Best Products For Acne Prone Skin And Acne Scars

If you’re looking for the best skincare products for acne prone skin and acne scars, then you have come to the right place.

I spent over a year (yes, over a year!) battling with crippling acne breakouts and hormonal acne and I finally found products that have cleared up my acne completely.

Before and after photos after using these products for acne

Best Face Wash For Acne Prone Skin

When to use: AM first thing. PM as a second cleanse.

For face wash and face cleanser, choose something very light and gentle. For acne prone skin there are often active breakouts and whiteheads, it’s better to use a gentle cleanser vs a face scrub or something with granules because it can spread the bacteria and cause more breakouts. So, the key is to use cleansers that do a great job of cleansing the skin without irritating it.

Fresh Beauty Soy Face Cleanser 30ml / USD $38

This is a holy grail product of mine. It is the most gentle face cleanser and does an amazing job of cleansing the skin, without drying it out. Fresh Beauty Soy Face Cleanser has a gel-like consistency and lathers up into a soothing foam with water. I especially like using this at night because it helps clear up any leftover makeup or debris from the skin.

KraveBeauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser 120 ml / USD $16

The KraveBeauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser is new to my routine, but I am in love and use it every single day too. It’s very similar to the Fresh Soy cleanser and I think it’s why I like it so much. You only need a pea-sized amount for a luxurious lather on the face. What makes this cleanser so special is that the skin feels extra bouncy and hydrated after use. Great value for money!

Toners and Essence Products For Acne

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 118 ml / USD $32

When to use: PM after face wash, 3x a week on alternating nights.

Hands down the best product for acne prone skin. It has cleared up all my breakouts and prevented any new ones from happening in 8 weeks. I totally get the hype. Read this post for my full review on the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. It’s an exfoliating toner, so I use it at night 3x a week on alternating nights. I love the formula because it’s serum-like and feels hydrating on the skin.

Related:
How To Use Salicylic Acid And Retinol In Your Skincare Routine

Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Skin 200 ml / USD $25

When to use: PM after toner/exfoliant / before retinol

“Skin” is another word used for essence in Korean skin care. I use the Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Skin every day after face wash. For acne skin, it’s important to keep the skin well-hydrated and protect the skin barrier when using potent products like exfoliating toners and retinol. It’s a simple product that is designed to hydrate and prep the skin for serums and moisturizer. You also get so much product for the price and that’s an added bonus!

Related:
Affordable Korean Skincare Brand Innisfree Is Great For Acne-Prone Skin

Serums For Acne And Acne Scars

Vitamin C serums
Dear, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop 35 ml / USD $20
Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Essence 20ml / USD $14

When to use: AM after face wash.

Acne scarring is a form of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which essentially means after a pimple heals, it leaves dark spots behind. To reduce the dark spots and brighten the skin, I use a vitamin c serum every morning after . I like both Dear, Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop or Melano CC Vitamin C Brightening Essence because they are gentle and leave a healthy glow on the skin.

Related:
Why You Need A Vitamin C Serum In Your Morning Skincare Routine — And Beginner Tips To Get Started

Retinol:
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion 30ml / USD $10
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni™ Retinol Skincare Cream (Mini) 10 ml / USD $28

When to use: PM after face wash and essence, 1x a week at night and not on the same night as BHA.

Retinol is a powerful ingredient and highly recommended for helping acne prone skin and acne scars. If you’re a first-time retinol user, then start with something with a low dosage like the  (FYI: the 2% here is equivalent to 0.2% as compared to other retinol products). If your skin is used to retinol, then you can use something stronger like the Drunk Elephant A-Passioni™ Retinol Skincare Cream, which has 1% retinol. Since I only use it once a week, the travel size works perfectly.

Related:
A Beginners Guide: What Is Retinol and How To It In A Skincare Routine

Best Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skin

Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Lotion 160 ml / USD $25

I’ll be very honest the formula of this lotion is not my favorite because it is very runny and wet. My skin stays damp for a few minutes before it absorbs into the skin. But the Innisfree Jeju Lava Seawater Lotion has changed the quality of my skin and visibly reduced my acne breakouts. My skin is bouncy, clear and I can see the glass-skin effect. It’s also a great affordable option — you get so much product for the price. Read my full review here.

Best Sunscreen For Acne Prone Skin

When to use: AM as final step in routine after moisturizer

Live Tinted Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Sunscreen-Moisturizer-Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 50 ml / USD $32

If you’re looking for a moisturizer and SPF in one, then the Live Tinted Hueguard is amazing. I am a huge fan of this product and it’s the sunscreen I’m currently using every single day. Serum-like formula that blends beautifully into the skin and leaves it super glowy. No white cast and makeup looks incredible on top of it.

Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Mild Milk SPF 50 (for Sensitive Skin) 60 ml / USD $35
Anessa Essence UV Sunscreen Mild Milk SPF 35 (for Sensitive Skin) 60 ml / USD $35

For acne prone skin it can be a challenge to find a sunscreen that doesn’t clog the pores or cause more breakouts. For so many years I thought I was “allergic to sunscreen” because I kept breaking out as soon as I applied SPF. It turns out I needed to find something gentle and non-comedogenic. The Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Mild Milk products work great on acne skin and absorb right in, leaving no white cast and looks great under makeup too.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 50 ml / USD $36

Another great option for acne prone skin. The Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 has a mattifying effect on the skin, so it also works great as a primer under makeup. No white cast, gentle formula and doesn’t cause breakouts.

Best Cleansing Oil

Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil 150 ml / USD $48

When to use: PM as the first cleanse followed by face wash as the second cleanse.

One of the most important ways of managing acne is ensuring that the skin is very clean and pores aren’t clogged. So, I use the Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil every single night as a first cleanse to melt away makeup, cleanse sunscreen, and clear any debris from my pores. Since a cleansing oil only stays on the skin for a few minutes and then washes off, I don’t really worry about it causing any acne. Don’t be scared by the word “oil”. The Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil is a holy grail product and works really well on acne prone skin. It’s expensive, but lasts forever, so it’s worth the price tag.