I firmly believe that the secret to great makeup is great skin – it’s all about the ‘foundation’! I’ve mentioned tons of time about my miserable experience with acne throughout the blog, and recently received a couple of emails asking what I did to get rid of it, and what I currently use for my skin. So since I’ve also never made an ‘official’ post on my skin care regime, here goes!
As far as getting rid of acne, I think it was a combination of the fine specimens above (Clinique’s 3 Step System, minus step 2) and the fact that I just got out of puberty – thank goodness! (I was 19 when I noticed my skin finally starting ‘calming down’, 20 before it completely went away.) So unfortunately, if you’re a teen suffering from acne, it’s a waiting game for now, but I promise it (should) get better as you get older. For now, products can help greatly. You can read a more in-depth review of my experience and how I came about using Clinique’s 3 Step system here, and I am very happy to report that after trying out many brands (Clean & Clear, L’Oreal and Proactiv, to name a few), Clinique’s 3 Step System has worked extremely well for me and I’ve stuck with it for years. The cleanser cleans your skin thoroughly, and the Dramatically Different Moisturizer… what can I say? It’s one of my beauty hall of fame products, and I can’t sing its praises enough – truly worth every cent. I do know that I have to start wearing sunscreen again (what; a beauty blogger who doesn’t wear sunscreen?! Blasphemy!) – I used to but then got so lazy and am on the lookout for a good one, but for now I keep it simple – it’s just cleanser and moisturizer for me! I also find that the less I do with my skin and the less junk I pile on it, the better it behaves.
To those who are suffering from acne, do give Clinique’s 3 Step System a try. (FYI, my acne was considered ‘mild’ – it was more superficial whiteheads, not so much cystic pimples, etc – so if you’re around that level, over-the-counter products should work. If you have severe acne though, it’s probably better to see a dermatologist for something more ‘powerful’.)
What’s your skin care regime today like? What were some of your skin woes growing up, and what helped? I hope we can start a discussion so we can help others with any skin problems we might have dealt with!
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Cetaphil! It does not dry my skin out, but really help control oil production throughout the day. I recently asked a friend who is in cosmetology school what the books suggest and she said ALL of them suggest Cetaphil. I seem to see it a lot in fashion mags, it seems some celebs swear by it as well. It is at every store here in the US, but it is always on the lowest shelf (I believe that it is pretty old school). Try it out for a while, at first it may make your skin a bit oily (maybe a minimum of 2 days) but after that it evens out. Clinique lotion is my go to as well, but I need to start looking for built-in sunscreen-BOOO! I miss tanning!
In Australia we’ve got a cetaphil moisturiser with spf in it
so look out they may be bringing it to the US as well 
I totally second Monica, after trying every cleanser under the sun i thought to myself that what i’m doing to my skin is just too harsh so i switched to cetaphil and my skin has never looked better. this time last year i had massive pus filled zits that hurt so bad but now i’d be lucky to get any pimple around that time of month
I use it together with a cream my doctor prescribed me (differin) and other than that i love cetaphil!
Like Monica said the first few days you do get a bit oily but after that it is wonderful.
What i like most about it is it isn’t too harsh on my skin… its just a cleanser, a cleanser which does not contain anything specific for acne (unless you get the acne control one) and it just helps my skin. Whether you have acne, dry skin, oily skin or sensitive skin, cetaphil is the way to go
I use Physiogel cleanser for washing my face in the morning because is so gentle. then i use La Roche Posay anthelios xl 50 sunscreen, it’s amazing. You should try this. It’s really light fluid. Some people say it’s leave your face little white, but not for me. It’s really great. After sunscreen I put Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I like it but I want to try The Body Shop Sewed day cream for oily skin. Then i just put my make up. In the evening I use baby wipes to take of my make up then I wash my face with Vichy Normaderm, it;s kinda harsh for me thats why I use something else in the morning. I don’t usually use toners. I use herbals when my skin is irritated.
I started to break out just few month after I got my first period and it was really early, I was 11. It was awful. My skin was red all over. I was fighting it but nothing seems to help. Just 2 years ago my skin started to get more clean. Now I have just scars on my cheeks and sometimes I break out but it’s not that bad. I just use Brevoxyl and it’s gone.
Oh, and I absolutely LOVE your site
I just bought a few days ago DDMG, after reading so much about it (from you!). Love it! Absolutely love it! (I use Superdefense after, and I love it too! It has a SPF of 25, if I’m not wrong – I’m too lazy now to check it, lol) I also love All About Eyes, I remember when years ago a sample lasted me for ages! I’ve got a sample of the cleanser as well (love all the mini products Clinique gives!!!), I’ll give it a go!
I absolutely love your site, by the way. I discovered it a while ago but sometimes I find myself searching for your old posts, so it’s really amazing, it doesn’t happen with many blogs!
I had acne prone skin too when I was younger, and just like you, my skin calmed down when I turned 19-20. On the bright side, the acne experience was important for me because it’s what made me more concious of my skin.
I used Clinique’s 3 Step System too but had to abandon it because the alcohol in the toner was too strong for my sensitive skin. Today I prefer Kanebo that is developed for Asian skin. It keeps the skin perfectly moisturized without the heavy feel of cream on your face and really makes it look dewy and supple. The down-side with Kanebo is that it’s expensive but I combine the Kanebo moisturizer with other cleansers that are slightly cheaper and of another brand.
There’s an exfoliant that is amazing that’s called Cure. I swear, this product makes your skin squeaky clean without drying it out. http://www.japalang.sg/cure/About_Cure.html
Great skin doesn’t come by only using cleanser and moisturizer – which I thought at first – but deep cleansing and hydrating masks are very important too since the skin needs extra boosting every now and then. Especially here in Sweden where the weather is cold during autumn and winter.
Ah yes, I too ditched the toner! It was very strong and made my skin look really oily, to be honest. But once I cut out the toner the skincare line really worked well for me! The acne also made me realize that you do need to take care of your skin.
P.S. That’s so cool that you live in Sweden!
I used to have a rather bad acne problem when I was in my late teens- about 15-17 thereabouts. It was bad enough to necessitate bi-weekly facials and Diane-35 (A pill to control hormones that also doubles as a contraceptive lol) to control them, and after that I’ve been really paranoid about having the same problem again :s Even until now.
I started using The Body Shop Seaweed range- the whole works including cleanser, toner, day moisturiser, night moisturiser, as well as masks and scrubs from The Body Shop but then my skin changed as I became older. My skin’s now more onto dry, combination and sensitive, and my skincare regime has increased with serum and sunscreen
I’m trying to find an alternative for my Dermalogica Ultracalming cleanser and toner now, though, since they’ve changed the formula and the new formula breaks me out- gives me one or two really huge painful pimples and doesn’t do much to calm my skin : So sad since I’ve been using Dermalogica Ultracalming cleanser and toner for years and it works wonders for me. Whoever said that cleansers aren’t important needs to be shot, really 
As for sunscreen I’m using Clarins UV Plus HP in the tinted version, and the new formula is absolutely wonderful (The new formula’s bottle has a rounded, circular cap)- it smells less pungent than the old one and is less greasy and heavy, and the ultimate test was that I went to a waterfall trip with it and got sunburn on my body but not my face- just a slight tan haha!
I also use Body Shop Seaweed range – the moisturiser with SPF in it seems to work really well with my skin. I use their teatree oil mask as well.
My skin isn’t great – I didn’t have massive acne in my teens, but I do get stress-related breakouts. Not sure if thats the stress itself causing them, or if I take less care of my skin when I’m worried about things, but I am trying to make a conscious effort to recognise when I’m stressed and pay more attention to skin then.
I rarely wear makeup – mascara and eyeliner almost daily, but nothing else – I tell myself its because I don’t want to add any more products to my skin, but I know its actually I’m too lazy!
Is clinique tested on animals?
Very happy to say that no, they do not!
My skin went through a pretty bad phase when I was in my teens and I was eventually prescribed accutane. Accutane is a powerful drug intended for the treatment of severe acne – mine was ‘only’ moderate but unresponsive to other topical treatments so my dermatologist decided to give me a really low dose (four times less of what a friend of mine was taking)! I am still forever grateful to my dermatologist as my skin cleared up in no time and highly recommend seeing a professional over trying harsh cleansers and lotions from the drugstore as they very often mess with your skin’s pH-levels and leave it stripped and even more sensitive / prone to breakouts.
Ten years later (oh dear, I really am 26 now!), I have learned that for me, less is more – the less I do to my skin, the better it looks. After all, it is an organ and should know how to function by itself!
In the morning, I use no cleanser at all, just warm water. I then apply Avene Hydrance Optimale SPF 20 – a great non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic moisturizer. At night, I use an organic soap-free cleanser and follow with 2-3 drops of jojoba oil to moisturize. I NEVER use toner, I don’t rotate a battery of products and make sure the things I do use are free from nasties such as soap, dyes and fragrances. A healthy and balaced diet, enough sleep, plenty of water and especially keeping stress at bay also do make a difference for me.
It seems like I got lucky in the gene pool- and I’m grateful to my mom for my skin. I’m only 15 (still in puberty, I suppose) and haven’t had too many skin problems. I get the occasional spot but, so far so good (knock on wood!).
For products, I seem to just use whatever I’m interested in at the moment. My skin seems to be alright enough for me to switch products around. I just started getting into a skincare regime and wearing makeup a few months ago (hm. it might be actually 6 months!). I’m already on my 2nd bottle of shu uemura cleansing oil – I swear by that stuff (takes off all my makeup!). And although I rarely wear mascara or heavy eyeshadow (don’t want to be too dressed up for school!), when I do, bioderma cleansing water takes it all off. I use argan oil as my moisturizer (night, I feel it’s too oily in the morning, especially since I don’t have much time and can’t wait for it to sink in). A lot of people don’t like toner, but I use it in the morning instead of washing my face. If I wash my face too much, it seems to get a little dry. I also use la roche posay’s sunscreen like another commenter, but I’m looking for a new one (not that’s its that bad). I’m trying to switch to as many natural products as possible (since I started reading nomoredirtylooks.com). I’m looking for a physical suncreen – any suggestions?
I also drink a ton of water – it might be because of track, but it seems to also help with my skin.
I’m currently using an AMAZING sunscreen (I was given it awhile back but I’m so lazy with sunscreen, but after writing this post I realized I needed to use it again). I’ve only used it 3 times so far but WOW. I will write a review very soon!
I had no chance of clear skin – both my parents suffered from acne >.< But I started getting spots when I was 12 and it wasn't bad but when I was I remember it was really bad. I tried tablets and topical treatments but I find that just keeping up with a regular skin routine that works for me (which consists of The Face Shop acne foaming cleanser, quick and clean toner, and a Su Hyang Snow gel moisturiser), tea tree oil to dry out spots (trying to reduce the amount of chemicals I expose my skin too
), and I make my own face masks + scrubs, and use ice cubes. Tis easy, natural and cheap 
I started breaking out a littlebit for a while, because of my period probably. But then I got a tip from a beautyvloger on Youtube that I should use a flanel or a muslincloth when I wash my face at night. The cloth removes every trace of makeup and dirt that’s in my pores and gently exfoliates the skin. I warmly recomend this tip, it is awsome!
I’ve not tried skipping step 2 yet. Maybe I should give a try. But then, even though I hate the strong alcohol scent, I love how my skin feels after Step 2. Also, I’m using clarifying lotion 2. Tried using the one without alcohol (Clarifying Moisture Lotion 2) and my skin broke out.
The dilemma is, my face is so darn oily that by the end of the day I look like a wok full of grease. Hate it!
Maybe I should switch to using the Oily skin formula cleanser instead of the Mild skin formula cleanser.
What do you reckon?
Yes! I def recommend switching to the Oily Skin forumla cleanser. I was using the mild as well, and just thought I looked too oily… I don’t ever remember getting so oily throughout the day! So I ditched the Toner and changed the cleanser, and voila! Perfect regime
Do try the Oily version out, it really “cleans” your face well.
Dior cleanser did the trick for me and I think what really made all the difference was that I started to double cleanse so my skin was really clean. Rather shockingly I hadn’t put together the fact I left my make-up on at night with my troubled skin…(not so bright of me – I was young!)
Ooh double cleansing is really great!
And I am SO glad you remove all your makeup at night! And no worries, we all made some skin mistakes when we were younger! (Mine was the constant picking of zits… yuck!)
High 5!
I use exactly the same clinique products as you do, right down to oily skin type and DDMG. I might add some other products between them once in awhile, But these two are my staples. LOVE!
Hey ive got acne too..im currently studying beauty therapy and ive tried all sorts and im actually tired ov it so im going to see the dematologist. ive just turned 18 and it is kind ov calming down but sometimes i breakout in masses and then it takes mounths to clear away..x
Hi everyone,
I am in my mid to late twenties and a couple of years ago I started breaking out in white heads on one section of my face (upper lip area). It really disturbed me because the last time I had acne I was a young teenager…
Anyway, the success story for me has come recently and I owe it to glycolic acid. I use a 10% glycolic acid based lotion with spf 15 in it every day and that has finally gotten rid of any breakouts for the most part.
Exfoliation (gentle) is the key to getting rid of pimples.
I like La Roche Posay’s cleansers but am always looking for alternative solutions that are cheaper. I find cetaphil doesn’t remove my makeup: Do you cetaphil users have a problem with this?
I used to use clinique, but I felt like it brought my skin to a certain point and didn’t exceed that point in over a year. I switched to philosophy recently and my skin has never felt or looked so radiant. Its like I have new skin. Clinique only brought me to the brink, where as philosophy took over the edge. Its insane how much better my skin is now. My skin responded well to clinique as well, but it responds even better to philosophy. You ought to try it.
I have used Clinique in my younger days, but found the renowned DDM too heavy for my combination skin. I live in HK, which is humid for most of the days, so I believe a product and its potency varies from place to place. In fact, I’ve tried loads of products which are highly recommended by beauty reviewers and bloggers, like Clarins and Philosophy, but the texture of the moisturiers are still too greasy for my skin in spring and summer. Now I realise the truth: you’ve got to make frequent switches according to the weather and condition of your skin. On hot summer days, my skin is happy with those light, watery-texture Japanese or Korean products. On dry and cold days, I will apply those natural products from the US, Australia or Europe like Natio, Jason, etc. Also, once your skin is conditioned by a product, over prolonged use, the product will gradually stop working magic. By then a change is needed.
Hi there, I’ve never heard of people ditching toner in their beauty regime. When I first started using the cleanser-toner-moisturizer, uh, thingy, I naively thought that we had to use all three together. Are we allowed to ditch the toner??
I’m asking because my face has consistently broken out with small bumps and I simply do not know what is causing it! I’m wondering if the toner somehow causes my face to be oily, etc.
I’m 20 and have been suffering from acne problems since secondary school days! I’m gonna go down to Clinique’s counter over the weeked and get my skin checked! Hopefully Clinique’s 3-Step System will be hero to blemish-free skin(: