Acne-Safe Skin Care Swaps This Holistic Esthetician Wants You To Try ASAP

If there's one thing I've learned in my time living in this blemish-prone and sensitive skin, it's that acne prevention is all about education. You can't address something until you understand it. If you can, I always recommend finding a professional in your area to help guide you through your journey. If that's out of the question, find acne specialists on social media that align with your skin care values and care more about education than show. 

Facial brushes and spinning tools certainly had their heyday. They've fallen out of favor lately–much to Gordon's delight, as they do a number on your skin barrier. "We're always trying to keep the integrity of the skin barrier with acne-prone skin. So when we talk about exfoliating regularly, we don't mean using any kind of abrasive scrubs or harsh brushes," she says. "Those are some of the worst ways to remove dead skin cell buildup." 

Just like you can't scrub away your acne, you can't burn or dry it away either. So stop using desert-like tonics and astringents. "People think, 'Oh, I can just use the strongest products every single day to dry it up.' That may temporarily work, but then your skin is not going to look healthy long term," she says, noting you should always be smart with how you balance your skin with hydration.

"If you're an acne-prone person, you definitely would want to stay away from coconut oil, argan oil, or rich butters. Leave those for the body," she says. "The body is a little bit different. The skin there can handle these ingredients, and it's usually not going to get clogged or break out from them."