Think about your teenage years. What comes to your mind?
First crush, raging hormones and acne!

Fighting that pesky acne breakout was nothing less than a nightmare. But if only it remained in our teenage years. Especially if you have oily and acne-prone skin, you know what we are talking about! It’s like a constant battle. The looming threat of an unexpected breakout, especially when you have an important event coming up, keeps you on your toes. No matter how good a skincare routine you follow, they will pop overnight out of nowhere!

However there are multiple reasons that can cause acne breakouts, but one thing that is true for all of them is - we hate it when it happens.

But to fight it, you need to have some basic understanding of the causes of acne:

Your skin has many oil glands that produce oil (sebum) to keep it hydrated. But when your skin starts producing excess sebum, it blocks the skin pores. And when these clogged pores get infected, it leads to acne. Hormonal changes also trigger sudden acne breakouts. You must have noticed them around your periods.


If only there was a magic wand that we could use to wipe off all the pimples, acne and nasty acne scars!

Unfortunately, there is no one magic ingredient that can remove all the pimples and acne; below is the list of some of the best ingredients that you can add to your skincare routine that will help you fight. Just buy the skincare products that are infused by the following.

1. Salicylic acid
This BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid) is naturally derived from willow bark and has gained quite a reputation in the oily skincare department. This oil-soluble acid can penetrate deeper into the pores and help thin the oil and draw out the excess. As a result, it is an excellent skin care ingredient to help dry out existing acne and prevent future acne by eliminating dead skin cells, unclogging your pores and keeping your skin thoroughly clean. This is widely used in making of creams and serums for acne prone skin.

2. Sulfur & activated charcoal
As clogged pores are one of the main causes of breakouts, keeping them clean of all the dirt, pollution, oil, sweat and other impurities is important. Activated charcoal & sulphur help in drawing out deep-set impurities from the pores and unclogs them. They act like magnets and pull out all the impurities. Sulphur even acts as a gentle exfoliant—sulphur and charcoal help regulate excess sebum production and keep the face matte for long.

Because sulfur and charcoal need to sit on the skin and dry down to be truly effective, they’re typically found in spot treatments and masks. These ingredients can be drying, and it’s typically recommended they be used a few times a week and not daily. They should not be a part of the dry skincare routine.

3. Retinol
Incorporating retinol-based skincare products into your routine will help you deal with acne-prone skin. However, retinol is known for its anti-ageing benefits, it works wonderfully for oily skin as well. It helps in reducing the chances of acne by deep cleansing your pores and exfoliating the dead skin cells. Additionally, it prevents the build-up of impurities and dead skin cells. It also helps in allowing your other skin care products to absorb easily and work faster.
But remember that retinol is supposed to be used at the night only as it increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun.

4. Benzoyl peroxide
All the other ingredients in the list help treat dead skin cells, clogged pores or trapped oil, but this ingredient is the ultimate bacteria killer bomb. As bacterias are responsible for infecting the clogged pores, resulting in inflamed skin with white pus, this ingredient helps in destroying that bacteria. Typically, it is going in face washes and creams, but it can be very drying. This ingredient is quite active, so make sure that you properly hydrate your skin.

5. Tea tree oil
This natural blemish-fighter has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in calming acne. It is recommended to only try this if you do not have hyper-sensitive skin or eczema as it can be too harsh.

6. Clay
Clay is not just for playing or pottery. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, this acts as a calming ingredient for acne-prone skin. It soothes the skin and temporarily reduces oil production.

7. Niacinamide
Aka Vit B3, works like magic to brighten the skin tone, reduce acne scars and improve skin texture. In addition, it helps in reducing melanin production in post-inflammatory acne, thereby reducing scarring. It also prevents the occurrence of acne.


You can add these ingredients to your skincare routine easily by investing in the best skin care products like face washes, cleansers, serums, and creams or masks infused with the ingredients mentioned above. Additionally, it is advisable to start slow with the actives and give your skin the time to adjust.