Creams, Masks And Gels That People With Acne-Prone Skin Swear By

An active face mask that exfoliates skin in 15-20 minutes, this SkinQ Acne control mask works like magic! Thanks to the active ingredients like Salicylic acid, that clears up clogged pores and helps the skin breathe, Niacinamide which boosts the skin, and Zinc PCA that helps get rid of acne or pimple breakouts, this one is soothing and smoothening too. It's also great for thise who have acne scars. 

Price: INR 650

Nayantara, a content writer from Bombay, tells me that she is a skin junkie who finds her skincare routine very zen, as we all should. She's tried a lot of products on her sensitive skin and this gel from The Derma Co for active acne is her current favourite. It's a spot treatment that helps calm the redness down and of course, treat the spot. It also doesn't irritate or harm her skin further. 

Price: INR 499 for 30g

Jaipur-based wedding planner and event stylist, Durgesh Nandini, has been using Cipla's Excela Moisturizer for quite some time now. Recommended to her by a dermatologist, this one is said to reduce sebum secretion and has proved to be very smooth on Nandini's skin. It doesn't burn the skin and is perfect especially during weather transitions, during which her skin gets irritable. This moisturizer is non-comedogenic paraben-free too!

Price: INR 457 for 50g

Hailing from Kolkata, Fatema has a combination skin that gets really oily all over during summers, especially given the city's humidity level. She uses this Rice & Ceramide Moisturizing Toner to prevent her skin from getting too greasy. This toner is believed to help greatly with clogged pores and helps balance the pH levels of the skin. 

Price: INR 738 for 150ml

After having tried multiple creams for acne, Manasi finally found one that actually worked well for her skin. Irrespective of the weather and season, Manasi tells me that her T-zone is prone to acne. She uses Biotique's Winter Green Anti Acne Cream during breakouts to settle her pimples down. It doesn't leave the neighbouring areas of her skin oily, which she says is pretty common in other acne creams that she's tried. 

Price: INR 199 for 15g

Tanmayta tells me that her acne is mostly stress-induced coupled with junk food and no workout (hear, hear). However, once she focussed on maintaining a healthier lifestyle by correcting these three, her acne was considerably reduced. Her dermatologist recommended this Adaferin 0.1% gel which worked wonders for Tanmayta as this is lightweight and helps with oily skin. 

Price: INR 259 (approximately) for 15g

BareWithMehr is a wonderful handle on Instagram that I very recently came across. And boy am I glad! Mehr covers everything from beauty and skincare to acne and PCOD on her page. She tells me that she has extremely oily acne-prone skin and has tried a bunch of different moisturizers to control it. But ever since she started using this moisturizer by Bioderma, her skin feels hydrated, well-moisturized and healthy. Mehr also adds that this doesn't leave a white cast, a little bit goes a long way and it makes her skin look alive. 

Price: INR 1,135 for 40ml

We also reached out to dermatologists and skin experts to recommend some homegrown skincare brands for treating acne. Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget to check out these anti-acne products that are bound to work wonders. 

We would like to mention here that all skin types are different and there are various kinds of acne that one can get. Whether it's mild acne that you're dealing with or a severe one, it's always best to get the right treatment from an expert. They'll help you narrow down the cause and find the right system for your skin type. Also, getting to the root cause of acne is pertinent, after which you should stick to the treatment that works best for you.