For reference I suffer from cystic acne and I do take medication prescribed by my dermatologist. However this routine is one that my dermatologist recommends for people that do suffer from severe acne, and even without medication my skin benefits greatly from using some of these products.
For makeup removal I adore Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I feel like this is a good start to any routine and it gets every bit of my makeup off my face, including the most stubborn water proof eye makeup. Which is important for healthy skin. I tend to alternate between using this and a cleansing oil, but this is a favorite.
The next step is Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser. This is a scrub but it is one that really is gentle enough to use every day and I do. This is definitely a holy grail item for me, and I can't believe I ever let myself run out of this and I definitely will not be making that mistake again. Exfoliating is super important when you have severe acne, because acne occurs when sebum gets trapped beneath dead skin cells. You could get away with just the hot cloth cleanser, but if your skin is really stubborn like mine I really recommend this.
After a very light exfoliation I use an acne wash. Currently I am using Murad's Clarifying Cleanser, which if I'm honest I don't love. I much prefer Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel cleanser which I will be going back to as soon as I run out of this. But for now this does work.
Usually I would be using a toner, but currently I'm out of my favorite and just haven't picked it up again, which is the Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Refining Tonic. I also really like their Ultra Facial Toner.
Once or twice a week I use the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque. This mask is absolutely lovely and my skin feels super clean after I use it. If I do have a current outbreak it is drastically reduced the next day, which makes this a miracle worker and a holy grail item for me. Another mask that's just as lovely but twice the price for half the product is Fresh's Umbrian Clay Mattifying Mask
Then I follow up with First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream for my moisturizer. I haven't ever found a moisturizer I absolutely adore but this one does the job well enough and the price isn't horrible. I'll probably repurchase it when I'm done but for now I definitely plan on at least finishing this container.
I can easily say that Kiehl's is my favorite skincare brand, their products are amazing and their prices won't make your wallet want to throw rocks at you. What's your favorite Skincare?
