You review – acne busters

You know the score. You go to bed, wake up and see that on your face. A breakout angrier than a three-year-old without lollies. But what if this happens every day? What do you do? Invest in a paper bag? Spend the national debt on concealer? Or take advice from real people on real products that actually address acne breakouts. We know what we’d do.

Trial # 1: Avene Cleanance Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion

“I have combination/acne-prone skin – I have a very oily T-zone, mild acne and dry, sensitive areas in other parts of my face, so as you can imagine, finding a good product for my skin is hard. But I found Avene Cleanance Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion to be absolutely brilliant. After use, my skin was softer than it is usually, and my nose, chin and mouth have been far less shiny. It targets both my oily T-zone and sensitive areas that used to dry and peel so not only is my skin clearer of the adult acne, it’s also not inflamed! I’ve used another product for years, but I’m switching now!” Rating: 5/5 – kshottle

Trial # 2: Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque

“I feel at such a loss with my skin sometimes…I don’t want to splurge only to find the product is no better than something cheaper. So it was really nice to try something a bit special like Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque. I started using the mask straight away, three times a week, as advised on the packaging along with my usual regime. I found the product instantly soothed painful pimples: the morning after they were smaller in size and less painful and within about two full weeks the number of pimples had noticeably reduce. My skin doesn’t

seem to get too affected by different times of the month but I was really happy to see that the pimples didn’t return when I was at my most hormonal. While other masks have often left my skin dry and irritated, this one seemed to dry up pimples but wasn’t drying to my skin at all. And as far as masks go, this is one of the easiest to wash off. I will be saving up to replace this tube when it runs out, it’s a keeper. After three weeks of use I hardly have any blemishes left!” Rating: 5/5 – jodib 

Trial # 3: Guinot Acnilogic Intelligent Sebum Control Serum

“My breakouts were generally at their worse when I became stressed, but after applying the Guinot Acnilogic Intelligent Sebum Control Serum for the first time, I was shocked by the amount of spots that I could feel under my skin. By the end of the second week, I could already feel a decrease in the number on my forehead. Even the textural appearance of my skin was looking finer. And when my skin did flare up again the spots were minor compared with the normal inflammation and were gone within a couple of days. Over the four weeks, I didn’t experience any serious breakouts, the incidence of pimples reduced immensely and I could also feel a significant reduction in the size of my pores. This serum isn’t a replacement for my existing daily skin regime, but it will be incorporated into it. Each product I use addresses a different aspect of my acne and produce fantastic results together. I would most certainly use this again.” Rating: 5/5 – shelldd

Trial # 4: Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser

“I have oily, acne prone skin and have tried everything to get rid of it but sadly nothing’s ever worked. The Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser was creamy and had small beads that gently exfoliated my skin without being too rough. This was good as most other cleansers I’ve used have just been smooth. This one felt like it was actually doing something to target the spots. After the first application there was no noticeable improvement, although my skin did feel very clean and a lot softer. But in just a week there has been a considerate improvement with my acne. I would definitely buy it again.” Rating: 4/5 – Caitlin