Let’s face it–if you’re going to work out, you’re going to have slightly worse acne than the average person. Personally, I run daily and lift every other day. Also, there are some factors you just can’t get around–you’ll break out on your period. I don’t have perfect skin, but this has helped to prevent breakouts and clear them up faster! Also, I have combination skin- this routine SHOULD help for all skin types, but dry skin beware, you may have to tweak this or leave some products out. Everyone is different and that’s okay, you just have to figure out what works for you.
Daily
Morning: Neutrogena Oil-Free Grapefruit Scrub
I love this because of the salicylic acid and the scrub factor. Working out means your sweat will clog up your pores and you will lose skin cells. It’s great to purge every day and this scrub is cheap, effective and non-abrasive.
CeraVe Moisturizer (or any generic)
You DON’T need a lot of this moisturizer. It’s thick and a little goes a long way. I have never broken out from it. The generics are cheap and last forever. I know that a lot of people are all “moisturizer!!!!” but an expensive one has never done me any more good than a drugstore kind. But if you know of something better let us know!
Neutrogena On-The-Spot
If nothing else, you absolutely need this stuff. It clears up my acne, even the cysts, overnight. You barely need any. Dab it on your zits, scars, and blackheads. Since I have combination skin, I also spread a thin layer on my t-zone and chin. It’s incredible and you can find it at any drugstore. Please buy this.
Nighttime: Simple Micellar Water Wipes
If you wear makeup, these are great for removal. They are drugstore, and although maybe a little pricier than others, they are very gentle, non-comedogenic, and gentle on the skin.
Wash your face with the Neutrogena scrub.
**Optional: Skin Serum
Serums don’t do much for acne, but they help your skin health and you’ll get a nice glow. I personally use the Caudalie serum from the Sephora birthday present and I adore it, but that stuff is so pricey. If a serum is something you are interested in, do some research on your own!
Use your Neutrogena spot remover. If your skin is very dry, just apply at night.
Moisturize.
Please lotion your arms and legs if you love yourself. DON’T touch your face until after you wash your hands.
Weekly
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.
Exfoliating weekly is so important. You can make a great scrub yourself using brown sugar and olive oil or using any Himalayan sea salt scrub. It’s great for breakouts because it sloughs off skin cells, just be sure to use body wash and wash your face afterward.
Origins Charcoal Mask
Not drug store but WOW THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS. It’s $26 a bottle at Sephora but wow, using it once a week makes your skin look so much brighter and cleaner and shrinks acne overnight. It’s somewhat drying and burns a bit when you put it on so I only recommend weekly, but it is honestly incredible and is a godsend when I forget to wash my face after a run and go to bed. Speaking of that–if you go to bed in makeup you might as well kiss all your work goodbye. Please don’t sleep in your makeup. Even just use a remover wipe.
Beware of makeup. I wear it a lot, but even my Bareminerals stuff makes me break out. YOU CANNOT WORK OUT IN MAKEUP. Every time I do I regret it. At least use a makeup removal wipe first. Drink tons of water, I mean, so much you can barely hold it all down. Your skin loves hydration, especially if you’re working out often.
I still break out but I have very sensitive, bad skin. This skincare routine has saved me from having to go to the dermatologist which can be really expensive and especially hard to access for college students. If you have tips, send them in!
(Tested on combination skin, cystic acne)