What Ingredients to Look for if You Have Acne and Skincare Under $100 That Can Help
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Treat adult acne by matching products to whether your breakouts are dry or oily, with dry acne needing hydrating cream cleansers and lactic acid exfoliants, while oily acne responds to salicylic cleansers and oil free, mattifying moisturisers. This BeautyIQ piece with skin therapist Tegan Mac covers ingredient choices, product picks under $100 and when to seek a professional consult.
Top Insights From This Guide
- Book a professional skin consult to confirm whether your adult acne is dry or oily.
- Use cream or milk cleansers for dry acne, and oil free or salicylic cleansers for oily skin.
- For dry acne exfoliate with lactic acid and avoid salicylics that can increase dryness.
- Pick barrier repair creams for dry acne and mattifying oil free moisturisers for oily acne.
- Add niacinamide to calm inflammation and balance oil; The Ordinary 30ml is under $10.
One thing that might come as a surprise to many, is that acne isn’t something only hormonal teens experience.
Adults can also form acne and breakouts later in life due to elements like stress, diet, lack of sleep etc.
On a recent episode of the Beauty IQ Expert podcast, skin therapist and co-host Tegan Mac talked us through adult acne, the different types (yes, that's right, you could be using the wrong products if you don't know the type of acne you're presenting with), as well as some of her acne skincare product recommendations under $100 that can be paired with in-clinic treatments.
Keep reading for the best cleansers and moisturisers to which ingredients are best for acne prone skin as well as budget-friendly solutions that won't break the bank.
Best Cleanser for Acne Prone Skin.
Tegan suggests starting with a professional skin consultation to properly identify your skin type—because knowing whether you're dealing with oily or dry acne makes all the difference in treating it effectively.
"A dry acne will need very different products from an oily acne skin” says Tegan.
That way "you have eliminated a whole other area of skincare that won’t apply to you" (and that will probably save you a lot of bank).
What does dry acne look like? Think: dryness around the pimple, flaking etc.
“So if you have more dry acne, you might look at cream or milk cleansers." says Tegan.
For milk and cream cleansers under $100 try:
- Embryolisse Lait-Creme Foaming Milk Cleanser 200Ml - Hydrates and comforts skin. Contains almond oil and shea butter.
- Avène Milk Cleanser - Is suitable for dry, sensitive skin types. Leaves skin feeling soft, supple, and refreshed. Key ingredients include Avène Thermal Spring Water (soothing) and glycerin (moisturising).
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser - Has a light, milky texrure that's fragrance and alcohol-free.
Should I Exfoliate Acne Prone Skin?
Can you exfoliate acne-prone skin?
Short answer - yes. But there are certain ingedients to look for.
Some sensitive, acne-prone skins may not be able to tolerate certain exfoliating ingredients.
What kind of ingredients should you use if you have dryer skin?
Tegan suggests using a lactic acid for exfoliation rather than a glycolic or a salicylic acid (that perhaps oilier acne skins can tolerate).
She says, "If you put salicylic on a dry acne, the skin is going get worse.”
For lactic acid exfoliants under $100 try:
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% - 30ml - A wildly popular budget friendly lactic acid with supporting ingredient hyaluronic acid.
- Skinstitut L-Lactic Cleanser 200mL - A medium intensity, gel based cleanser that provides gentle daily exfoliation. Suitable for all skin types, especially dry skin.
Oily skins that can tolerate a salicylic acid, here are some under $100 to try:
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution - 30ml - If your skin is oily or prone to breakouts, this exfoliating serum will help clear pores, reduce congestion, and smooth skin.
- Medik8 Blemish Control Pads - 60 pads - The Medik8 Blemish Control Pads are a clarifying daily treatment that help improve the appearance of problematic skin and prevent future breakouts. Are pre-soaked in 2% maximum strength salicylic acid, which effectively exfoliates skin and penetrates deep inside pores to dissolve dirt and oil.
Moisturisers for Acne Prone Skin.
What are the best moisturisers for acne-prone skin and should you moisturise if you have acne?
Says Tegan, “Moisturising is still important for both types of acne but the thickness of your moisturiser might change.”
For example dry skins might prefer a barrier repair cream or a hyaluronic acid whereas an oily, acne skin might be able to play around more with salicylic acids and toning pads."
For barrier creams under $100 try:
- Avene Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 100ml - A nourishing cream to help replenish the skin’s natural moisture barrier and soothe sensitive skin.
- Software Ceramide Repair Balm 50ml - A lush, rich, non-comedogenic moisturiser with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane to support the skin barrier, while leaving it soothed, smooth and plump. Is also vegan and cruelty-free.
For more acne skin moisturisers under $100 try:
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Anti-Acne Moisturiser - Has been created with oily skin types in mind. An oil-free yet hydrating formula, this moisturiser will keep your skin feeling nourished all day long, without the excess oil.
- Bioderma Sebium Hydra Nourishing Moisturiser for Dry Acne-prone Skin 40ml - A moisturiser for blemish prone skin with ceramides, antioxidants, soothing enoxolone and allantoin for a calming effect.
Best Ingredients for Acne.
We touched on salicylic acid for oily skins and lactic acid for dry skins, but are there any other ingredients for acne prone skin that you should have on your skincare radar?
According to Tegan, there sure are!
“An ingredient that I love using whether it’s dry or oily acne skin is niacinamide (also known as vitamin B). It’s an anti-inflammatory ingredient and can help balance your oil production."
Niacinamide is also a great option for those who might find exfoliation a little harsh on their skin. It's calming, strenghthening and helps quell redness.
For a niacinamide option under $100 try:
- Viviology Niacinamide + HA Serum 30mL - A hydrating combination of a triple-Hyaluronic Acid complex, with niacinamide and panthenol.
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% - 30ml - Is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion plus it's less that $10 (yes you read that correctly)
- Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum with 5% Niacinamide 25ml - The Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum is an anti-ageing serum that’s enriched with niacinamide, copper tripeptides and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, improve the skin’s barrier and even out the appearance of skin tone and texture.
Finally...
Of course there's more ingredients you can look out for when shopping for acne skincare, but we can't give it all away in this article, you'll have to listen to the full episode here to find out more.
However, one last takeaway from Tegan is that as soon as you stop thinking about acne skin as purely oil-focussed, then you can start treating your acne the correct way.
For more on acne-prone skin read these next:
