Friday's Fav 5: Acne Beating Buys

Throughout my childhood I had perfectly soft, blemish free skin. It was beautiful. There was no discolouration, no blackheads, very little pores and not a single spot in sight. Just everything I want now as an adult, but sadly took advantage of in my youth. 

My skincare issues began when I started wearing makeup. I wasn't really getting spots or acne, but that is when my redness and dark under eyes started to make an appearance. But the real issue began when I actually developed a proper skin care routine. 

When I was going to bed with my make up still on, and not washing my brushes etc my skin was still quite clear and in pretty good condition. But once I introduced different, and possibly, harsh products onto my skin, it reacted in the worst way possible and now I just can't seem to shift it. 

Tbh, this seems like an advert for NOT washing your make up off properly, which is not what I'm saying. My skin back then would've been clogged, lacklustre and greasy but what I am saying is that once you do get into the routine you can't deter from it as your skin gets used to the products. 

So with that being said, I have tried many products in my lifetime and recently I have found a few new favourites that really help reduce and keep my acne at bay.

Just for reference, these are all products I use in the evening, as they are quite thick and can soak into my skin overnight. 

So firstly, I start with the L'oreal Pure Clay Purity Wash. I used this to remove all my make up from the day. This is a really great cleanser, I find it removes every bit of make up from my skin and eyes, it is extremely sensitive and it doesn't sting my eyes or spots at all. My skin feels really refreshed once I have used this and it doesn't leave my face feeling dry which a lot of cleansers can do to me due to their harsh chemicals. I haven't been using it for very long so there are no noticeable differences in my skin, but even just to remove make up I think it's great. The best bit is that it is literally a steal, I picked this up for £3 from Wilkos.

Everyone says you should always double cleanse (IDK why), so to do so I will use a product called African Black Soap. I heard such amazing things about this soap, and how it clears up your skin so well. I bought mine a really long time ago and it is still going strong, so it is great value for money. I think the product definitely keeps my acne away as much as possible. I do have a few spots that creep in, but all in all a great product. It does sting like a bitch if you get it in your eyes, and it can dry your skin out so I wouldn't use daily. I haven't photographed this product, just because mine is a little worse for wear now and would not look great lol. 

If it is a mask day, then I will use this new face mask I have purchased from the Yesto tomato range. I LOVE these products. The Yesto Clearing Facial Mask, specifically for combination skin, is great. My skin is left feeling really fresh, and I notice the redness and angry spots calming. You only need to leave it on for 5 minutes which is great too, because I hate waiting around to wash them off. 

Once I am done with the cleansing process, I will tone my face (I don't use an acne specific one so I won't mention it) and then use my serums. Now, when I tell you this product is a game changer, I bloody well mean it. The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is epic. I use this specifically on my spots and uneven skin, just to target those areas. The results of using this product were visible by the morning. My spots and blemishes and been reduced, and I felt like my skins appearance has noticeably improved. I was very impressed after my first use of this product, and still continue to use it now. The Ordinary is such and effective and affordable range too.  

Finally, once I have used all my serums, eye creams, face mists etc. I use my moisturiser. I save this to the end, because it is of a much thicker consistency, and I have read a few times that when you are layering products to go from lightest to heavier, hence starting with the serums. ANYWAY, the moisturiser I have been using is another yesto tomato product. It is the Daily Balancing Moisturiser. It smells beautiful, very much like cinnamon, if you're into that, it's thick, but not too thick and definitely isn't greasy. I just really like this as a moisturiser. If I don't use any of the above products (after a drunken night out for example), I always make sure to use that moisturiser before bed to keep my skin hydrated.  

So, those are my current 5 favourite acne beating buys! Do you use any of these products? If not, what do you tend to reach for when a breakout occurs?

Thanks for reading!