When acne breakouts rear their ugly head, the instinct is often to fight them as aggressively as possible. Many of us grew up believing that acne-prone skin needs to be scrubbed, dried out, and stripped of its natural oils completely. So it’s easy to gravitate toward strong cleansers, harsh toners, exfoliants, and spot treatments all at once in hopes of clearing skin quickly.

But acne-prone skin is often already irritated and inflamed, and in many cases, overly harsh skincare can make things worse instead of better.

Skin that feels tight, burning, flaky, or overly dry is usually not balanced skin. In fact, over-stripping the skin barrier can sometimes increase irritation and leave skin feeling even more reactive. A gentler approach focused on supporting the skin rather than attacking it is often easier for acne-prone skin to tolerate and maintain over time.

Washing your face seems simple, but doing it correctly can make a big difference in the health and appearance of your skin. Daily facial cleansing removes dirt, excess oil, sweat, pollution, and dead skin cells that accumulate throughout the day. When these impurities remain on the skin, pores can become clogged, which may contribute to breakouts, irritation, or dull-looking skin.

With social media and beauty influencers everywhere, teens and tweens are constantly exposed to complicated skincare routines and trending products. But when it comes to skincare for teens and tweens, more products are not always better.

In fact, dermatologists often recommend keeping skincare routines simple for young skin. Overusing strong ingredients or following multi-step routines can sometimes irritate the skin rather than improve it.