Okay, first things first. One or two pimples do not mean you have Acne! It's the biggest pet peeve of mine to hear someone claim they have acne when they only get a whitehead every now and then. Acne prone skin means you have a fair amount of congestion, ranging from mild to severe.
Now oily prone skin is a whole other territory. Most people have more oil in their T-Zone. That would make them, Normal-Oily skin, as long as they didn't have a decent amount of regular acne that accompanied it. Oily skin means having a good amount of oil nearly everywhere, without dry spots.
If this sounds like you then there's one other thing that's actually very important. If you have any sensitivities at all, meaning your skin gets red, irritated, itchy or burns when you use certain products then you most likely have sensitive skin. Be very careful when selecting products to target your acne or oil. Most acne/oily targeting products are very astringent and aggressive, which will irritate your skin further and your skin will release Free Radicals which will make you AGE prematurely. So be wary if you have sensitive skin.
Things to Remember:
-Always use a moisturizer after cleansing your skin. Using a moisturizer will tell your skin to stop overproducing oil because it has the nourishment it needs.
-DO NOT exfoliate aggressively if you have many pustules, or whiteheads. Exfoliating will cause your skin to break, spread bacteria to the other areas of your face and will make you break out even more. Steer clear away from scrubs, particularly ones like the Apricot Scrub. If a gritty scrub is a must, find one that has beads that burst on contact.
-A chemical exfoliant is the best thing for acne prone skin. Chemical sounds like a scary word but it really only means it dissolves the dead skin cells of the top layer of skin. It has zero pain. Most chemical exfoliants use Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which is very aggressive and will dissolve even live layers of skin (i.e. Jessner's peel). Instead try one that uses Beta Hydroxy Acid, which only dissolves the dead skin cells. My favorite is Aveda's Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant.
-Choose a toner that is either hydrating or a non-astringent. Most people believe that astringent toners (like Witch Hazel or Alcohol) are better for oily skin because it will dry the skin's oil. Really it's only sending a message to your skin that it needs to produce even more oil because it has lost so much. Look on the ingredient list, if Witch Hazel or Alcohol is high up on the list you might want to choose a different toner.
-The key to keeping oil under control is to nourish the skin's natural oil, not strip it. Remember to cleanse, tone and moisturize in the AM and PM. If 2 times a day is too much for you, do it in the PM. This will make sure to remove any dirt and allow your skin to repair while you sleep.
-Also, an eye creme is very important! It will help to prevent any fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness and promotes collagen to rise to the skin's surface.
And remember, oily prone skin is the only skin type that ages better than anyone else! Your oil is protecting your skin from premature aging. And acne can be controlled with a dedicated regimen and skincare products that meet your acne prone skin's needs :)
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