HOW DO I TREAT ACNE?

Hi fellow beauty-lovers, 
Apologies for my long holiday from blogging - but I am back now!

So I get asked a lot how I treat/disguise my acne, and I've gone through many different products and routines so I thought I would share with you my top acne treatment/disguising products!
Note: some of these are more appropriate for less-sensitive skin, so be aware if you tend to suffer from reactions as a result of harsh ingredients. 

1. Acnecide 5% Gel 
I only recently started using this product as a treatment for my acne, but I have to say: I will definitely be repurchasing this gel. It contains 5% benzoyl peroxide which is the active ingredient in this product - it's fabulous! When it comes to benzoyl peroxide, people tend to think that the higher the percentage, the better. In fact, this isn't true! 5% of this ingredient will give you the same results as something containing 10% of it, while being less damaging to sensitive skin. 

When I first started using this product, I did notice my skin becoming extremely dry and itchy in the areas I applied it to - however, I just paired it up with E45 cream and my skin was back to normal within a couple of days. Acnecide's website does warn about dryness and irritation, and so you should begin using once a day (preferably at night, when our skin is at work repairing itself) and then increase to twice daily if needed. I only use this gel on the spots themselves - the instructions say to use around the area too, but I prefer not to in case of the dryness returning. 

The first thing I noticed about Acnecide was that when I opened it, it didn't have a super strong chemical smell like most acne treatments do, and it didn't sting or burn when applied to spots/papules. I then thought that maybe it wasn't strong enough to dry out my acne, but I was wrong.. My spots were completely dried up overnight and the redness had definitely reduced. 
To find out more about Acnecide Gel (and the body-wash), visit Acnecide's website HERE.

2. La Roche Posay: Effaclar Duo +
If you have been following me for a while, then you'll know I've spoken about this product a few times already.. I just couldn't leave it out of this list! This is by far my favourite product to keep acne at bay. I use it twice daily now as a moisturiser & also a base for my makeup. 
To read my full review on this product, click HERE. This used to keep my skin acne-free, but recently my skin has become worse than usual so I've had to introduce other products along with it. 

3. La Roche Posay: Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel
One of the most important things to do to keep acne away is to cleanse twice daily with an antibacterial wash, to fight germs and clean out excess sebum from your pores. This cleanser is a super gentle foaming wash that I use every morning and every night, and also in the shower. It is perfect for oily skin (like my own) and also very sensitive skin. It really helps to fight acne in the most basic way: removing dirt. All you need is a small amount on damp hands which you then lather and massage onto a damp face. Rinse your face with tepid water (as hot water increases blood flow, leading to more oil production) and pat dry with a clean towel. The Effaclar range is definitely part of my all time favourite products. Check out their full range HERE. 

4. Make Up For Ever: Full Cover Camouflage Concealer
I don't know what I did before I found this concealer.. Hands down the most camouflaging (hence the name) and imperfection-concealing product I have ever used in my life. This wonder product is totally amazing for those who need to conceal spots, redness and hyperpigmentation/discolouration. I stumbled across this concealer when in the US during the summer and I was so worried I wouldn't be able to purchase it in Ireland, but thank god.. they have it in stock here, too! 
I apply this concealer using a Real Techniques setting brush and then blend with a medium sized Beauty Blender. This concealer is waterproof, but comes off easily with micellar water or other kinds of cleansers. I will never look back!

5. Clean & Clear - Advantage Spot Treatment Gel
This product is brilliant for those who want to try and keep their budget low when it comes to skincare - which is most of us, really! It's a fast and effective treatment for acne such as pimples and papules and works usually after about 4 hours. This is very affordable and totally worth the money, however beware of using this on very sensitive skin as I did suffer a few breakouts of hive-like patches from overusing it on certain areas of sensitive skin. 
Again, E45 is a wonder product to pair up with this gel if you do find yourself developing these problems, too. This can be purchased in Boots Pharmacy for only €5.99. I have yet to try the other products in the Clean & Clear Advantage range, but if they're anything like this topical gel, then I'm sure they are worth purchasing. 

6. TheFaceShop - Blackhead Out
Most of us suffer from acne in some form, including clogged pores which then become whiteheads or if oxidation takes place, blackheads. This tends to mainly happen around the nose, forehead and chin (T-Zone) and can be extremely difficult to remove. For this problem, I use a product called Blackhead Out by TheFaceShop which is a white clay nose pack (which I use on all affected areas). This is a very strong product designed to stick itself to excess sebum and dead skin cells trapped inside open pores and then harden, making it easy to extract the contents. 

7. Bioré Pore Strips
This is another useful product to try and extract whiteheads and blackheads from your pores. I use the Ultra Deep Cleansing pore strips. These are similar to the clay mask, however all you have to do is place them onto damp skin, press into the nose and leave to dry rather than spread into a thin mask form. These become super hard within about 10 minutes and actually remove quite a lot of excess oil and skin cells that are trapped. And the best thing is that they're white so you can see exactly what was extracted when the strips are removed. 

Besos, 

Rosee.

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