this post is NOT sponsored

Today, I’m super excited to share with you my new routine for clear, clean skin. It’s important for me to share this with you, especially if, like me, you suffer from adult acne.

I know how much it can hurt, and how hard it is to find a competent professional who doesn’t suggest, for the umpteenth time, birth control pills, Roaccutane, BHA, AHA, peels, antibiotics, or other aggressive methods that, at best, calm acne temporarily until the end of the treatment, and at worst, make the skin even worse.

My skin type & my skin issues

I’m 32, I have sensitive combination skin and it took me a while to call it “combination skin,” believing for years that I had oily skin.

When I was a teenager, I only had blemishes on my T-zone. Because of my very heavy periods, I started taking the pill, which also calmed my acne. Then, as an adult, I only had one or two pimples during that time of the month. However, a change in my pill a year and a half ago and my trip around the world (in heavily polluted countries) gave me, for the first time, microcysts and then pimples on my cheeks.

The causes

By testing different products and noting internal/external changes, I was able to determine the main causes of my adult acne:

excessive hormonal activity (not a hormonal imbalance per se, I had tests done)
pollution
a routine that was too drying => skin producing more sebum to self-nourish => blemishes
the fact that I pick at my skin (by the way, if it becomes severe, there’s a name for it, a condition called dermatillomania)

Note: food has very little influence on my skin. I stopped dairy and chocolate during my world tour, but it had no effect on my skin.

The solutions

In response, I established a suitable routine:

excessive hormonal activity => I stopped the pill but I regularly take evening primrose capsules (1/day)
pollution => double cleansing: first cleanse with an oil-based balm, then a facial cleanser. Sauna/steam room every two weeks.
routine too drying => new routine based on Dr. Hauschka products, providing gentleness and teaching the skin to self-regulate. Breakouts are treated with products Mario Badescu. And then, dark spots, with manuka honey. I drink more water to hydrate my skin from within.
the fact that I pick at my skin => there are patches to stick on pimples to avoid all that.

Results : after two months on the Dr. Hauschka and Mario Badescu routine, I no longer have blemishes and dark spots are starting to fade (here’s a photo of me right after my morning routine, no makeup, just a tint on my lips)

Note: this routine works very well for me when I’m in Europe. When I’m in Asia, I prefer my Japanese/Korean routine

The routine I give below works very well for me, but it may not suit you. So always do tests first, please.

My current routine

MORNING routine

Cleanse => Tone => Hydrate => Protect

Dr. Hauschka Purifying Cream Cleanser
Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner
1/2 drop of Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Oil
Dr. Hauschka Daily Moisturizing Fluid
Alga Maris Sunscreen

EVENING ROUTINE

Remove makeup => Cleanse => Tone

SK-II Facial Treatment Gentle Cleansing Cream
SK-II Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser (only if my face is really dirty)
Dr. Hauschka Purifying Cream Cleanser
Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner

A one-month course, to be done 1 to 3 times a year: Dr. Hauschka Intensive Day & Night Care for Sensitive Skin – 2 ampoules per night

Other spot treatments (to apply only on blemishes – not as a preventive measure)

COSRX: Acne Pimple Master Patch (for pimples that have already burst) available at Yesstyle (use the code K7BPCF to get 10% off your first order)
Mario Badescu: Drying Cream (for small blemishes) available at Sephora
Mario Badescu: Drying Lotion (for large blemishes) available at Sephora
Mario Badescu: Buffering Lotion (for painful under-the-skin blemishes) available at Sephora

WEEKLY TREATMENTS

Manuka honey mask UMF 10+ (apply a thin layer of honey directly to the skin for 1 hour to help fade dark spots)
Dr. Hauschka Revitalizing Mask (to deeply hydrate the skin and add radiance)

SUPPLEMENTS

1 evening primrose oil capsule (or evening primrose/borage blend) per day

Comments

As you can see, I use few brands. That’s because of the specificity of Dr. Hauschka: their products are formulated to work in synergy. You have to use them together. For a detailed review of each Dr. Hauschka product, check out my other article.

There’s quite a bit of organic products in my routine, not because I’m particularly into organic (quite the opposite), I just want a routine that works for me, whether it’s organic or conventional. I have absolutely no hate for conventional products. If you find my routine not organic enough, I recommend reading this wonderful book that might suit you better: Secrets d’une peau nette by Elodie-Joy Jaubert.

You’ll also notice that I use an oil on my combination skin in my morning routine. This is linked to Dr. Hauschka’s concept: by giving the skin the right amount of oil, it no longer needs to overproduce sebum to regulate itself. However, some skins overproduce sebum because they are dehydrated (lack water), in which case you need to provide water (so use the Dr. Hauschka Night Serum which is water-based).

Similarly, I use an oil-based cleansing balm before cleansing. Since oil and water don’t mix, you can’t just use a water-based product to remove sunscreen or excess sebum, which are oil-based. Even if you don’t wear makeup, you still need to remove sunscreen residue. This is part of the Japanese/Korean method and it has a name: the double cleansing.

The brand Mario Badescu is conventional and well-known for its anti-acne products, especially the Drying Lotion (Sephora link) which is even used by American stars (if there’s one Mario Badescu product to buy, it’s this one). The products I have here are only to be used at night because they leave a slight pink/green layer. If you prefer a brand that’s easier to find, go for Effaclar Duo+ by La Roche-Posay which works very well (but slower) than Mario Badescu.

As for the patch to use on popped pimples, it comes from the observation that band-aids exist for wounds, so why not put a “band-aid” on popped pimples, which are also a mini open wound? COSRX patches contain hydrocolloid, used in hospitals for treating severe wounds. They have the advantage of staying on the skin all night—and they absorb any remaining impurities in the pores, helping pimples heal much faster, protect the area, and prevent acne spread (a popped pimple is full of bacteria and can infect surrounding pores). If they’re too hard to find, buy Compeed foot plasters (they also contain hydrocolloid) and cut them into small pieces. This is an important step in acne treatment!

You can see I have no exfoliating products. The Hauschka method bans any exfoliation. Instead, they recommend a steam bath followed by a purifying mask. Since I’m lazy, I prefer going to the sauna/hamam every two weeks. Or I take a nice hot bath. Or I use my Clarisonic Mia Fit once a week.

Finally, I use no moisturizer at night. Here again, this is what the Dr. Hauschka routine prescribes, aiming to teach the skin to regulate itself by letting it “breathe” at night. You can find more info about the Dr. Hauschka method here

And here’s the routine they recommended at Maison Dr. Hauschka after my facial treatment there

Conclusion

This routine worked for me because after many tests, I managed to identify the causes of my blemishes to find the right products.
It took me a long time to get my skin back to healthy. Skin has a 28-day cycle, so when you change your routine, unless you have a major allergic reaction, you need to stick with it for at least 28 days.
Dr. Hauschka is a very good organic brand with a skincare protocol aimed at normalizing the skin. It helped me get rid of my adult acne and establish a stable routine suited to my skin type.
However, since these are natural products, the effects are noticed less quickly than with conventional products. Let’s say you use Dr. Hauschka for long-term results; not to make a big pimple disappear the night before a job interview => that’s why I also introduce COSRX and Mario Badescu products for spot treatments.
All the products in my routine cost between €15 and €30. However, the value for money is excellent since you don’t need to use much product each time. If the price still holds you back, buy a Dr. Hauschka sample kit for €20 (which lasted 14 days for me) before buying full sizes.
For frequent travelers, Dr. Hauschka and Mario Badescu aren’t ideal brands because they’re very hard to find outside Europe.

Price & Where to buy?

How much does it cost? all in all, it cost me €177 for at least 6 months, so €29.5/month
- Dr. Hauschka: €60 for the products listed above (Fluid Beauty Ritual Kit + oil and mask in mini sizes)
- Mario Badescu Acne Repair Kit : 50,8€
- COSRX patches : €20 for 10 sets
- Manuka honey: 34€
- Evening primrose capsules : 12€
Where to buy?
- Dr. Hauschka: You can buy Hauschka products on the Lookfantastic website (link) or the FeelUnique website (link). These two sites regularly offer 20% to 23% off Dr. Hauschka products
- Mario Badescu: at Sephora
- COSRX: Asian site Yesstyle (cheaper, no customs fees)
- Manuka honey : the largest grocery store in Paris, or online. Note that you must choose the UMF 10 index (or higher). Otherwise, opt for organic thyme honey, which has the same healing, anti-stain, and antibacterial properties
- Evening primrose capsules : in organic shops or pharmacies