Speaking of a good skin care routine for prevention, what should you include to create a solid skin care routine for whiteheads and acne-prone skin? Besides what we already told you about using acne skin care products formulated with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, here are a few other tips you can incorporate into your skin care routine to help banish whiteheads.
Cleanse Your Skin Morning and Night
The first step in your skin care routine — regardless of whether or not you have whiteheads — should always be washing your face with a facial cleanser. This micellar water is powered by tiny micelles or oil molecules that act as a magnet to lift dirt, oil and makeup up and away from the skin. All you have to do is saturate a cotton pad with micellar water and gently wipe the pad across your face.
Using a cleanser with oil sounds counterintuitive for preventing acne but at night, it’s good practice to double cleanse and follow up with a water-based cleanser. Double cleansing is a fundamental step in K-Beauty skin care routines and involves an oil-based cleanser to remove SPF and makeup, followed by a water-based cleanser to remove dirt and anything else left on the skin.
While you don’t have to double-cleanse in the morning, it’s really important to do so at night because going to bed with dirty skin is the perfect recipe for whiteheads and clogged pores.
Add a Treatment to Your Routine
Salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide treatments are great chemical exfoliating options along with retinoids for treating whiteheads according to the AAD. All types of exfoliation are not made equally — a chemical exfoliant can do wonders for your acne while a physical exfoliant like a scrub may make your acne worse and cause skin irritation. As for how often to use these treatments, start slow so you don’t irritate your skin and build up use as your skin tolerates it.
Try a Face Mask
Another skin care step you can take is adding a face mask to your routine. Apply an even layer of the face mask to clean, dry skin, leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Via: Lorealparisusa.com
