If you’ve put up a constant fight trying to get your acne under control, you’re probably filled with relief that something finally works and your acne is healing. Perhaps you’re wondering how to take care of your skin now that your acne is under control. Does acne-prone skin really get to experience a post-acne life? The unfortunate truth is that perfect skin isn’t a destination, it’s a skincare journey that you have to constantly work at to maintain. Just like how you have to keep exercising on a regular basis to stay in shape, you have to keep taking care of your skin to keep it looking and feeling healthy and clear.
If you know your routine is working and you suddenly abandon it completely your acne symptoms may reappear. It’s better to make any changes to your skincare routine slowly and gradually. That way, if you notice changes in your skin quality, you can reverse course more easily.
Acne-prone skin will always be more or less acne-prone, but by sticking to what works, learning from mistakes, making changes slowly and finding new skin health goals to strive toward, you can ensure your skin stays at those ideal levels of smooth, clear and healthy.
Create new skincare goals.
When problematic acne was a constant worry, you probably didn’t have the extra energy to worry about more specific or advanced skincare goals. The focus was simply on dealing with acne. Now that you have a skincare routine that works for you, you can expand your goals. If you have acne scars, this can be about modifying your routine to focus on fading them. Maybe your focus can shift to addressing the appearance of your dark spots and marks. Perhaps you want to even out your skin tone. Or you want to attempt to diminish the look of undereye darkness or puffiness. Your skincare routine will work better in the long run if you select specific checkpoints as achievable goals.
Remember that just because you are shifting your focus to a new goal, it’s still important to maintain that baseline routine you know works to keep acne away. Skincare is all about getting your unique skin the care it’s asking for. Once you know a product or technique works, you can carefully fine-tune, add or subtract elements as your focus shifts to new goals.
Incorporate key skincare ingredients.
The first step in maintaining clear skin is maintaining the habits and products that helped you get clear skin in the first place. Proactiv® acne treatment systems are built to help you achieve your optimal skin health, and keep it healthy-looking for the long run.
The ProactivMD® 3-Piece System begins with the Ultra-Gentle Cleanser, which helps wash away dirt, oil and debris to leave your skin feeling refreshed and hydrated without stripping essential moisture. One of the vital methods in keeping up acne healing is to focus on not drying out your skin. When your skin dries out, it overproduces oil to hydrate and protect itself but this excess oil can lead to breakouts. That’s why a cleanser that leaves your skin feeling clean without drying it out is vital.
The next step in the ProactivMD® 3-Piece System is Adapalene Gel, a prescription-strength retinoid (no prescription needed), that attacks acne on a cellular level to help prevent future breakouts. If you’ve been using Adapalene Gel, you’ve probably already experienced the benefits of retinoid’s skin cell turnover boost – a more even skin texture and tone, reduced frequency and intensity of breakouts.
You’ll complete the regime of the ProactivMD® 3-Piece System by applying the Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer to help smooth, soften and restore your skin’s moisture barrier. The moisturizer includes an anti-shine finish, so you don’t have to worry about excess oil making your skin look glossy or shiny. Keeping your skin’s moisture barrier intact is one of the simplest ways to maintain your post-acne skin health. Preventing dryness also helps prevent oiliness.
Remain calm if pimples occur.
When you have experienced frequent breakouts, you may have just considered them par for the course. But now that you’ve found your skincare groove and are reaping the benefits, you probably notice each pimple more than ever before. It’s important to keep in mind that some acne here and there is pretty unavoidable. If you’ve got the worst of your acne under control but see a few pimples every now and then, don’t abandon what’s worked so well for you or it may get much worse.
Your skin is sensitive to internal and external changes. For example, if you spend a week traveling and experience rapidly-changing climates, or work picks up and you haven’t been sleeping as well, these things (and others) can contribute to acne flare-ups even with the strictest and most comprehensive skincare routine.
Instead of scrambling to try loads of new products, try avoiding common acne triggers while sticking to the routine you know keeps your acne in check. Focus on getting back to good habits like limiting stress, eating well, exercising and getting plenty of rest.
The bottom line
Your post-acne skin is different than your skin during frequent acne breakouts, but you still need the routines that got you to where you are now. By continuing to routinely use the proactiv® acne treatment system that’s right for your unique skin, you can help keep breakouts under control, maintain your clear post-acne skin and improve your overall skin health and appearance.
