My love of skincare began as a teenager—plagued by sore, painful acne, I spent hours of time scanning the shelves of my local Boots store, spending my (hard-earned) pocket money on cleansers and face masks, and desperately trying literally every "DIY acne cure" I could concoct with the contents of my parents' kitchen (sorry mum).
Since then, I've managed to turn my love of testing and trying products and researching ingredients into a career. I've been fortunate enough to try some of the best beauty products on the market, get face time with skincare experts and dermatologists, and try out some pretty impressive facial treatments. I've learned that my skin needs more moisture than I think, that SPF is the best thing for fading hyperpigmentation, and that prescription-strength retinoids are what it takes for my acne to lay low. So I've managed to find a routine of products that my skin both needs and loves.
The thing is, testing beauty products is quite literally my day job—so sticking to the same routine day in and day out is pretty impossible. While I try to maintain balance (I have a strict one-in-one-out process), there is the occasional instance where my skin freaks out. Whether it meets an ingredient it doesn't like (cue: breakouts) or if I've simply overdone it with too many active ingredients (goodbye skin barrier), despite all the best intentions in the world, stressed skin is the occupational hazard I'm faced with.
As a result, I've learned to keep a SWAT team of products to hand that I know I can rely on when my skin is stressed; when breakouts appear, or when I experience a flare-up of redness or sensitivity. In my time of need, these are the holy grail products I use to get my skin back on track.
The best products for breakouts congestion:
Like I said, thanks to a rather magical ingredient called tretinoin, I manage to keep my acne-prone skin relatively under control. On occasion, I'll still experience the odd hormonal breakout on my chin or jaw, and (if I've used a moisturiser that's a bit too rich for my skin) I may notice a few small flare ups. These are the products I reach for when that happens.
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This was the only product that had any impact when my acne and congestion was at its worst so it's my go-to when breakouts appear. The cooling, calming formula helps to quickly reduce any inflammation, redness, and soreness, while kaolin clay works to draw out congestion.
You know those super painful under-the-skin spots that don't look bad, but feel like a volcano brewing under the surface of your skin? They're notoriously hard to treat because they're so deep in the skin, but don't stand a chance against these spot patches, which use microdarts to dissolve blemish-fighting ingredients into the skin.
The best way to stop a spot in its tracks is to get a targeted breakout treatment on it, fast. Unlike the ones I grew up using, this one has a really hydrating, creamy base which ensure that the skin around the spot isn't dried out—and is therefore less likely to leave any hyperpigmentation.
The star ingredient in this soothing face mist is hypochlorous acid (which sounds scary, but really isn't). Hypochlorous acid has very strong antimicrobial properties, so it basically disinfects your face (again, sounds scary). It does so by replicating the effects of white blood cells, which help damaged skin to heal, so it reduces inflammation and speeds up skin's healing process. Breakouts (plus other inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and eczema) don't stand a chance.
Benzoyl peroxide is another really effective anti-acne ingredient. It's not found in many 'on the shelf' products in the U.K., and this is one of the few products where it's featured at its maximum strength, 5%. When I notice my skin feeling congested or I have a few breakouts lurking, I use this in my evening routine to get things back on track.
No breakout-busting skincare routine would be complete without a salicylic acid-based product. The ingredient works by supporting the skin's exfoliation process, removing dead skin cells that block and clog pores, leading to breakouts. Unlike other exfoliating acids, salicylic acid is oil soluble, which means it can penetrate deep into the skin and break down sebum buildup too. Used twice weekly, this exfoliating toner is a great way to keep on top of congested skin.
My Daily Doser has been a staple in my evening skincare routine for almost three years now—and I credit it with being the product that finally shifted my acne for good. The key ingredient in the Daily Doser is tretinoin, a particularly potent retinoid currently only available in the U.K. on prescription. Alongside niacinamide and azelaic acid, it's made a huge difference to my skin tone and texture as well as reducing my breakouts.
The best products for a damaged skin barrier:
As a teenager, my approach to dealing with acne was to inflict my skin with stripping products and active ingredients. I shudder to think about the days when I used face scrubs (you know the ones) twice daily, plus nightly charcoal masks, pore strips, and an acid-soaked exfoliating pad. The result was sore, red, tight skin and even more breakouts... Essentially I had a damaged skin barrier—in fact, I probably didn't even have a skin barrier—and given that the skin barrier is essential for keeping moisture in (hydrated skin is healthy skin) and bacteria out, it's easy to see why I was stuck in an endless cycle of painful breakouts and lingering red hyperpigmentation.
These days I wouldn't dream of using an acid toner on the same day I use a retinol serum, I only exfoliate once a week, and I avoid scrubs in favour of enzyme-based exfoliators. I'm also religious about layering moisturising products, and always seal in my nightly routine with a facial oil. These are the products I use to keep my skin barrier intact.
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Layering moisture is a great way to boost skin's hydration levels if your skin barrier is compromised. The key is to layer products from thinnest to thickest; so start with a toner, then an essence, followed by a serum, moisturiser, and finally an oil. Essences aren't a key part in most peoples routines (texture-wise they're a hybrid between a toner and serum) but if you do have dehydrated skin, they're a great way to get some extra moisture in. My skin drinks this stuff up and looks and feels all the more better for it.
La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast B5 cream is a staple product which most dermatologists will recommend to those with a damaged skin barrier or dry skin. The brand released a face mist version earlier this year, and more recently a serum. Specifically designed to restore the skin barrier, it's soothing, cooling, lightweight, but packed with reparative ingredients like cica and panthenol.
Dr. Jart+'s Ceramidin collection features an essence, serum, moisturiser, eye cream, and sheet mask, but the star of the show is this recently released intensive moisturiser. Packed with ceramides (which help to rebuild and strengthen the skin barrier) this thick cream is my new go-to because it nourishes skin without clogging pores.
Anyone who's acne-prone will probably have a natural aversion towards facial oils. It took me a long time to get over mine, but once I learned that not all facial oils are created equally, and some are totally fine to use on acne-prone skin, I've been totally converted. I'm never without a bottle of this on my shelf—squalane is derived from olives or sugarcane and (while not technically an oil), it's an oily substance which is very similar to the oils that our skin naturally produces. For this reason it won't clog pores or cause irritation because skin know exactly what to do with it. I love using this as the final step in my skincare routine to seal the moisture in.
If you notice any dry or rough patches on your face, this is a great balm to have on hand for targeting them specifically. It creates a physical barrier over skin, allowing it to heal while infusing it with soothing ingredients like oat and vitamin E.
Despite having a serum texture, this soothing formula is every bit as nourishing as a moisturiser (if not more so). I always gravitate towards using it during the winter months, when dry patches flare up and my skin feels super sensitive.
When it feels like no amount of moisture will bring my skin back from the brink of dryness and dehydration, this is the mask I reach for. It's a thick, rich, balmy texture which provides intense nourishment and performs a total reset on my skin.
The best products for sensitivity redness:
This one ties in slightly with a damaged skin barrier because when the skin barrier is damaged, skin is much more sensitive and will react more easily to active ingredients like vitamin C or retinol. So often these concerns go hand-in-hand. Everyone's skin has a certain degree of sensitivity and this can be aggravated by things like seasonal and climate changes, your environment, and of course, the products you use. Personally, I find my skin can be much more sensitive in the winter months. I notice redness appears first around the bottom of my nose—this is actually the most sensitive part of the face, so it's a good indicator of sensitivity. When that happens, these are the products I add to my routine.
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Paula's Choice's Calm range encompasses a toner, cleanser, exfoliant, serum, and two moisturisers, all formulated with ultra-sensitive skin in mind. I'm a huge fan of this cleanser—it has a soft, cushiony texture which feels so gentle on skin (but still does an efficient job of removing makeup and cleansing skin).
Sensitivity and redness is often accompanied by skin feeling hot and inflamed. I always keep a face mist in the fridge for times like this—currently, this Skinceuticals mist is sitting pretty with my apple juice and cold brew. Formulated with redness in mind, it simultaneously soothes and hydrates skin.
Lightweight gel-textured moisturiser are my favourites types to wear during the day anyway, but this one is particularly gentle, which makes it a perfect choice when my skin is feeling sensitised. The cooling gel texture calms skin instantly.
Cica is a particularly effective ingredient for sensitive skin—it's an anti-inflammatory so is incredibly calming. This cool jelly-textured mask feels like soothing treat for skin that's warm, red, and irritated. I apply it overnight (on bare skin) when my skin is feeling sensitive all over. By morning, it's back to its calm, collected self.
I'm a contact lens wearer and have very sensitive eyes, so if product ever gets in them, I know about it. When I wake up with eyes feeling a bit sore and puffy, these gel patches are my go-tos for offering instant soothing relief. Again, I keep them in the fridge because they feel 100x more satisfying to apply when they're cold. If you have puffiness, follow up with some gentle eye massage (a pre-chilled teaspoon works perfectly) to drain away excess fluid.
Since UV rays cause (and worsen) inflammation, my number one tip for skin that's prone to redness is to make sure you're using a high factor sunscreen, every single day. This is one my my go-tos because as well as providing SPF50 protection, it has a sublte tint which helps to even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of redness.
Not all face oils are created equal, and while some would probably further irritate my skin, this one never does. In fact, it does the complete opposite—soothing and nourishing via the healing and regenerating benefits of organic rosehip oil.
This story was previously published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
