I’ve Lived With Breakouts for Years—These Are the 21 Products That I Swear By

I’ve spent more than half my life battling breakouts and have come a long way from where I started (acne-ridden teen), thanks to years of product trial and error, and a career which helpfully allows me to pick the brains of skincare experts and dermatologists. But no matter how calm and clear my skin appears to be, it flares up once a month without fail, right before my period is due. “This is what’s referred to as hormonal acne, breakouts which commonly occur during a period of hormonal imbalance,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Zainab Laftah. “This is typically seen when there is a surge in androgens (male hormones). Androgens stimulate the oil glands to produce more sebum, resulting in clogged pores and acne.” Androgens often flare up at puberty, during pregnancy, and with menopause, but they also affect skin on a monthly basis, too.

It’s incredibly frustrating if, like me, you’ve got your go-to skincare routine sussed out, you double cleanse every night, never sleep in your makeup, and are in a committed relationship with at least five face masks. But the (hard) truth is that no skincare products will completely prevent hormonal breakouts from occurring, there is no face mask that can predict the fluctuations of our hormones, and no spot treatment to stop spots before we see that tell-tale redness.

“Typically during a monthly cycle there is a peak of the female sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) during ovulation,” explains Laftah. “Levels of both hormones rapidly fall in the absence of a fertilised egg resulting in your period. Plus, prior to your period, levels of testosterone (a male hormone) increase, stimulating the sebaceous (oil) glands to produce more sebum, which leads to blocked pores and acne breakouts.” On top of this, our hormone fluctuations can also be impacted by additional factors including stress, genetics, and lifestyle. “When someone experiences high levels of stress for a prolonged period of time, elevated stress hormones can drive breakout activity and suppress wound healing, meaning breakouts take longer to heal,” explains Victoria Evans, Education Manager at Dermalogica. “Stress breakouts typically occur along the jawline and on the neck and sometimes around the temples.”

Although it may not be possible to prevent the cause of hormonal breakouts, that doesn’t mean there aren’t tweaks you can make to your skincare routine to help target and combat them as soon as you feel them coming. By targeting the other factors which contribute to breakouts, such as a build up of dead skin cells, bacteria, or excess oil, it’s completely possible to reduce the severity of a flare-up. Over the years, I’ve figured out the products that get to work fast, for maximum impact with minimal effort required. Keep scrolling to discover the best treatments for hormonal acne that I’ve tried.

Targeted spot treatments are designed to be applied to individual breakouts, rather than all over. They’re typically the quickest way to take down a spot once you feel or see it appear. Both Laftah and Evans recommend looking out for spot treatments containing salicylic acid. “Salicylic acid is oil soluble thus able to penetrate deeply into the pores to breakdown bonds between the dead skin cells and oils,” explains Laftah. Out of the hundreds of spot treatments I’ve tried over the years, these are the most effective.

If you’re after a more subtle spot treatment, this clear gel is totally invisible and can be used both under and over makeup. According to Evans, it’s best applied twice a day for rapid skin clearing.

Thanks to a blend of niacinamide, salicylic acid, witch hazel, and zinc, this creamy paste helps to both take down breakouts and prevent them from scarring. What’s more, the formula is boosted with hydrating ingredients like squalane and vitamin E, so unlike many other spot treatments, it won’t dry out skin.

Under-the-skin spots are notoriously hard to tackle, but there’s nothing worse than waiting for a breakout to surface before you can treat it. These hi-tech spot patches utilise microdarts to penetrate the breakout and infuse it with anti-inflammatory salicylic acid.

You’ve probably seen these spot patches on Instagram, but they’re by no means a gimmick. Perfect for breakouts that have already broken the surface and come to a head, Hydro-Stars are made with hydrocolloid, which cleverly absorbs fluid from the spot to reduce swelling.

They may not be a daily staple in the same way a cleanser or sunscreen is, but face masks are one of the best ways to target both new and existing breakouts with fast-acting, hard-working ingredients. If you have acne-prone skin you’ll know that there is an overwhelming amount of face mask offerings on the market, so I’ve narrowed it down to my top four.

This mask has been in my arsenal for so long that I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve repurchased it. It’s immediately cooling and soothing on application, and helps to cut down the lifespan and general angriness of even the most painful of spots.

Designed to treat existing breakouts as well as prevent future ones, this mask uses Amazonian clay to pull build-up from pores, chamomile to reduce inflammation, and flavanone to kill bacteria. I also like to use it as a targeted spot treatment on particularly stubborn breakouts.

Most sheet masks are designed to hydrate and moisturise, but these ones are specifically designed with acne-prone skin in mind. Soaked in a formula which includes exfoliating acids and soothing niacinamide, they’re ideal for treating multiple breakouts in one go.

Not all anti-acne treatments need to focus on clarifying and detoxifying skin – especially if you’re also prone to dryness. This hydrating mask harnesses the soothing properties of manuka honey (a natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory) to calm breakouts.

“It can be helpful to track your cycle and understand the ebb and flow of your hormones, then record your symptoms, both physical, emotional, and your skin responses,” says Evans. “Once you know when in your cycle you see certain changes, you can adapt your regimen and lifestyle to pre-empt and reduce them, such as regular gentle exfoliation to keep skin clean and clear.” Acid-based chemical exfoliants will also help to fade pigmentation from leftover breakouts and will improve skin texture. But remember, over-exfoliating can cause irritation. If you’re new to acids, start off using them once or twice a week, increasing usage when buildup occurs in the week before your period is due.

A beta hydroxy acid (BHA), salicylic acid is particularly effective for acne because it’s oil-soluble. It can penetrate deep into skin to break down oil and dead skin cells as they start to build up. I always recommend it to friends prone to oily skin and blackheads.

This multitasker combines three different types of exfoliating acids to exfoliate skin at three different levels. Because it can target both deep-rooted and surface congestion, the formula helps to keep pores clear in order to prevent breakouts from forming.

I know that some toners might seem like nothing more than bottles of fancy water, but this is not a category to overlook, especially if your breakouts are inflamed and painful. For me, the soothing ingredients and refreshing application of a face mist are always a welcome relief when my spots feel sore to touch.

This mist is a staple in my routine, even when I’m breakout free. The hero ingredient, hypochlorous acid, is actually naturally produced by our white blood cells to heal damaged skin and fight infection and bacteria. It helps both to reduce inflammation and speed up the skin’s healing process so breakouts have a shorter lifespan.

Combining La Roche-Posay’s soothing thermal spring water with anti-inflammatory zinc, this refreshing mist helps to reduce redness and heal damaged skin.

I love how calming this mist-on toner is. It has a whole bunch of skin-soothing ingredients like cucumber, niacinamide, and green tea.

One of the most important steps in any skincare routine, serums are the best opportunity you have to target your skin concerns with a tailored blend of potent ingredients. For both reducing and treating breakouts, Laftah recommends active ingredients like retinoids and salicylic acid.

Combining niacinamide, probiotics, and centella asiatica extract with hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, this pick will work well for all skin types, so you can target your hormonal breakouts while keeping your overall complexion in check.

This serum has thousands of rave reviews and committed users for good reason. The minimal formula shines the spotlight on two of the most effective skin-healing ingredients, copper and peptides.

Although it’s most commonly known as an anti-ageing ingredient, retinol can also benefit acne-prone skin. Used consistently, it helps to reduce sebum production and speed up cell turnover to reduce congestion in pores. I personally saw amazing results from using prescription-strength retinol, but this high-dose serum from Skinceuticals is the next best thing.

Finding a moisturiser that works for breakout-prone skin is no easy task, but it’s important to keep skin hydrated in order to maintain good skin health. The healthier skin is, the better it’s able to defend the skin from external aggressors (like bacteria) and heal breakouts and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.