The Acne Journal

One of the most common complaints of even the best acne products is that they irritate and dehydrate the skin. 

People tend to stop using their acne products when their skin gets dry and peely, so they never get completely clear, nor do they stay clear.  I want to go over some strategies that can make using acne products a more productive, comfortable process.

1. Know from the outset, that you are going to have some dryness and peeling from acne products.  Any product that is...

Warning - acne products that you buy from the drugstore most likely have pore-clogging ingredients in them. Here are some real-life examples:

• Clearasil:
  The offenders are: Glyceryl Stearate SE, Isopropyl Myristate
• Another comedogenic benzyl peroxide (Zapzyt)– cute name….
  The offender is: laureth 4
• Persa Gel – comedogenic
  The offender is: laureth 4
• Walgreens benzyl peroxide (bpo) – comedogenic
  Offender is: laureth 4

Wondering what else might be making...

Comedogenic ingredients, more commonly known as pore-clogging ingredients, contribute to 90% of acne (you read that right, 90%!), with diet and lifestyle issues contributing to the remaining 10% of breakouts. Yet, comedogenic ingredients are the most overlooked topic in skincare and acne solutions.

All pore-clogging ingredients are rated on a scale of 1-5.

• 1 and 2 are considered not-clogging
• 3-5 rate very clogging
• Every ingredient on our pore-clogging list falls in the 3-5's, or very...

When it comes to makeup and acne, it’s all about choosing the right products that won't make your acne worse! 

We’ve partnered with our client and makeup guru @jarznar, and PRIIA Cosmetics to showcase some of our favorite acne-safe products to create an easy-to-copy makeup look. 

5 Tips to Complete Your Full-Face Ance Safe Makeup Look

Tip #1 | Find multi-use products

Layer PRIIA Liquid Mineral Foundation and Powder Foundation together for a...

When it comes to foundation, the powder foundation is the underdog. 

Powder foundation can appear intimidating, or difficult to apply in comparison to liquid foundation, but really, it couldn't be easier! 

We love PRIIA’s Loose Mineral Foundation. This multi-tasking powder foundation can be applied multiple ways, is 100% acne-safe and doesn’t have that melt-away makeup problem many liquid foundations have (except Priia's, of course).

We’ve partnered with...

We must be asked at least once a day about Proactiv and all of its copycats.

My response is that it’s a good start. There is good science behind Proactiv and that is why it works for some people. But for the rest of you, have you noticed that it stops working after about three weeks? Why is this?

For the most part, Proactiv skincare products are not strong enough for people with stubborn acne. Or, they may be strong enough at first, but then the skin actually “gets used” to...

1. Myth: Washing Your Face Often Prevents Breakouts

Fact: Washing your face several times a day will not do anything to keep you from breaking out. In most cases, it will only serve to irritate and dehydrate your skin. Acne starts deep within the pore--dead skin cells pile up faster than normal and get caught inside the pore causing a “microcomedone” (the beginning of an acne lesion) to form. You need products that penetrate inside the pore to prevent acne from forming in the...