Acne & Blemishes

Why your skin gets even oilier after harsh skincare

Harsh cleansers, exfoliating too often and drying toners can weaken the skin barrier and cause tightness, flaking and redness. That extra irritation can also make acne worse.

Choose a gentle cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling tight, and moisturize regularly. A well-supported skin barrier helps your skin tolerate the active ingredients that target breakouts and clogged pores.

What do breakouts on your chin, nose and forehead mean?

Where breakouts show up often says something about the cause. Pimples on your nose and forehead are usually linked to sebum, because that is where you have the most oil glands. Pimples on your chin, jawline and neck are often hormonal and come back in cycles.

Common types of pimples include:

• blackheads;
• whiteheads, which stay under a thin layer of skin;
• under-the-skin pimples with no visible head;
• hormonal pimples and acne on the chin;
• teen breakouts, mainly on the forehead, nose and chin.

Blackheads and whiteheads are clogged pores. Regular double cleansing and salicylic acid help with both. Under-the-skin and hormonal pimples sit deeper and take longer to heal, so don't squeeze them.

If the pimples on your face and neck are numerous, deep or painful, see a dermatologist. The same goes if they only appeared after age 30. Skincare can calm them, but it won't remove the cause.

Ingredients that really help with acne

There's no miracle ingredient. But there are a few that acne-prone skin tolerates well and that are very common in Korean skincare for acne:

• niacinamide, which regulates sebum production, supports the skin barrier and can improve the look of dark post-acne marks;
• azelaic acid, which helps reduce breakouts and inflammation and helps fade brown post-acne marks;
• salicylic acid, or BHA, which helps remove dead skin cells and reduce clogged pores;
• heartleaf and centella, which calm inflamed skin so it heals faster.

You don't need all of them at once. Start with one and after a few weeks decide whether you need anything else.

A routine for acne-prone skin

Morning:

• a gentle cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling tight;
• serum for acne with niacinamide (if needed);
• a lightweight moisturizer;
• SPF 50.

Evening:

• double cleansing, first a cleansing oil, then a foam;
• a serum with azelaic acid or BHA (if needed);
• moisturizer.

Don't use acids and retinal on the same evening. Introduce new products one at a time and wait at least two weeks. That way you know what helps and what irritates your skin.

Pimple patches

Hydrocolloid patches work best on surface pimples that are already open and draining. They absorb the fluid and protect the spot from touching and squeezing.

Apply the patch to clean, dry skin and use it as directed. Don't pop a pimple to make the patch work better. With deep, closed pimples under the skin, a regular hydrocolloid patch can't reach what's inside.

What to avoid with acne

• squeezing pimples, because you push the inflammation deeper;
• exfoliating every day, because it irritates the skin;
• skipping moisturizer;
• skipping SPF, since sun can darken post-acne marks;
• switching products every week, because it makes it harder to judge what works and to spot what is causing any irritation.

Acne-prone skincare at dglow

At dglow you can choose from cleansers, toners, serums, lightweight creams, masks and pimple patches for acne-prone skin. For a face mask against breakouts, choose a clay pore mask or a sheet mask with tea tree. Use it once or twice a week.

Build your routine around the concern that bothers you most. Skin with blackheads needs a different focus than skin with inflamed pimples and the dark marks they leave behind. Start with a simple routine your skin tolerates well and add to it gradually.