Hey, I'm in the U.S but I have a pretty similar skintype. You can pare down a skincare regimen to 3 things generally: cleanser, moisturizer, suncreen. Since we're both acne prone, toss in an acne treatment between the cleanser and moisturizer. You generally want to look for oil-free options, gel based moisturizers, and salicylic acid in EITHER the treatment or the cleanser. Staying fragrance free might cut down on irritation as well. Don't neglect sunscreen. I can't make a lot of specific recommendations because I don't know what is available to you, but Purito's comfy water sunblock was pretty non clogging for me.

Cold water only forever. Takes a bit of time for the skin to settle down and might not work for all skin types but I'm extremely happy with the results and there is no simpler or cheaper option. I even switched to shaving with only cold water and while it's harder it's very doable for me.

Btw. As mentioned keeping the pillow clean and not touching your face helps a lot. Diet can also have a big influence. I only had acne for a short time but still get pimples when I eat chocolate or garbage food. Milk products can also cause problems for some people.

The best advice I can give you is go see a dermatologist. Most of them are not big fans of using a lot of products so they're probably going to recommend you 3-4 products and how to use them.

I am also Asian and I have found that a lot of white people advice for skin care doesn’t really work for me. Yes, change your pillowcases regularly and maybe change your diet to have less dairy and greasy foods, but also look into Asian facial soaps, in particular ones containing charcoal. I’ve virtually eliminated my acne this way, but just be careful not to wash your face with it too often because it can dry out your skin. Wash with this soap 1-2 times per day at most. This is the one that works for me. It was quite inexpensive considering that I bought this 3 pack three years ago and I still have some left. Since I changed my diet, I find that I only need to wash my face with this 3-5 times per week, usually only when my skin feels oily.

I hope this helps.

don't touch your face. keep it clean but otherwise hands off. your fingertips are chock full of bacteria

Start with cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Once you find products that your skin likes and is not irritated by, add in a treatment step for your skin concern. Salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide would be a good option

Basic would be cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen.

I would recommend the la roche posay toleraine foaming cleanser, the Cerave PM moisturizer and the la roche posay toleraine UV spf30.

And then to address acne, I would add an exfoliant 2-3 times a week to your night time routine. The naturium bha exfoliant is $20 or so.

All products can be found at target and around $20 and under

Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction!

Need skincare guides? Check out our wiki!

Everyone is welcome in this community; remember to be kind and assume good faith :)

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

You already got some great advice in the comments! I would suggest an oil free, fragrance free sunscreen if possible. Learn from my mistake Lmfao 😭😭😂

Facial cleanser: Pipette baby wash and shampoo fragrance free or simple refreshing facial wash gel

Moisturizer: illiyoon ato soothing gel or purito rebarrier cream (has niacinamide) or soon Jung emulsion

SPF Rohto skin Aqua gel or milk or gold version.

And then once you're settled with those you can add in actives to target acne.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/qtodqu/routine_help_how_to_cleanse_once_a_day_when_you/hkp4w8t/

And/or benzoyl peroxide AcneFree oil-free 2.5% micronized benzoyl peroxide cleanser, Panoxyl 4 % creamy bp wash, or Cerave acne foaming cream cleanser 4 % bp.

I’ve struggled with oily, breakout-prone skin too, and what really helped me was focusing on gentle, barrier-supporting skincare instead of stripping it. A few things to look for:

• Niacinamide – it helps regulate sebum (oil) production, calms redness, and supports the skin barrier.
• Prebiotic aloe – great for soothing irritation while also supporting your skin’s microbiome (the “good bacteria” that help keep skin balanced).
• pH-balanced formulas – make sure your cleanser isn’t too harsh or drying, since that can make oiliness and breakouts worse.
• Gentle AHA exfoliation – something mild a few times a week can help with whiteheads and clogged pores without damaging the barrier.

Consistency is key. Oily, acne-prone skin often reacts when you jump between products too quickly. A simple routine could be:

1. Gentle, pH-balanced cleanser
2. Niacinamide serum or moisturiser
3. Light moisturiser (even oily skin needs hydration)
4. Daily sunscreen

Over time this can help calm oiliness, reduce breakouts, and repair that cracked barrier feeling.

Good luck!

You might want to try a weak solution of salicylic acid + niacinamide + azelaic acid. Try to use a solution such as this with all ingredients from the same product line. The reason is that is your skin tends to be sensitive, it might react to the base ingredients. If you find a line that does not cause sensitivity and more breakouts, stick with it because as long as you are within the same product line, you can add different skin care products without fear of cross-reactivity. Doing this on a routine basis should get you back to your “normal” skin.

I have very similar skin and here's what works for me.

I use a gentle cleanser that removes makeup yet isn't harsh. I like Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser, or you could try Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser (For combination to oily skin) if you want a drugstore option. After cleansing, apply a good BHA - this is a Beta Hydroxy Acid and is designed to exfoliate inside your pores (Paula's Choice liquid BHA is my holy grail skin care product). This will help with existing breakouts and help prevent future breakouts. Just apply with your hands and skip the cotton round (it absorbs too much product & you end up throwing it away.

Then go overtop of that with a light moisturizer, like CeraVe ultra light moisturizing gel or Trader Joe's moisturizing gel (if you're in the USA). You still want to moisturize, but not with anything heavy or thick that can clog your pores.

A couple of times a week, use a Benzoyl Peroxide gel (Clean & Clear Persa Gel is super cheap & very effective) after cleansing. Spread a pea-sized amount over your face, and then follow with moistuizer. This will disinfect the skin and is very effective for clearing breakouts. But be forewarned - it will bleach everything - your shirt, pillowcase, towels and anything else it comes in contact with. I know some people apply it for 10 minutes and then wash it off before applying moisturizer. I didn't have a problem as long as I used white sheets & washed my hands before I went to bed.

Good luck!

If you have combination skin, I would recommend this routine.

Roundlabs dokdo cleanser

Skin 1004 Madagascar centella poremizing light gel

The Ordinary Mandelic acid

Skin 1004 Hyalu sun fit sunscreen

You need a toner as well. I would suggest Eqqualberry swimming pool peeling toner.

The ordinary matcha clenser

anua 70% heartleaf toner

timless vitamin c for dark spots in the daytime

the ordinary niacinamide for acne cleanup

The ordinary oat cream

Do you know what your skin type is? Oily combo etc. it would greatly impact the products

morning:

• hero milky cleanser (has pha which is a super gentle alternative to aha)
• bubble day dream serum (has sodium ascorbyl phosphate which is a vitamin c derivative. it’s the only form of vitamin c thats been proven to help with acne and it’s also way more gentle than ascorbic acid.)
• moisturizer (if u lmk ur skin type i can recommend one)
• sunscreen (i’ve never tried a bad korean sunscreen)

night:

• rovectin skin essentials cleanser
• round lab calming cica ampoule (has centella which is super calming and lha which is a more gentle alternative to bha)
• moisturizer

there are just so many products out there that can work well for you. I feel like the important part is to identify the ingredients that work well for acne. you'd want exfoliating, soothing, calming, sometimes pore minimizing, skin barrier, so on and so forth. so ingredients like BHA, salicylic acid, madecassocide, niacinamide, green tea, cica, retinal, ceramides, etc.

as long as you have done your research, you can then have a preference and take a pick at which products you'd like to incorporate. because ppl can just be throwing and naming thousands of products and you'll have no idea why. plan a skincare routine and know the differences between essence, ampoules and serums etc.

atm personally, for blackheads on nose and enlarged pores, it's usually an exfoliating treatment like a BHA (I use Geek and Gorgeous - Cheer Up), and once a wk or two, a sebum softener like the ilso super melting sebum softener, followed by a madecassocide toner like the Mediheal madecassocide blemish toner pads. everything else after that is not targeted for acne, but focuses on hydration, retinal (anti-aging and acne), or skin barrier.

Start slow with K-beauty so you don’t overwhelm your skin. I’d try Cosrx BHA Power Liquid for blackheads, Beauty of Joseon SPF (best sunscreen ever), and maybe Etude Soon Jung moisturizer for barrier support. Add one new thing at a time so you don’t break out.

I’ve been using Haruharu unscented black rice cleansing oil, the haruharu black rice hyaluronic toner and I’m From mugwort essence. I’m very acne prone and these didn’t break me out!

Centellian24 madeka cream is amazing for acne. And super good for skin, so i have seen people’s reviews. I just started using it and am so excited. It already feels amazing. A korean pharmacy has been making this product over 50 years.

I would say keep cetaphil cleanser and introduce Bonajour Propolis serum and Bonajour Green tea moisturizer . it helps to calm skin . once you re done with cetaphil cleanser replace it with Bakuchiol EX Advanced Face Cleanser.read this acne solutions might be helpful

I have the exact same skin type! A routine that works for me is (in order)

• (PM only) Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella oil cleanser (I rub this on my face for about 10 minutes to really get into my pores and then emulsify)

• (AM & PM) Roundlab dokdo cleanser

• (AM & PM) Roundlab dokdo toner

These two exfoliants are optional if he doesn’t have any blackheads or texture but these cleared up my face !

• Needly daily toner pads (PM 1x a week)

• Cosrx blackhead power liquid (PM 1x a week same day as toner pads)

This serum is also optional but its very hydrating !

• (AM & PM) Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella ampoule

• (AM & PM) Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing light gel cream moisturizer

• (AM only) Scinic super mild sun essence spf 50+ but if he doesn’t like that greasy feeling of sunscreen i’d replace that with the anua heartleaf silky moisture sun cream

remember to use a little at a time since i’m assuming he’s never used this amount of products everyday, hope these recommendations work for him as well as they work for me :)

Do you currently have a routine and what are your concerns/wishes for your skin?

Try adding a moisturiser! I used to think I had oily skin too, but my dehydrated skin was just compensating by producing more oil. Also look into AHA/BHAs or benzoyl peroxide, start off at a lower percentage and try short contact therapy if they are too irritating. Keep in mind these acne treatments make your skin more sensitive to UVA and UVB, so use sunscreen. Sun protection also helps reduce darkening of acne scars.

Edit: cosrx makes a mild chemical exfoliating toner (aha/BHA clarifying toner) and I recommend trying chemical sunscreens out as they arent as heavy

I do know it’s not much but it bothers me. Here’s my current routine

AM/PM: Avene Cleansing Foam (pH 5.5) SebaMed Clear Face Care Gel

I’m toooo scared to put anything else on my face because I suppose it’s going to break me out. The only thing that has ever helped me in a way is a alcohol toner but we know this is damaging everything on your skin and i’m nowhere thinking of using it anytime soon. I do consider myself as a healthy person - I don’t like fizzy drinks, I eat fast food almost never and we have a farm where we grow our food. I do sometimes get inadequate hours of sleep because of this sh*thole called school. Sometimes I even get 5 hours of peace but I now try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Please help with some of your HG recommendations!

I would add a chemical exfoliant like bha or aha. Start with a couple times a week and see how your skin tolerates it.

I think you first need to address why you don’t have any eyes or a mouth!

I have very oily acne prone skin. My goal is to keep acne at bay and minimize scarring. I’ve gotten a few compliments on my skin lately, and I’ve been using these products for a while now. I thought I’d share!

Morning Routine: La Roche Posay Hydrating Gentle Cleanser - gentle, non drying, but doesn’t leave me oily Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid - has helped tremendously with my acne, doesn’t dry me out Cera Ve Eye Repair Cream - I like a little extra moisture around my eyes Rohto Hada Labo Gokujyun UV White Gel UV 50+ - amazing daily sunscreen/moisturizer. I ADORE this! Doesn’t make me greasy, doesn’t burn the eyes, and no scent.

Night Routine: Kose Softymo speedy cleansing oil - amazing oil cleanser. I used to use DHC deep oil cleanser religiously, but this one is cheaper and gets the job done. La Roche Posay hydrating gentle cleanser - I use for the reasons stated above. If I did just work out, I’ll use the Cera ve renewing SA cleanser instead Night 1 - Adapalene 0.3% - I use a pea sized amount on my face. This is the main thing that has helped with my acne and scarring. It’s the prescription version on Differin and 3 times stronger. This can be extremely drying, I had to work my way up to using it 3-4 times a week. Night 2 - Paula’s Choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant - this is what has helped with scarring and texture the most for me. This really just gives your skin an amazing glow! Cera Ve moisturizing cream - no scent and highly moisturizing. Great at locking in my actives, but doesn’t break me out. The Ordinary rose hip seed oil - I mix 3 drops of this into my moisturizer. I’ve heard it helps with scarring, but I like to use it to lock in moisture too. Does not break me out.

I really like your routine. What I like most is that you don't use more than one active at a time whether it's in the morning or at night.

Heyyyy ! I do think I have oily skin as well and i'm trying to create a nice skin care routine for the first time. I am using the Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser for the moment but i'm not sure if it is the best for my skin since it dries my face a bit too much I think. So I was wondering if you ever tried the cerave one and if yes what were your thoughts about it ?

Also if you have tested other moisturizing cream for night ?

I have this sunscreen and was waiting to work it into my routine. Do you use a moisturizer under it or do you use it as your moisturizer in the morning?

Yes to the Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil!!! A great affordable option.

same skin type as me! this isn’t korean skincare but I really recommend adapalene .1, it basically cleared my skin in 3 months. to control oil and sebum I recommend adding a cleansing oil, I use manyo but you should try multiple to see what works best for your skin. just added anua 10% niacinamide serum to help fade some hyperpigmentation, so far so good but have not tried it long term yet. best of luck!