Help with acne

[CaleighGp]

I have VERY sensitive skin and i also have acne. It’s difficult for me to find skincare I can actually use and that is good for my sensitive skin. I don’t want to worry if it’s going to irritate my skin or anything. I need a skincare brand without anything bad, no parabens or  unnecessary chemicals that could be harmful. I want it to be vegan and cruelty free too. I know it’s a lot to ask but it’ll help me a lot. Thanks! ❤️

[scentmovement]

I would trie Saie....I listed to a podcast where the owner talked about how their products are meant to be a combination of makeup and skincare.

[CattyT3]

I'll try to help guide you on some ingredients that are specifically targeted at tackling acne, I can't guarantee every single box for your requirements will be ticked in products I mention and recommend from experience, but it will give you some solid ground to work with. Most of this is what I posted earlier today on someone else's post about acne as well:

> If you haven't heard of retinoids already, there is a specific one called Adapalene that was primarily developed to tackle acne. This is over the counter, most popularly sold by Differin, but there is also prescription strength retinoic acid, and other non-prescription forms of vitamin A too. You can look into the pros and cons of each type, and not all retinol or retinaldehyde containing products are created equal even if they have equal concentrations of the retinoid. You can start off using on retinoid type and progress to another if you feel you wan to see if you can get more benefits for your needs. For example, I started off with using  but now I use retinaldehyde.

> Have you tried using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser? A tried and true ingredient for acne treatment, this is something that only needs to sit on your skin for maximum 3-5 minutes and CAN BLEACH CLOTHING so be extra careful when washing and wiping it off. Also give it a bit of time between applying and putting on antioxidant ingredients like retinol and vit C since this uses oxygen to kill the acne bacteria.
Cerave just recently came out with a really creamy 4% one that I gave to someone with constant acne and oily skin and plenty of dark marks from them, and they love it. Usually something like Panoxyl is notoriously drying and can lead to further irritation if you're not careful, but this creamy cleanser is amazing on the skin (my dry hands were not complaining when getting a feel for this cleanser). 
Naturium also has a 4% one with nice nourishing ingredients as well, but I think it has some micro exfoliant particles in it, so it will be a pure decision of texture preference for you on that one.

> There are also sulfur topical treatments that are getting more popular now too, good for both acne and helping calm irritation. Naturium has one and I have been hearing about a pharmacy product that is supposed to be very smelly but excellent for results, De La Cruz 10% Sulfur Ointment.

> Salicylic acid (many times called BHA in product names/ ingredient list callouts) is the most commonly used and popular acne fighting ingredient. easiest way to get a feel for it on your skin is trying a cleanser with it, but you can find BHA in any product nowadays - toners, face creams, serums and all.

I just picked up the Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA + Azelaic Acid + Niacinamide + AHA Cleanser 5 oz/ 148 mL to try out when I finish up with the Vichy Normaderm PhytoAction Cleansing Gel with 0.5% BHA.

> Azelaic acid is an amazing anti- inflammatory and acne tackling ingredient, I use this as often as I can and has been the best skin savior ingredient for me. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Cream for Redness and Blemish-Prone Skin # is what I've relied on for years and I am now using the Naturium azelaic acid derivative topical solution with equal success. Peach Slices (sold at ULTA) has a redness relief line and there is an azelaic acid product as well that I plan to move onto next as I like other products I've tried from them

> Zinc PCA is now a popular astringent to also tackle the oiliness people with acne prone skin typically need to tackle alongside acne breakouts. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum for Oily Skin # is the most popular one I've seen praise of the most.

> Sunscreen: I highly recommend sticking to zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (so mineral) sunscreens as zinc is anti-inflammatory for the skin, so it will be double action of sun protection and soothing the skin. I can attest to this, on my worst skin days I slather on CVS kid's sunscreen and wait a while before I put on foundation on top once it dries. There are a lot of elegant mineral and chemical formulas available now, but I have found the best luck in Korean and Japanese brands for my SPFs. Tower 28 has a nice new SPF foundation, Naturium has 2 sunscreens now, and Krave Beauty has a nice elegant sunscreen as well. I normally order hybrid sunscreens direct from Asian skincare distribution websites as they are much more affordable than even these SPFs I have mentioned. 
I also ordered the Zitsticka 6-in-1 that is design to also tackle acne, so you might want to look into that as well.
But the most important thing is to find the sunscreen you enjoy using the most and consistency and reapplication is the key to protecting your skin from further damage from photosensitizing treatment products.

> The main thing to make sure is no matter what you try, listen to your skin and make sure you aren't going so intensive with the cleansing and drying out that you are damaging your skin barrier and in turn encouraging more acne to keep thriving. I can confirm that gentle but targeted care is the key to tackling even the most seemingly robust of skins : )

[CattyT3]

I'll try to help guide you on some ingredients that are specifically targeted at tackling acne, I can't guarantee every single box for your requirements will be ticked in products I mention and recommend from experience, but it will give you some solid ground to work with. Most of this is what I posted earlier today on someone else's post about acne as well:

> If you haven't heard of retinoids already, there is a specific one called Adapalene that was primarily developed to tackle acne. This is over the counter, most popularly sold by Differin, but there is also prescription strength retinoic acid, and other non-prescription forms of vitamin A too. You can look into the pros and cons of each type, and not all retinol or retinaldehyde containing products are created equal even if they have equal concentrations of the retinoid. You can start off using on retinoid type and progress to another if you feel you wan to see if you can get more benefits for your needs. For example, I started off with using The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL but now I use retinaldehyde.

> Have you tried using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser? A tried and true ingredient for acne treatment, this is something that only needs to sit on your skin for maximum 3-5 minutes and CAN BLEACH CLOTHING so be extra careful when washing and wiping it off. Also give it a bit of time between applying and putting on antioxidant ingredients like retinol and vit C since this uses oxygen to kill the acne bacteria.
Cerave just recently came out with a really creamy 4% one that I gave to someone with constant acne and oily skin and plenty of dark marks from them, and they love it. Usually something like Panoxyl is notoriously drying and can lead to further irritation if you're not careful, but this creamy cleanser is amazing on the skin (my dry hands were not complaining when getting a feel for this cleanser). 
Naturium also has a 4% one with nice nourishing ingredients as well, but I think it has some micro exfoliant particles in it, so it will be a pure decision of texture preference for you on that one.

> There are also sulfur topical treatments that are getting more popular now too, good for both acne and helping calm irritation. Naturium has one and I have been hearing about a pharmacy product that is supposed to be very smelly but excellent for results, De La Cruz 10% Sulfur Ointment.

> Salicylic acid (many times called BHA in product names/ ingredient list callouts) is the most commonly used and popular acne fighting ingredient. easiest way to get a feel for it on your skin is trying a cleanser with it, but you can find BHA in any product nowadays - toners, face creams, serums and all.

I just picked up the Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA + Azelaic Acid + Niacinamide + AHA Cleanser 5 oz/ 148 mL  to try out when I finish up with the Vichy Normaderm PhytoAction Cleansing Gel with 0.5% BHA.

> Azelaic acid is an amazing anti- inflammatory and acne tackling ingredient, I use this as often as I can and has been the best skin savior ingredient for me. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Cream for Redness and Blemish-Prone Skin 3.4 oz/ 100 mL is what I've relied on for years and I am now using the Naturium azelaic acid derivative topical solution with equal success. Peach Slices (sold at ULTA) has a redness relief line and there is an azelaic acid product as well that I plan to move onto next as I like other products I've tried from them.

> Zinc PCA is now a popular astringent to also tackle the oiliness people with acne prone skin typically need to tackle alongside acne breakouts. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum for Oily Skin is the most popular one I've seen praise of the most. 

> Sunscreen: I highly recommend sticking to zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (so mineral) sunscreens as zinc is anti-inflammatory for the skin, so it will be double action of sun protection and soothing the skin. I can attest to this, on my worst skin days I slather on CVS kid's sunscreen and wait a while before I put on foundation on top once it dries. There are a lot of elegant mineral and chemical formulas available now, but I have found the best luck in Korean and Japanese brands for my SPFs. Tower 28 has a nice new SPF foundation, Naturium has 2 sunscreens now, and Krave Beauty has a nice elegant sunscreen as well. I normally order hybrid sunscreens direct from Asian skincare distribution websites as they are much more affordable than even these SPFs I have mentioned. 
I have also ordered Zitsticka's 6-in-1 SPF which is designed to tackle acne as well, so you might want to look into that as well.
But the most important thing is to find the sunscreen you enjoy using the most and consistency and reapplication is the key to protecting your skin from further damage from photosensitizing treatment products.

> The main thing to make sure is no matter what you try, be gradual so you don't upset your skin by doing too much in one go, and listen to your skin and make sure you aren't going so intensive with the cleansing and drying out that you are damaging your skin barrier and in turn encouraging more acne to keep thriving. I can confirm that gentle but targeted care is the key to tackling reactive skin : )