Cleanse, rinse, repeat.
Although reaching for a face wash is the obvious very first step in every skincare routine, when it comes to coping with adult acne, experts say this simple starting point is the make or break moment that dictates how your skin behaves. Here’s why: choose a formula that’s too harsh and potentially instigate a domino effect of damage that exacerbates acne concerns. Then add on doing it too aggressively or not enough and how bad your breakouts look and the frequency at which they pop up is sent into overdrive thanks to bacteria, pollution, makeup and more just sitting on—and inside— your skin (literally).
Here’s how to find the perfect balance of science-backed ingredients that deliver gentle but effective cleansing plus use your products like a pro (yes, water temperature, how you lather up and more matters!).
Why Cleansing Can Affect Skin and Pores
“Cleansing is really important for your skin because throughout the day, your skin is forming oil and getting exposed to the environment,” says Kiran Mian, MD, Director of Clinical Innovation at Reale Actives and dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Center in New York City, and co-founder of Reale Actives. And let’s face it: what we’re really focusing on when we cleanse our skin every day are those teeny-tiny openings that we undeniably obsess over—pores. And for good reason: what happens inside pores dictates breakouts. “Pores are openings in the skin and at the base of each pore is an oil gland and throughout the day those glands are secreting oil,” explains Dr. Mian. “Plus, skin cells within pores are constantly trying to regenerate and those two things often mix together.” On top of that, add a few layers of skincare, makeup and sunscreen along with the pollutants, dirt and debris you face all day and a clogged pore is born. “You want a cleanser that's going to, yes, clean your skin effectively, but also leave your skincare barrier intact and not over-strip it of its oil so that it can withstand the actives that you're using to treat your acne,” Dr. Mian explains.
Cleansing Frequency for Acne-Prone Skin
In the morning:
If you’ve properly cleansed in the p.m., then a simple rinse (with H20) and repeat (with your skincare) can be all your skin requires to reset. See how your skin feels, Dr. Mian recommends. “In the morning, I tell my patients, you don't necessarily have to use a cleanser because it depends on your skin type and what your skin needs that specific day,” she says. “Some people are overproducers when it comes to oil and so for them, cleansing may be important in the morning, while others have skin that can feel dry or tight.” The texture of the cleanser you use depends on your skin type, too. “If you have more oily skin, you may want to use a gel-based cleanser that suds up more to help wash away oil; and those with dry or sensitive skin may want to use a creamy cleanser because it can be more gentle, add hydration and help prevent stripping further moisture from skin,” she says.
At night:
“Our skin cells are constantly regenerating—about every 28 days or so, we have new skin cells that push up to the surface and then the old skin cells flake off,” explains Dr. Mian. “This process of regeneration happens predominantly at night which is why you want to make sure you cleanse before you go to sleep because if you don't, those old skin cells are not able to shed off and that's when you get clogged pores.” Another culprit of clogged pores overnight: the bacteria and oil combo. “As you're sleeping, you can also have bacteria on your skin and oil is food for bacteria,” Dr. Mian says. “And when you have acne-prone skin, you often have a higher amount of oil so it’s really important that your skin is clean at night because otherwise bacteria is going to feed on all that oil, and then you'll wake up with more inflamed red pimples in the morning.”
The Benefits of Double Cleansing
To double cleanse or not to double cleanse? For acne-prone skin, this truly is the question. When you’ve faced the day or night with a full face of makeup, a double cleanse is a no brainer. Another reason to turn to the double cleanse method is post sweat sesh. “If your skin tends to get congested and is acne prone and you have sweat building up on your skin and you tend to apply all your skincare before working out, I’ll also recommend a targeted double cleanse,” says Dr. Mian. “It’s a great way to know you did a nice deep clean of the skin.”
According to Dr. Mian, double cleanse correctly, and it can be a total game-changer for keeping breakouts to a bare minimum. But it’s not simply about doing it twice because more is more—the formulation and texture of the back-to-back basics that you use is everything. “Double cleansing is really important because of chemistry: one of the principles in chemistry is to dissolve like,” she shares. “This means that when you use makeup and skincare products, some of them are oil-based and some of them are water-based.” It’s crucial to combo your cleanser choices to make sure you’re opting for formulas designed to remove both of those layers. “When double cleansing, first you want to use an oil-based cleanser to emulsify oils in your products and dissolve them and wash them off along with excess oil on your skin,” says Dr. Mian. “Next, you want to go in with a water-based cleanser to take off the residue from the oil-based cleanser along with any hydrophilic residue on your skin such as sweat and dirt.”
Hero Cleanser Ingredients for Acne Prone Skin
Although a cleanser may not seem like the superhero of your skincare routine, if it has ingredients targeted for acne and oil-prone skin, it can be. Look for ingredients that keep pores clear, wash away makeup, keep skin balanced and hydrated, all without causing more clogs. “A lot of times when a cleanser is made for oily skin, once you wash it off, your skin feels tight and squeaky clean and once you have that as a base and you start layering actives like salicylic acid or retinol to treat your acne, they’re going to be too harsh,” explains Dr. Mian. “You want a cleanser that's going to, yes, clean your skin effectively, but also leave your skincare barrier intact.” The goal: skin that feels comfortable and soothed, never stripped.
LHA Salicylic Acid
“Salicylic acid is an acid that’s lipophilic, which means it loves oil,” explains Dr. Mian. “It goes deep down into pores and helps clean out debris that gets trapped.” As beneficial as salicylic acid is for acne prone and oily skin, you don't want to overdo it, which can be common with acne-based skincare products. “That’s what Alix was experiencing—she was using all these skincare products meant for acne, but her skin was feeling raw,” Dr. Mian notes. “She even felt like her skin was painful at times because these products were just too harsh.” By opting for LHA salicylic acid, a derivative of salicylic acid whose molecular size is a little bit larger than classic SA, it can be more gentle on skin because it has to take its time to penetrate skin more slowly and superficially.
Willowbark Extract
This plant-based compound is classified as a natural beta-hydroxy acid (BHA), also ideal for sensitive acne-prone skin because it’s a precursor to salicylic acid. Like its cousin salicylic acid, it penetrates pores and helps spur exfoliation and slough away dead skin cells but it’s also unique because it showcases the ability to also calm inflammation, a major culprit of acne prone skin.
Non-Comedogenic Oils
Oils for acne prone skin? Yes, you read that right. “It’s very important to know the science behind acne and that those with acne tend to have an imbalance of oils,” says Dr. Mian. “Oils are actually necessary in skin and help maintain the skincare barrier, but in those with acne, they tend to have less linoleic acid and higher oleic acid-based oils, so the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 oils is imbalanced.” By infusing the good oils and minimizing the bad oils, this essential healthy oil balance is back in sync. “You want oils high in linoleic acid to help to correct that imbalance that we often see in acne-prone skin—these include sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, grapeseed oil, meadow foam oil and sea buckthorn oil, which are all non-comedogenic, meaning they're not going to clog your pores.” Oils to avoid when your skin is acne-prone: coconut oil, almond oil and olive oil, all of which tend to be high in their comedogenic rating.
Here are Dr. Mian’s top picks for acne-friendly oils:
Grapeseed Oil
“Grape seed oil is brightening and because it has antioxidant properties, it really helps to soothe and hydrate skin,” Dr. Mian explains. “Antioxidants are essential for skin health because throughout the day our skin is coming into contact with environmental pollutants and goes through oxidative damage known as free radical damage and antioxidants help neutralize free radicals to prevent skin from getting damaged from pollutants.”
Sea Buckthorn Oil
“Sea Buckthorn oil has been shown to help regulate sebocytes, the cells that produce sebum,” says Dr. Mian.” It's been shown to regulate how much oil that oil glands are producing, so it's clearly a very good oil to use for acne prone skin.” Another pro: it has antioxidant properties that can help so it decreases inflammation.
Meadowfoam Oil
“Meadowfoam oil is an antioxidant that also acts like an anti-androgen,” says Dr. Mian. “Oil glands respond to androgen hormones—for example, testosterone is a type of androgen—which are shown to stimulate oil glands to produce excess oil.” Anti-androgens, like meadowfoam oil, helps to mitigate that excess oil production in pores.
Sunflower Seed Oil
Sunflower seed oil helps hydrate, strengthen and support the skin barrier and has antioxidant properties.
Fermented Rice
“Fermented rice is very soothing for the skin,” says Dr. Mian. “It helps to condition skin as well as soothe and help calm down inflammation.”
Glycerin
Glycerin is a humectant, which means it’s able to hold onto water to maintain hydration and moisture balance and why it’s typically found in moisturizers. “To put glycerin into a cleanser is almost counterintuitive because with a cleanser, you're washing it off, but we intentionally chose ingredients that benefit the skin,” explains Dr. Mian.
Frequently Asked Questions
What water temperature is best to use when cleansing?
“First you want to start with lukewarm water, get your skin nice and wet and then take the cleanser on your fingertips,” says Dr. Mian. “Lather the cleanser in circular motions, gently massaging it into your skin for about 30 to 60 seconds and then rinse everything off with lukewarm water again.”
Are there downsides to cleansing too quickly or for too long?
“Some people make the mistake to cleanse very quickly which is not enough time to break down all the products and everything else that's on your skin,” says Dr. Mian. But you don’t want to wash forever either. “My acne prone patients tend to really scrub for like five minutes which is too harsh on their skin,” she shares.“Be gentle, wash the residue and rinse it off, but don't cause more irritation.”
Is it better to stay consistent with a cleanser every day or change it up?
“You have to get to know your skin,” says Dr. Mian. “Yes, consistency in skincare is so important, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you do the same exact thing all the time every day.” If your skin feels really tight and dry, skip the salicylic acid cleanser and just use a gentle cream cleanser or balm for a little extra hydration. If it’s more oily and you’ve been wearing a lot of makeup, opt for a double cleanse.
Are cleansers with beads or granules good for acne prone skin?
“Avoid cleansers with beads or scrubs because they can cause micro tears on the skin and irritate skin more, especially if you have acne prone or rosacea prone skin, which tends to be more sensitive,” explains Dr. Mian.
The Best Cleansers for Acne Prone Skin
Reale Actives Get Bare Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm, $29
This cleanser is the balm. With a super luxe texture that feels nothing like any acne prone cleanser you've tried before, plus super hydrators and skin soothers, makeup washes away quickly and skin is left feeling soft, supple, plus perfectly clean.
"It was really important to Alix to have a cleanser that was buttery and soft," shares Dr. Mian. "And when you wash it off, it doesn't leave behind any residue or streaky makeup."
Reale Actives Pore Power Exfoliating LHA + BHA Gel Cleanser, $27
This light gel cleanser combines ultra gentle exfoliating acids including LHA’s with BHA’s to keep pores completely clear. Use it solo morning or night or post-cleansing balm to level up your double cleanse.
