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1. First thing first: apply sun protection every 👏darn 👏 day 👏! Thankfully, Australian Gold tinted mineral lotion doubles as makeup by providing sheer, matte coverage *and* a whopping SPF 50. Meaning: you'll never forget about this crucial step again.
2. Follow the ever-popular Korean skincare routine to achieve everything from healing tough breakouts (hello, clarifying serum) to brightening skin (and bonjour, snail mucin toner). It may seem like a lot of steps, but each one brings *results*.
3. Maintain dramatically clearer skin by treating breakouts with some Teddie Organics rosehip oil. Just a few drops tackle redness, scarring, pimples, and everything in between. Nothing will get in your way of glowing skin again...not on this bb's watch.
4. Hydrate your skin with some Shea Moisture coconut oil to counteract shiny complexions. It may seem weird to treat excess oil with *more* oil, but your skin actually just needs the RIGHT kind of moisturizer. This'll help restore the balance your skin is missing.
5. Study up on beauty ingredient definitions so you can accurately pick and choose which products are best for you. Aka the sooner you understand the label, the sooner you'll find things that truly WORK for your skin.
6. Fear not in the ~face~ of cystic acne. This Aztec Secret Indian healing clay has helped at least 11,232 Amazon five-star reviewers get it under control. I kid you not, I'm convinced this isn't a mask, it's a vacuum for your pores (no matter how deep they go).
7. Master the art of controlling excess shine (it's difficult, I know) with some Beauty by Earth moisturizer. Its formula combines vitamins, amino acids, and minerals to reduce oil production *and* increase collagen production for an all-natural glow. It'll basically be the easiest yet most effective part of your routine.
8. Heal breakouts FAST and without causing scarring (or letting you pick) by simply slapping on a Rael pimple patch. They're gentler than acne cream, speed up recovery to practically overnight, and do all the ~heavy lifting~ for you. Pimples will no longer have a chance to leave their mark.
9. Take little (and very manageable, I promise) steps to improve your overall skincare routine. It doesn't have to take over your life obviously, but even small changes will make a big difference for your overall clarity and health. An easy start: using a lavender spray that kills acne-causing pillow bacteria *and* helps to lull you to sleep.
10. Discover the benefits of washing your face with oils by using an InnisFree cleanser. It's loaded with vitamin C to refresh clogged pores and remove makeup and excess oil (ironic, no?) without the help of other products. Aka as long as you're consistent about washing your face, your skin will be happy.
11. Cleanse your skin post-workout (or if it's just impossibly hot outside) to avoid body acne even if your day is busy, busy, busy. A few swipes with Goodwipes hygiene wipes will kill sweat-caused bacteria to keep backne away for GOOD.
12. Relieve extremely dry and irritated skin (including rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis) at long last with some Honeyskin Organics cream. Manuka honey, amino acids, and vitamins C, E, and A work together to seriously soothe, hydrate, and restore your skin's pH levels. A nightly routine with this will put you on the fast track to a MUCH calmer complexion.
13. Drink 👏 water 👏. Aim for eight glasses a day. Sure, you're peeing more (like....a lot more), but you're also flushing out daily toxins, increasing your skin's elasticity, and brightening your overall complexion.
Don't worry, this extra-large water bottle is here to help. Its design will keep you on track by marking your progress throughout the day — along with some motivation for when the finish line feels too far away.
14. Boost your complexion's brightness by incorporating serums into your routine. A drop of Nip and Fab's glycolic acid serum helps to stimulate cell renewal in order to reveal smoother, glowing skin. Have dry skin? Their hyaluronic fix serum provides intense moisture and promotes plumper, radiant skin.
15. Double the effectiveness of your face wash with an Eco Tools cleansing brush. It deep-cleanses pores and lightly exfoliates, meaning it gets rid of makeup, oil, and dirt a heck of a lot better than just your fingers.
16. Take your routine up a level by using a microneedle roller at the end of the day. When combined with a serum, it essentially accelerates the product's usual benefits to exfoliate, brighten, and repair irritated skin so that you're left with a dewy glow. Plus, you get to end the day with a soothing yet effective ritual.
17. Don't get mad at me — but you can't pop your zits. I KNOW. So satisfying. But it leaves scars that last for weeks! Instead, gently bring out the whitehead by holding down a warm washcloth while binging GoT. In a few minutes you'll be able to slide the whitehead off with the cloth. No energy. No scabbing.
18. Assign two different moisturizers for day and night to get the most out of your routine. A NeoGen duo cream simplifies the process with its two-in-one design. Its day formula both hydrates and calms irritation and redness with vitamin C and green tea, while its night combo of lavender and vitamin E intensely moisturizes, delivers a ~cooling~ effect, and improves your skin's strength. Can someone say dream team?
19. Keep things *super* simple if you have sensitive skin to avoid unnecessary irritation/breakouts. This mild Neutrogena cleanser is fragrance- and oil-free, plus it's hypoallergenic! Its main ingredient, glycerin, successfully removes excess oil and deep-cleans pores without ever harshing your vibe.
20. Understand that not every mask is for you. In fact, most are designed with a very specific skin type in mind (i.e. dry, acne-prone, etc.). Take our quiz to match your concerns and complexion with the best mask for you! That way you can forget about any...trial-and-error.
21. Unleash the power of the snail! Yes, really. This Seoul Ceuticals moisturizer has 97.5% ~snail mucin extract~, along with shea butter, vitamin E, and jojoba oil to make brightening and smoothing your complexion extremely fast and easy. I suppose snails have speed on their side, after all.
22. Eliminate clogged pores by masking with a Skin Food steam pack loaded with volcanic ash and egg protein to control sebum, reduce blackheads, and exfoliate your skin. In three to five minutes, those pesky dots will be a distant memory.
23. Spritz your way to a *dewier* complexion, courtesy of a Teddie Organics rose water toner spray. It's a great midday pick-me-up to rejuvenate and brighten tired skin — not to mention it has a heavenly 🌹rose scent 🌹. It also absorbs excess oil to cancel any guest appearances from your T-zone!
24. Load up on skin-loving food like salmon and kale (yeah) to work on clearing your complexion from the inside out. Good news: you're having dark chocolate for dessert. Tbh this solution isn't exactly immediate, but it sure freaking helps.
25. Remove cosmetics the easiest way known to mankind — with a makeup-erasing towel. All you do is add some water and it takes off even a full face of heavy makeup, dirt, and oil in minutes. Remember today as the day you stopped going to bed without a fresh face.
26. Plan out your routine by product — there's a proper order for everything (your face can tell, even if you can't). For example, applying sun protection last is SUPER important otherwise it can't actually work.
27. Swap out your spot treatment for some gentler The Body Shop tea tree oil if traditional acne creams feel too harsh (aka your skin is left red). It's just as effective at reducing pimples, but won't leave any irritation.
28. Regularly clean your makeup brushes (those things pick up acne-causing bacteria faster than you can say zit) with a finger scrubber board. Try to do this once a week — any longer and grime really starts to build up.
29. Battle tough breakouts with a popular TruSkin tea tree serum. Its powerful blend of 20% vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, salicylic acid, and hyaluronic acid work together to unclog stubborn pores and deeply nourish irritated skin — which is a nice way to say it tells cystic breakouts to get the hell out of here.
30. Clear acne and rough skin ALL over (not just your face) with some CeraVe salicylic body wash. It needs only a few ingredients to cancel bumpy skin: essential ceramides to restore natural hydration and salicylic acid to exfoliate and soften. The best part? It's all achieved with a few good lathers in the shower.
31. Treat eye bags with a healthy dose of luxury, aka 24K gold eye masks. They'll reduce puffiness, hydrate your skin, and add shine to dull skin so your complexion matches how rich you feel while wearing these.
32. Know your different types of acne — they're like snowflakes, except so much more unwelcome. Whether yours is more of a whitehead (which needs salicylic acid) or the hormonal type (usually a cyst which needs sulfur-based products), the first step to treating acne is knowing what the heck they are!
33. Brighten your complexion from face wash alone with some Acure brightening facial scrub. This'll become your go-to to exfoliate away excess oil and treat breakouts — all while bringing out a clear, glowing complexion from underneath. That is EFFICIENT.
34. Fade acne scars and uneven skin tones without creating a complicated routine by using Nip + Fab glycolic cleansing pads. It's essentially a one-step solution to gently exfoliating your way to an even skin tone, thanks to their formula of 2.8% glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, and a light moisturizer.
35. Reduce redness and prevent sun damage with just a ~pump~ by using some Jivi moisturizer. It enlists the help of exclusively all-natural ingredients to not only provide all-day hydration thanks to shea butter, cucumber peel, and aloe vera, but also block you from the sun with SPF 12 mineral sunscreen.
36. Continue improving your skin even when you go to sleep! A Burt's Bees overnight mask will bring mornings of radiant skin by using avocado oil and prebiotics to replenish moisture while you catch up on your zzz's.
Your skin now whenever you even TRY to skip sunscreen:
Need more for your skin? Check out Korean skincare products you need to know, drugstore products that actually fight acne, products to help deal with dry skin, or check out all of our beauty content for even more great stuff for your hair, skin, and more.
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