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Dealing with acne part 1: The best cleansing products for acne-prone skin

Keeping spots at bay starts with a good cleansing routine

Woman touching her face after cleansing skin
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It may come as little surprise that spotty skin is one of the most commonly searched for beauty complaints on the internet.

Spots are caused when hair follicles become blocked by excess sebum and dead skin cells – essentially causing a plug. Teenage acne is often triggered by increased levels of testosterone, because the glands that produce sebum are thought to be extra sensitive to hormones. Other triggers include certain medications and smoking.

The first step in treating acne and finding a helpful skincare regime is finding a good cleansing product. Cleansing should do one vital thing: it should remove grime, dead skin cells and excess oil, and sunscreen and make-up. But it should not disrupt barrier function. As an extra benefit it can potentially treat problem skin to an extent.

Acne-prone skin can be dry, normal-combination or oily. This is especially true of adult acne, when skin changes and often becomes significantly less oily compared to teenage years. This will also be the case if your skin has been the subject of common forms of acne abuse, otherwise known as a fear of moisturiser. Alongside skipping moisturiser, many women will be using an industrial-grade foaming cleanser – the kind that gives washing up liquid a run for its money. The irony is that dried-out, irritable, acneic skin is actually going to revert to its default state and, you guessed it, break out more.

You should avoid make-up that needs a heavy duty foaming cleanser to remove it. Almost everyone can use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser that is non-comedogenic, and won't clog pores. This simplistic notion seems to alarm many – they've been so bamboozled by all the toys you can now purchase to assist the banal act of cleansing there's the feeling of laziness if they don't do a pre-cleanse, cleanse and a post-cleanser before their pre-serum.

In the pursuit of a more gentle, kinder-to-skin cleanser, here are my four favourites for an acne-prone complexion.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Foam: This is effective, gentle, pleasingly luxurious to use and causes no tightness or clogging. Plus it's a mousse. Mousses are a fun way to cleanse, and I have no problem bringing play into cleansing to make it less boring.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: Cetaphil cleanser is great for sensitive/reactive skin-types. It works well for the morning cleanse, but may not be heavy duty enough for night-time use if wearing a lot of make-up. However this can be amped up by using a damp muslin cloth to mechanically lift the cleanser. Popular with men, as it's a no fuss kind of product.

Eau Thermale Avène Gentle Gel Cleanser: This cleanser is mild, effective, suitable for all skin types and pleasant to use.

Obagi CLENZIderm MD Daily Care Foaming Cleanser: This is the one medicated product I use. As it contains 2% Salicylic acid, this is great for very oily/inflammatory acne patients. Excess sebum reduces penetration of acne actives in your leave-on products so this is an important step. It's a gentle level of foam, which doesn't desiccate skin so, again, ideal for oilier skin types.

How to maximise your cleansing product

Minimise friction: Use a muslin cloth to assist the cleanse, but steer clear of granular exfoliating washes and brushes.

Have flexibility: Change up your cleanser. Use a salicylic acid
cleanser a week before period, and a gentle one every morning and night. Try and adapt to environment and season.

Micellar waters: These are fine in a pinch, but I'd avoid relying on them for day-in-day-out use.

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