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“You’re doing way too much with your skin, babe,” acne whisperer and celebrity facialist Sofie Pavitt replied as I rattled off my skin-care routine while lying on the esthetician’s chair. Ironically, I had already reduced my regimen to six steps, but she said it was still far too much for my acne-prone skin. An hour later, I’d acquired that coveted post-facial glow by Pavitt and some skin-care homework: a new acne-safe routine with only three steps a night.
“I find that too many products can disrupt the skin and even contribute to breakouts—then it’s challenging to distinguish between the breakouts’ root cause and trigger points themselves,” Pavitt tells Vogue. “When I start working with an acne client, I’ll put them on a bare-bones routine for two weeks so I can relook at their skin after—that way, I can see what’s going on without extensive active skin-care protocols.” With my marching orders in place, I said goodbye to my hyaluronic-acid-fueled serums, niacinamide-packed toners, and ceramide-ridden moisturizers (all of which, to my surprise, were active ingredients, according to Pavitt).
The Pavitt-Approved Acne Skin-Care Routine
- The Micellar Water: CosRx Low pH Micellar Cleansing Water, $19
- The Gentle Cleanser: IS Clinical Cleansing Complex, $49
- The Mandelic Acid: Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Clearing Serum, $54
- The Noncomedogenic Moisturizer: Purito Mighty Bamboo Panthenol Cream, $25
- The Acne-Safe SPF: Kosas DreamBeam Sunlit, $40
Now I had a tried-and-true approach to stick to: double cleansing, mandelic acid, moisturizer, and a daily SPF (only in the morning, of course). When picking products, I couldn’t pick just any buzzy brand. Instead, I got serious about checking if anything I applied to my face was actually noncomedogenic. Suddenly, the pursuit of products free of pore-clogging ingredients became my religion, and Pavitt’s Non-Comedogenic Ingredients Checker became my bible. I was shocked (and spooked) to find that many products that claimed to be acne-safe were still packed with sneaky hidden ingredients that could spark breakouts. On the list of no-nos for acne-prone skin, Pavitt names shea butter and anything with coconut (including coconut alkanes) as chief offenders. “I debate this all the time with people on the internet that formulation of a product overrides the comedogenicity of a product, which I agree with to some extent. However, the path of least resistance is always my philosophy: I always defer to avoiding all comedogenics when my clients are following a skin-clearing protocol,” says Pavitt. “Why risk it? Take them all out of a skin-clearing protocol and minimize the risk of pore-clogging from triggers, and your skin will clear faster.”
A month into my pared-down routine, I graduated out of acne-clearing mode and into clear-skin maintenance—sure, I still have remnants of my pesky rosacea speckles on my cheeks, but no active pimples in sight. When my menstrual cycle looped back around for its monthly haunting, a few spots indeed reared their ugly heads, but with one marked difference: Rather than taking weeks to fully clear, my skin appeared to bounce back quicker, bringing zits to a head and healing faster than usual. During my minor active breakout, I added one additional step to my routine—Pavitt’s benzoyl peroxide face mask, applied only to problem areas. “You could use mandelic daily and benzoyl products in the opposite end of your routine (one in the morning and the other at night),” says Pavitt. “Everything else in your routine should be noncomedogenic, hydrating, and with no other actives while clearing up your skin. You can slowly add other actives while in clear-skin maintenance mode (Think: retinol, vitamin C, growth factors, and peptides.) But remember: Don’t use all of them at once!” Let’s break the routine down step by step.
Step One: Always Double Cleanse
Even with a minimalist skin-care routine, double cleansing remains a nonnegotiable step—though Pavitt asserts it’s important to opt for a micellar water rather than an oil formula. “While I love the feeling of oils and balm cleansers, the truth is, no matter how hard you try, a film is left behind on the skin even after rinsing. The very reason you’re cleansing is to prep your skin to receive treatment: whether it’s an acid, a vitamin C, or a hydrating serum,” says Pavitt. “Using micellar water as an initial cleanse followed by a deeper cleanse [with a noncomedogenic face wash] removes all dirt, makeup, SPF, and oils to prep the skin and leave a clean canvas. Oils leave films and can stop your treatments from penetrating the skin correctly.”
Micellar water options from Bioderma and CosRx are popular formulas that get the job done. Meanwhile, my go-to gentle yet effective cleansers are Pavitt’s face wash or IS Clinical’s.
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Step Two: Mandelic Acid
While exfoliation is vital in managing acne-prone skin, one particular liquid exfoliant is a holy grail ingredient for congested complexions: “Mandelic acid is a large molecule-sized AHA that slowly and gently dissolves the bonds between dead cells and healthy skin underneath. Its molecule size means that it doesn’t cause irritation as it works on the top layers of the skin, which is great because it doesn’t irritate sensitive acne-prone skin,” says Pavitt. “It also brightens and has antibacterial properties. I love the daily exfoliating protocol for acne sufferers, because if you’re predisposed to acne, you shed dead cells at a higher rate than someone who isn’t prone, so helping your skin buff them away with something gentle every day works best, in my opinion.”
As an insider tip, Pavitt explains that many brands opt for salicylic acid as their exfoliant of choice because it’s an FDA acne-monographed ingredient that allows products to claim acne-safe status. But Pavitt finds it drying. Mandelic acid, however, is non-drying and ultra-gentle (it’s even safe for those with eczema and rosacea).
Step Three: Hydrate With a Noncomedogenic Moisturizer
When choosing a moisturizer for acne-prone skin, other than ensuring there are no sneaky pore-clogging ingredients, it’s essential to consider you skin’s unique needs (think: oily, combination, or dry skin types). If you’re anything like me and have oil-slick skin, Pavitt recommends opting for a gel moisturizer for its lightweight feel and fast-absorbing formula. My K-beauty favorite from Purito passed the non-pore-clogging test, but Skinfix also offers another acne-safe gel formula. For the drier, dehydrated skin types, Pavitt suggests opting for something creamier—the esthetician’s latest moisturizer launch is what I turned to when riding out the colder months for an extra surge of hydration. However, you also can’t go wrong with SkinCeuticals’s Triple Lipid Restore.
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Step Four: In the Morning, Opt for a Noncomedogenic SPF
Pavitt reminds us to never skip daily SPF application—especially when battling acne-prone complexions. UV exposure can potentially worsen inflammation or darken hyperpigmentation, and mandelic acid can create slight sun sensitivity. Her recommendation? Opt for an oil-free, noncomedogenic sunscreen with broad spectrum protection. (Don’t worry, we’ve already double-checked, and all of these sunscreen options are in the clear.)
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Meet the Expert
- Sofie Pavitt is a New York–based skin-care expert and licensed esthetician specializing in problematic skin. Known as the acne whisperer, Pavitt recently founded her own product line, Sofie Pavitt Face.
