Dermatologist appointments and a lot of trial and error can make taking care of acne-prone skin both time-consuming and expensive. And while it can be frustrating at times, the most important thing to keep in mind when dealing with irritated or problematic skin is to be consistent and keep it simple.
With so many skin care brands available claiming so many different things, it can be easy to believe the notion that the more you pay, the better the results will be. But this isn’t always the case. In fact, you can find great results with affordable skin care; it’s making a decision while standing in front of the endless supermarket and pharmacy aisles that’s the hard part.
That’s why we’ve done it for you. We’ve outlined the key ingredients to look for, and even broken down the costs involved for an acne-friendly skin care routine that won’t send you broke.
What are some of the best skin-clearing ingredients to look out for?
Salicylic acid: a BHA that dissolves oil buildup on the skin’s surface while acting as an anti-inflammatory.
Niacinamide: the active form of vitamin B3, it is one of the most well-tolerated and versatile active ingredients there is. It is best known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that aid in clearing up mild to moderate acne conditions.
Zinc: Zinc has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which can soothe the most inflamed acne lesions.
Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is incredibly effective at boosting the natural hydration of the skin.
Our $45 acne-prone skin care routine
Cleansing: CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser
Cleansing your skin is arguably the most important part of any skin care routine. If you have oily skin or if you experience frequent breakouts, consider a cleanser with salicylic acid, like the dermatologist-approved CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser.
The daily face wash clarifies and exfoliates pores in order to help combat acne, excess sebum and inflammation. Reducing excess oil production will leave your skin clearer and less prone to breakouts without it feeling stripped or tight.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser 236ml $13.39 at Chemist Warehouse
Serum: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Formulated with, you guessed it, niacinamide and zinc, this powerful serum from The Ordinary is your cheap ticket to reducing redness and inflammation. One to two drops daily will take the anger out of breakout patches and contribute to minimising excess sebum production.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 30ml $9.90 at Adore Beauty
Moisturiser: CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion
So far we’ve killed bacteria, unclogged pores, reduced inflammation and minimised excess oil production. And now, it’s time to hydrate and support the skin barrier – without clogging it. This is where the CeraVe lotion comes in. Packed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, it works to repair, reduce inflammation and quench thirsty skin.
Believe it or not, the key to treating and avoiding breakouts is to make sure your skin stays moisturised, which is an important step that many acne sufferers overlook. In order to compensate for its lack of moisture, dry skin tends to overproduce sebum, which means that skipping moisturiser to avoid excess oil, clogged pores and acne is actually counterintuitive and will only make your skin produce more oil to compensate for its thirst.
CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion $17.39 at Chemist Warehouse
Spot treatment: COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch
On top of keeping your pesky fingers from popping active pimples, K-beauty brand COSRX created their patches with hydrocolloid, a wound dressing that draws out pus and other nasty stuff from deep inside your pimple. Try putting a few on before bed, or while you’re watching TV, and each patch will help to speed up the pimple’s lifecycle, fend off scarring, and prevent further bacteria from entering the site.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch $3.88 at Lila Beauty
Total cost = $44.56
What we didn’t factor into the cost was an SPF. Why? An SPF should be a no-brainer and already on hand, no matter your skin type! If you’re looking for acne-prone SPF recommendations, check out our roundup here.
Main image credit: @mandymadd
What’s your go-to affordable acne-fighting product?
I’ve tried just about everything for my acne but because mine is hormonal I find that most things don’t work
I hear you Miss19. I had skin like that so I had to get super serious with mine around 30 decades ago and see my skin specialist. So glad I did because it changed my life. I understand how totally stubborn hormone controlled skin can be.
Did any type of skin care products help you ccw?
Back then, no skin care worked for me SP. I had such terrible skin. Only oral tablets of Roaccutane helped me. Nowadays, if I get the odd spot I use the Dermalogica spot treatment and it works really well. Tames the spot overnight. : )
Not back then SP. I had to go on Roaccutane oral tablets and that worked. Relief. Nowadays, if I get the odd spot I use the Dermalogica spot treatment and that works but my spots aren’t hormonal like they used to be.
Not back then S-P – my skin was so very bad and hormonal – I had to go on oral tablets (roaccutane) and that worked.
Nowadays if I get the odd spot I can use Dermalogica spot treatmnet with success. It tames it overnight.
My daughter has hormone related acne too Miss19. So far she hasn’t found any products or skin care routines that have helped.
Have you ever heard of spironolactone? It’s supposed to be effective for hormonal acne and hirsutism. I’m considering getting a prescription!
I think I need some Salicylic acid in my life – I have oily, blackhead prone skin
I like cleansers with salicylic acid in them. I’ve always got Clearasil on hand – it works well & it’s quick!
Neutrogena make a great salicylic acid based cleanser!
I can vouch for this, great for hormonal spots!
Pity about J&J’s ethics! 🙁
Exactly the same!!
I currently don’t have one. But will keep checking back to hear what everyone else uses.
Adore CeraVe!
You can buy The Ordinary Niacinamide in larger sizes now!
You can buy The Ordinary Niacinamide in larger sizes now!
I’ve never tried any affordable ones but am all for it, I get hormonal breakouts had acne as a teen and at 34 I thought this stage in life would be over. Going to give these a go 🙂
Now I only get a few spots occasionally but those masks can really encourage zits can’t they!?!
The clay masks “pull” out clogged pores and pimples to come out to the surface, that’s why I always do a clay mask during the weekend or on a day I’m not going out!
That’s really good to know!
I’ll take the pimple patch.
Acne isn’t an issue for me anymore thankfully.
This is such as great list of products! I would add a retinol which has made dramatic results on my acne-prone skin.
The Ordinary has great products for acne. I used to use their salicylic acid serum but it was discontinued unfortunately. Their glycolic acid toner is also really good!
I don’t get problem skin anymore. There are some many great choices for people that do.
Thank goodness that I have been using Niacinamide in both Serum and Face Moisturiser as well, I am so happy that I don’t get many pimples at all. But occasionally I do every now and then.
I would really love to try a product from The Ordinary range because of it’s affordability. How does it compare I wonder 🤔
S-P I have to answer your question up here because I tried a couple of times to answer your question by hitting the ‘reply’ button but it didn’t work.
So to answer your question SP, no, there wasn’t any skincare products that worked for me back then – my skin got so bad I needed to take oral tablets (roaccutane) which did work thankfully. ahh the relief!
Nowadays, if I get the odd spot I’ll use the Dermalogica spot treatment and it tames the spot overnight.
I can’t live without salicylic acid in my cleansers! Also good ol Clearasil Extra Acne Treatment Cream! Have been using it since I was a teenager and always have a tube in the bathroom. Dab that on a pimple and it’s gone overnight!
I love Paula’s Choice skincare. Their products have never let me down, they have travel and sample sizes, and always tons of great offers with freebies on!! 😍
I really want to try PC!
I already use three of these products. Love CeraVe.
My solution that fixed it for good: diet change. Cleared everything that is processed and not designed for human metabolism (animals etc). Do get a pimple here and there, whiteheads….when not properly cleansing or overusing actives. Simple skincare routine is best.
This is so important Yo. Adhering to an Ahimsa lifestyle and eating low GI whole foods!
I highly recommend The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid serum for oil control. Wish I’d discovered that years ago!
No more acne, replaced with very dry skin
When I suffer from congestion (very rare these days though) a good combination of AHA/BHA would clear it up rather quickly.
This! Dermatologists strongly recommend SA as a BHA.
Great picks that don’t break the bank!
The ordinary is great for unruly skin!
I love the price point!
All those products look great. I use the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch which really help
I have not used any of these products to date, but I am hearing about CeraVe more and more. I should check them out!
DermalMD Acne Serum is amazing. For the most part I’m shocked that it actually works, because I’ve never used an acne product that works. I saw a visible difference the very next day after using it. It worked really fast. It’s very lightweight and not oily. I definitely recommend to anyone with acne or with acne scars to try this. You will be amazed.
I am currently experiencing an acne breakout. Trying out some new products but I do have the COSRX acne patches on standby.