5 Easy Steps to Keeping Blemishes at Bay

CLEANSE
Your skin is most likely oily, but avoid washing your face several time a day to keep an oil-slick complexion at bay, this can over-dry your skin and trigger more grease production. Stick to cleansing just morning and night with a gentle, soap-free wash like Bioderma Sébium Purifying Foaming Gel, $26. Available at select drugstores across Canada.
DE-CLOG
Grainy scrubs used gently 2 times a week usually work but can irritate active breakouts, so try a chemical exfoliant like glycolic acid for tougher, more stubborn cases of acne. The high concentration in NeoStrata Toning Solution Level 2 Daily Treatment, $29, quickly abolishes dead skin cells and unblocks pores. At drugstores.
TREAT
Skin cells do their repair work best while you sleep, so add a spot treatment or serum to your evening routine. Made with proven acnes fighters like salicylic acid, Clearasil Ultra Overnight Serum, $10, will penetrate deep down into your pores, visibly shrinking pimples. At drug and grocery stores.
MOISTURIZE
Be sure to moisturize! Catching sun can make your acne worse, and just because you see excess oil on your skin doesn’t mean it’s well hydrated. Protect your face with a moisturizer that boasts UV filters and leaves a shine-free finish, like Dermalogica Clean Start Welcome Matte SPF 15, $32. At Sephora.
CAMOUFLAGE
To disguise redness and breakouts, use a spot concealer. With foundation look for lightweight textures designed for blemish-prone skin . Test Bare Minerals, a mineralized powder that covers, and heals at the same time. But the correct application brush is key, and don't use too much!