even to this day, when I am pushing 22 years old, I experience breakouts. The truth is, acne is a multi-faceted skin condition with multiple causes and types. It does not necessarily have much to do with a numerical age.

Many times, people who have not experienced acne try to console you by saying you will grow out of it. As if one can snap their fingers when the clock strikes 12 on their 18^thbirthday and suddenly the clouds part and your skin clears. Unfortunately, that is not quite how it works.

With the proper treatments and skincare routine, you can keep your breakouts under control. While we can’t control hormonal or dysbiosis-related breakouts with skincare products alone, proper skincare will unquestionably make a difference.

In the future I will be doing more posts on how to manage hormonal and other types of breakouts too so remember to Subscribe for when I release those articles. 

For more skin care advice:

How to get rid of blackheads for good

Essential Skin Care and Makeup Tips for Oily Skin

The Complete Guide to Salicylic Acid Skincare

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material is strictly prohibited.

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