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We get it: Finding a skincare regimen that actually works for you is basically the equivalent of finding true love on Tinder – you’ve heard that it happens, but you can’t for the life of you figure out how to do it. How often are you supposed to wash your face? Which products are you supposed to use? And how, oh how, are you supposed to stay fresh-faced and rosy-cheeked in the middle of winter?!
Treating your skin to some TLC shouldn’t be hard – and it definitely shouldn’t be a secret how to score a gorgeous complexion. Want the inside scoop? If you suffer from acne-prone skin, follow these four steps to up your skincare game and help kiss breakouts and uneven skin tone goodbye!
1. First thing’s first, exfoliate!
Start and end your day the right way with the essential first tool in your skincare arsenal: exfoliating cleanser! Removing dirt, impurities and dead skin cells will give you the clean slate you need to score healthier-looking, head-turning skin. Plus, it’ll resurface your pores (and minimize their appearance to boot) so they’re ready for an even deeper cleaning in the next step.
You want to use a cleanser that’s strong enough to kill acne-causing bacteria, but isn’t so harsh that it creates redness and irritation — that’s why we love Proactiv+’s Skin Smoothing Exfoliator from the Proactiv+ 3-Step System. This 4-in-1 daily cleanser efficiently (and gently!) removes impurities using benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid and exfoliating beads, all while leaving you with super soft, smooth skin. Make sure to exfoliate twice per day (morning and night), then rinse with warm water and pat dry before moving on to your other skincare products.  Then rinse with warm water and pat dry before moving on to step two.
2. Focus on your pores
If you have a love-hate relationship with your pores, we feel you; the struggle is real! When you’re having a clear streak with your skin, you love your pores and can’t wait to show off your flawless skin, but the moment you spot a few sprouting blemishes, you feel like you want to hide under a paper bag (or just lock yourself inside with Netflix and Nutella). Enter Proactiv+’s Pore Targeting Treatment!
The pioneering remedy is a lightweight, leave-on gel that uses Smart Target™ Technology to deliver benzoyl peroxide directly to your pores, killing acne-causing bacteria at the source and helping prevent new breakouts – obviously a must! You apply it one to three times per day – it’s best to start with one and work your way up. Don’t even worry about it leaving your skin dry or flaky – like the other products in the 3-Step System, the Pore Targeting Treatment is formulated with glycerin to help skin retain moisture for a soft, healthy glow. Basically, you’ll finally pull off that dewy-skin look that’s so popular on the red carpet and in your favorite TV shows (Pretty Little Liars, anyone?).
3. Lock in moisture
Repeat after us: I will moisturize. I will moisturize. I will moisturize. If this isn’t your mantra this season, you need to reevaluate your life choices – there’s nothing you need more in the winter (and to be honest, year-round) than a high-quality hydrator! Take it from those who tend to get chapped, dry skin: If you aren’t moisturizing one to three times per day, you’re doing your skincare wrong. Try Proactiv+’s Complexion Perfecting Hydrator, which is basically the best hydrator our skin has ever encountered, thanks to its soothing properties.
Before you even get the chance to fret about irritation or dryness, the hydrator will solve your worries. It also corrects uneven skin tone, unwanted redness and excess oil, so that’s a bunch of bonus points right there. Aside from making our skin look great, high-quality hydrators like the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator make you (and your skin) feel fabulous too, which is really what it’s all about! It’s soothes and brightens, making you feel like you’ve literally put on a whole new fresh face! It must be the moisturizing complex – or, you know, it could be the skin-brightening complex, skin-conditioning complex or skin mattifier. All of them sound like pretty darn smart choices for our skin to us!
4. Fight acne
Facemasks are probably our favorite step of a skincare routine – they’re basically the closest we get to a spa treatment on campus! So for the ultimate icing on top of a successful cleansing session, we recommend the Proactiv+ Skin Purifying Mask. With maximum strength sulfur medicine, this mask can be applied two to three times per week after using the Skin Smoothing Exfoliator. It works great as either a 10-minute full-face treatment or, when needed, as an overnight spot treatment for breakouts.
There’s nothing quite like waking up to find your pimples are practically invisible – or at least, much more healed than the night before! It’s important that once you find a must-have mask like this one, you don’t let it go; make sure to work it into your skincare routine to achieve the ***flawless look and feel you deserved all along!
Get your game face on with the help of game-changing products – now that the secrets are out, there’s no excuse for settling for skin you aren’t in love with. Aside from treating acne and improving your complexion, the Proactiv+ 3-Step System is the best way to kick your skincare confidence into high gear, and you totally deserve to feel like a rock star on the red carpet when you step out every day (even if you’re just heading to a lecture class or the library). Bet you won’t even be able to resist snapping a selfie – we definitely can’t!