Blemish-Prone Skin: The Smarter Guide to Prevention, Repair, and Confidence
If your skin tends to break out, you’ve probably heard it all before: wash your face, don’t touch your pimples, drink more water. But what if you’ve already done those things—and your skin still feels unpredictable?
This guide is different.
It’s for the woman who uses quality skincare, eats reasonably well, and still sees breakouts pop up—especially around her period, jawline, or after stress. It’s for the woman who’s tired of switching products too often, and wants a stable, intelligent routine that respects her skin.
What we’ll cover:
✔ When in your cycle breakouts are most likely to happen—and what to do about them
✔ Why over-cleansing and over-layering is doing more harm than good
✔ Which serums to alternate (and which to skip) when skin feels overwhelmed
✔ Makeup ingredients that could be clogging your pores
✔ How to support skin through diet, sleep, and lymphatic flow
✔ Hygiene habits you might be overlooking
✔ The best moisturisers to rotate based on your skin’s “mood”
✔ A monthly skin rhythm that keeps you consistent without overcomplicating your routine
✦ 1. Know When You Break Out (and What Your Skin Actually Needs)
Breakouts that appear 7–10 days before your period often correlate with oil surges, changes in sebum composition, and barrier weakening—not "dirt" or poor hygiene. These are the days to scale back on heavy treatments and opt for lightweight formulas that help support calm and balance.
What to do instead:
✔ Use the Tremella Lightweight Lotion 10 days before your period to help balance visible oiliness without over-drying
✔ Keep Eclipta Serum on hand for emergency red spots or when your skin feels on edge
✔ Avoid overusing clay masks or drying cleansers—these often trigger rebound oil production
✦ 2. Avoid Over-Cleansing (But Choose Your Cleanser Wisely)
Cleansing too aggressively—especially with high-foam or fragranced products—can disrupt your skin’s moisture barrier, increasing visible oiliness and irritation.
A better approach:
✔ Start with Copper Peptide Jelly Cleanser—a gentle, non-stripping formula ideal for redness-prone, blemish-prone skin
✔ Rotate in Ginseng & Grapefruit Water-Activated Cleanser on oilier days for a deeper (yet still respectful) cleanse
✔ Avoid cleansing more than twice per day—even if you’re breaking out. Skin needs space to rebalance
✦ 3. Alternate, Don’t Layer (Serum Strategy That Makes Sense)
More isn’t more. Especially for blemish-prone skin, layering too many actives can lead to redness, dehydration, or new breakouts.
Use this alternating serum strategy instead:
🜁 Eclipta Serum – for visibly red, reactive skin
☼ Saffron & Ectoin Serum – a lightweight daily option that balances oil and supports calm brightness across all skin types
🌑 Retinol Serum (evening only) – helps refine the appearance of pores and skin texture; use up to twice a week
☼ Resilient Pigment Serum – supports visible clarity in oily skin prone to dark spots
☼ Vitamin C + Arginine Serum – brightening support for dry/normal skin; alternate with Saffron or Eclipta
✦ 4. Learn to Spot-Treat Without Hurting Your Barrier
The instinct to zap a blemish with acids or drying creams is strong—but often leads to flaking, irritation, or post-blemish discolouration.
A more refined method:
✔ Dab Eclipta Serum directly on red or inflamed areas (including hormonal breakouts)
✔ Avoid layering glycolic, salicylic, or retinol directly onto the blemish
✔ Focus on calming the surrounding skin to avoid uneven tone later
✦ 5. Moisturise More Than You Think (Yes, Even When You’re Oily)
Skipping moisturiser can confuse the skin into producing more oil. The key is choosing the right formula based on your skin's current state—not just its type.
Moisturisers to rotate in for blemish-prone skin:
✔ Tremella Lightweight Lotion – for oilier days, particularly before your cycle
✔ Trehalose Water Cream – your hydrating all-rounder for daily use
✔ Persea Lotion – for oily, mature skin that needs brightness without heaviness
✔ Blacred Lotion – for lightweight barrier repair and comfort during seasonal transitions or post-procedure skin
✦ 6. Think Long-Term, Not Just Quick Fixes
Sustainable skin clarity comes from rhythm, not reaction. Instead of flipping your routine every time a blemish appears, follow a monthly skin cycle that aligns with your body’s natural changes.
Try this monthly rhythm:
Week 1 (Post-period): Introduce Retinol Serum 1–2 nights/week + Saffron Serum
Week 2: Continue Retinol + incorporate Vitamin C or Resilient Pigment Serum
Week 3 (Pre-period): Switch to Eclipta Serum + Tremella Lotion
Week 4 (During period): Keep skin calm with Trehalose or Persea + Eclipta, minimal actives
✦ 7. Makeup Can Make or Break You (Literally)
Some foundations and primers contain occlusive ingredients that can trap oil and disrupt skin flow—especially on oily or combination skin.
Look for makeup with fewer than 3 highly occlusive ingredients. Avoid:
🚫 Stearic Acid
🚫 Isopropyl Myristate / Isostearate / Palmitate
🚫 Coconut Oil
🚫 Myristic Acid
🚫 Octyl Stearate
🚫 Oleth-3
🚫 Wheat Germ Oil
🚫 PEG 400 (Polyethylene Glycol)
🚫 Propylene Glycol Monostearate
✦ 8. Lifestyle & Supplement Factors You May Be Overlooking
Breakouts don’t just start on your face—they’re often downstream from stress, sleep, and internal imbalances.
Key habits to review:
✔ Get 7–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep
✔ Avoid overtraining—excess cortisol can trigger oil production
✔ Clean your makeup brushes weekly
✔ Switch pillowcases every 2–3 nights
✔ Swap out damp bathroom towels frequently
✔ Be cautious with steamers—heat can trigger oil and flare-ups
Supplements that may affect blemish-prone skin:
⚠️ Biotin
⚠️ Saw Palmetto
⚠️ High-dose Fish Oil
⚠️ Whey Protein Concentrate
⚠️ Excessive B12
Pro tip: Work with a dietitian or naturopath to personalise your anti-inflammatory diet and gut support plan.
✦ 9. Map Your Breakouts. Then Respond Intelligently.
Where you break out can be a clue—not a curse. Here's what certain areas may suggest:
🜁 Jawline/Chin: Often hormonal (especially pre-period)
🜁 Forehead: Stress, digestion, or haircare-related buildup
🜁 Cheeks: Pillowcases, phones, or food intolerances
🜁 Neck/Chest/Back: Fabric irritation, supplements, or body skincare reactions
For puffiness and stagnation, consider weekly Gua Sha to support lymphatic flow and skin tone.
Final Word: Your Skin Isn’t Misbehaving—It’s Communicating
Clearer skin doesn’t require being harsher. It requires listening better. When you stop fighting your skin and start responding to its shifts—hormonally, environmentally, emotionally—you move from frustration to flow.
Let your skincare routine be rhythmic, thoughtful, and soft around the edges.
At Double Bay, that’s how we approach everything.
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