I never had to deal with acne during my teenage years; my skin was always clear and healthy. I thought acne was something I’d left behind in adolescence. But a few years ago, in my late twenties, my skin started breaking out. Suddenly, I was dealing with sensitive skin, redness on my cheeks and nose, whiteheads, pimples on my jawline, forehead, and cheeks, and combination/oily skin. I tried so many different things over the years to find a solution to these skin issues that I never expected to face as an adult. Thankfully, my skin has been clear and healthy for several months now, and I couldn’t be happier!
In this blog post, I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned on this journey. I’ll tell you what worked for my skin, the products I’ve tested and loved, and the ones I still use today. I want to give you the kind of advice I wish I had a few years ago. Just a heads-up: I’m not a doctor or dermatologist, but I’m just sharing my personal experience. What works for my skin might not work the same way for yours. It’s always a good idea to seek professional advice from your GP, gynecologist, or dermatologist :).
This post is not sponsored. Everything I share here is chosen with care, simply because I love it. Some links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
1. Nourishing Your Skin from the Inside Out
I know it’s easier said than done, but the first thing I recommend for keeping your skin happy is to eat a healthy diet. Fill your plate with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pulses, and try to steer clear of dairy, sweets, sugary drinks, and goodies made from white flour. An esthetician recommended this to me while I was living in London. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “There is some evidence that specific dietary changes may help reduce the risk of acne. For example, one meta-analysis showed a link between dairy products and increased risk of acne. And some studies have linked high-glycemic-index foods (those that cause blood sugar levels to rise more quickly) and acne.”
Personally, I notice a big difference in my skin when I consume a lot of dairy (I’m French, and I love cheese, so I can’t help myself) and sweets. I usually get breakouts after indulging in products like ice creams, cakes, and other highly processed biscuits and sweets. That’s why I always recommend cooking and baking your own treats—you can control the quality of the ingredients and limit the sugar in the recipe. I’m a huge fan of real Italian, homemade ice cream, which is why I plan to purchase Smeg’s Stand Mixer with its Ice Cream Maker to make my own ice cream this summer and limit the amount of sugar and dairy in my recipes ;).
Besides these dietary changes, some supplements can help acne-prone skin, like Zinc (like Solgar Zinc), which a dermatologist in France recommended to me. Last year, I bought Aime’s Pure Glow and Balance & Glow supplements. After several weeks, I noticed significant improvements in my skin—less oiliness, reduced redness, and fewer breakouts. I have to confess, though, that it’s not easy for me to stick to taking supplements since I often forget to take them in the morning ;).
2. My Skincare Favorites for Blemish-Prone Skin
I can’t recommend French pharmacy brands enough, especially if you have acne-prone skin! Over the years, I’ve tried a ton of different products, and there are still so many more I’m excited to test. Here, I’ll share two types of products: the ones I’ve tested and loved (meaning I saw a noticeable difference in my skin after a few weeks and would definitely repurchase) and the ones I’m planning to try in the future. If you’ve already tried any of these, please let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts and maybe save some time and money ;)!
First, here are a few products I highly recommend:
- A gentle facial wash for oily skin: La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel. It cleanses and purifies without over-drying. I still use it today. It’s very similar to Avène’s Cleanance Cleansing Gel.
- A game-changer serum: La Roche Posay Effaclar Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Serum. I absolutely love this serum—it really does clear acne blemishes, helps prevent new breakouts, and visibly reduces pores, fine lines, and post-acne marks. I use it once or twice a week in the evening. Just remember, it contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, so don’t forget to apply sun protection during the day.
- A gentle, non-photosensitizing serum: Caudalie’s Pore Minimizing Serum. Formulated with natural salicylic acid, polyphenols, and niacinamide, it’s a fantastic serum for acne-prone skin that really delivers!
- An SOS cream for quick acne reduction: La Roche Posay’s Effaclar Duo+M Anti-Blemish Gel Moisturiser. This anti-imperfection treatment is perfect for use in the evening when my skin has breakouts. I can see a difference by morning! It’s an anti-relapse acne treatment that I always keep in my beauty stash.
- A spot solution to reduce breakout size: Caudalie’s Color Correcting Spot Solution. I apply a thin layer only to acne spots as soon as they appear. It helps reduce the size of breakouts and prevents post-acne marks.
- A clay mask to cleanse impurities: Caudalie’s Instant Detox Mask. I absolutely love this mask! I use it occasionally when my skin needs a pick-me-up or before a special occasion. It leaves my skin looking brighter and clearer.
I haven’t yet found the perfect moisturizer for my skin; sometimes, they’re too greasy or not moisturizing enough. Right now, I’m using Clarins Multi-Active Day and Night Face Creams, which I love, but they’re a bit too greasy for my skin in the summer. If you have any recommendations, please share them—I’d really appreciate it!
There are several products I’m excited to try in the future (I’ll update this post with my thoughts and results).
- SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense: This serum has gotten amazing reviews, and I’ve heard so many good things about it. I’m really curious to see how it works for me.
- Sisley Paris Intensive Serum and Deeply Purifying Mask: This range is specifically for combination/oily and acne-prone skin, and it sounds super promising.
- SVR’s Sebiaclear: SVR is one of my favorite French pharmacy brands. I love some of their products, so I’m really eager to try their Sebiaclear range.
- Avène’s Cleanance Night Blemish Correcting & Age Renewing Cream: This product is designed for adult blemish-prone skin with early signs of aging, and I’m very curious about it.
3. My Skincare Routine Tweaks
I’ve also made a few changes to my skincare routine. For example, I stopped using micellar water and cleansing wipes to remove makeup because I felt my skin wasn’t getting properly cleaned. Instead, I prefer to double cleanse using a cleansing oil (I love the almond smell of Caudalie’s Vinoclean Cleansing Oil, and Clarins’ Total Cleansing Oil is also fantastic!) followed by a gentle facial wash (like Caudalie’s Gentle Foaming Cleanser, or Clarins’ Purifying Gentle Foaming Cleanser).
Even with SPF 50, I avoid the sun like the plague because I always notice breakouts and pimples after a few days in the sun on vacation. If your budget allows, I highly recommend visiting your esthetician for a Hydrafacial treatment. I used to get them regularly in Amsterdam, and it’s a wonderful 30-minute treatment that cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and delivers a variety of rejuvenating serums. I always notice a significant improvement right after the treatment: my skin looks clearer and brighter. Finally, since I have combination skin and experience oiliness in the T-zone throughout the day, I’ve become a fan of powder foundations. As I explained in my previous post about my summer makeup look, my current favorite is Aime’s Powder Foundation SPF.
Et voilà! I hope this blog post helps you on your journey to clear skin! I’d love to hear your recommendations or thoughts on the products I mentioned. Please share your experiences—let’s help each other out :)! Merci!
