Clean Beauty Steps for Dry Skin and Acne

Today, I’m sharing my natural skincare routine for my dry, acne-prone skin. This is the routine I implement when I have breakouts and sensitivities. I have dry, sensitive skin with hormonal acne so my main concerns are really hydration and dullness.

But every month I have one week where I may have just one or twenty hormonal breakouts, or sometimes my skin reacts to all the products I’m testing.

So when that does happen, I pare down my routine and eliminate common irritants to help my skin calm down and heal quickly.

Ingredients and Products That Cause Acne and Irritate Skin

I try to avoid scented products, including high concentrations of essential oils, balms, exfoliating masks, and heavy creams. I go very basic and use an oil or balm cleanser to remove makeup, a foaming face wash, rosewater spray, acne serum, light cream, and an oil serum.

The cream and serum are both formulated for sensitive skin so they work perfectly to soothe and prevent further irritation and acne. I spot treat with an acne mask, light therapy, acne patches, or a liquid spot treatment.

I’m sharing with you different options at different price points. These are all products I have used successfully but I don’t use all of these in my routine.

Natural Skincare Routine for Dry Acne Prone Skin

Natural Acne Face Wash

I alternate between the Alder Everyday Face Cleanser and Acure’s Seriously Soothing Cleansing Cream. Both are lightly foaming but I prefer the Alder face wash. I have my review on this face wash here. I also use these cleansers after removing my makeup with an oil or makeup remover.

I really feel that the Alder face wash is the best natural face wash for acne. It is naturally exfoliating with glycolic acid which is great for sensitive skin so it doesn’t irritate or cause redness. It helps prevent acne and speed up healing.

In addition to the cleanser, I use the BFF electric pore cleanser (the blue tool in the above photo) to exfoliate gently. I have found that this helps speed up the healing process when used daily when I have breakouts. It really helps the pimples go through their process much more quickly, even without the spot treatments. If you purchase through this link, you get it at 40% off. However, that discount expires 7 days after you first click on the link.

Natural Acne Toner

I use the Sky Organics Organic Rosewater spray. I like this one because it’s just one ingredient and it’s very affordable. I have a few other hydrating facial mists and toners but they all have added essential oils and other ingredients.

Natural Serum for Acne

I recently started layering the Blissoma Smooth A+ Correcting Serum just before my moisturizer and it has made a significant difference as far as the number of breakouts and the scarring.

This lightweight serum is not oil based so it soaks right in and it’s in a lotion form. It has a nice light scent and is made using powerful herbs to help fight bacteria, even out skin tone, and reduce redness.

Natural Acne Moisturizer

I usually use the CV Skinlabs Calming Moisture. This is just the best cream I have tried for sensitive skin because it really hydrates but it’s not heavy or oily, and it helps reduce redness and irritation. Their whole line is actually designed to help treat sensitive skin. Although it’s not as affordable as other options, it lasts a long time because I use a small amount. This is a daily staple year-round.

If you’re looking for a more affordable natural acne moisturizer, then Acure’s Seriously Soothing Day Cream is perfect. It is almost the same as the CV SKinlabs but at a fraction of the price. It has more of a matte finish, compared to the dewy CV Skinlabs. I have substituted it for months now and it is working well.

Natural Oil Serum For Acne

I use the Beauty in the Raw Bio Face Serum as the last step. I apply 2-3 drops right after the moisturizer to seal it all in. This serum is great for acne because it’s hemp-based. Hemp seed oil is non-comedogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory and is commonly used in acneic and oily formulations because it’s a quick-absorbing oil that helps reduce breakouts and balance oil production. This serum also has an earthy scent with a hint of a few essential oils so it doesn’t irritate my skin and actually helps heal my acne.

Natural Acne Spot Treatments

I really like the Ollie Belle Cover Dot acne patch overnight whenever I have a pimple. I put these on before bed and they help speed up the process without any irritation. These are made of hydrocolloid and are soothing, scent free, and free of medication.

I also spot treat with the DeVita Essential Control for Blemishes, OSEA Essential Corrective Complex, and Goldfaden MD detox mask .

The DeVita product is very affordable and I use it by pumping once onto a cotton round. It has a watery consistency and is oil free.

If you prefer an oil based product, then use the OSEA. It’s a roll on product and a little goes a long way so it lasts a long time.

The Goldfaden MD detox mask is quite pricey though. I use it because I got it in a beauty box (this is why I love beauty boxes) and it works very well. But the full size is too expensive so I would replace it with a clay mask. Any clay mask works and those are all affordable and easy to use. Here are a few easy and affordable options for bentonite clay masks. You can add a few things to your DIY mask to boost its effects, like these essential oils for combination skin.

My favorite clay mask is Leahlani’s Kalima Cleansing Powder. Not only does it smells AMAZING, but it zaps my acne right away. I use it as soon as a breakout pops up and a few times throughout the week when I’m breaking out.

One new device I started trying that actually works so well I don’t need any other spot treatments is the reVive Light Therapy Poof Acne Treatment. This little device is very affordable at $20 and uses LED light to zap bacteria under the skin that leads to pimples, and reduces potential flare-ups.

I use it twice a day on any spots I notice and it works so well. Usually, by the next day the spot is gone or has started to diminish if it’s very big. I used it successfully on a cystic pimple I had for several weeks and it was the only thing that worked.

I hope you enjoyed Natural Skincare Routine for Dry Acne Prone Skin. For more clean beauty, check out my other popular posts:

• Affordable & Natural Sunscreens
• Affordable & Natural Facial Cleansers Under $15
• The Best Natural Lash & Brow Products
• Affordable Natural & Organic Makeup
• Affordable Natual & Organic Skincare

Looking for more budget natural beauty products?

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