How to REALLY Treat Acne with Korean Skin Care Products - 10 Best Products for Acne

Acne sucks!!! But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to make them disappear. If you’ve been on the internet long enough, you would have seen about a gazillion tips and tricks on how to get rid of acne, so let’s get this straight once and for all: The toothpaste trick doesn’t work.

Related article: What Type of Acne Do You Have? - The Different Types of Acne and How to Treat Them

Here at Nudie Glow HQ, we are all proponents of the idea that being consistent with the right skin care routine is key to saving your skin. While there is no single, right answer to the question of “How to best treat acne?”, here are some tips and product recommendations that can help you get started on building a great acne skin care routine:

1. Pop that pimple patch on

Looking for a quick overnight fix before a big event? We love the COSRX AC Collection Acne Patch, which sticks onto any acne to absorb all the nasty gunk, or flatten large, painful cystic acne. These patches are also thinner, stickier, comes in a bigger size than the previous COSRX patches, and contains centella asiatica to calm inflammation.

2. Weekly detox

Clay masks are such a great addition to your weekly skin care routine. They remove dead skin cells, brighten and leave your skin feeling oh-so-soft! The award-winning Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask is a K-Beauty cult item made with volcanic rocks to absorb excess sebum and clear your pores, making sure that there are no unwanted eruptions on your skin ;)

3. Spot treat

But not with just any spot treatment! I personally love the Pyunkang Yul Acne Spot Cream, which works as effectively as many other powerful OTC acne treatments, without hurting your skin or causing any flakiness, redness or irritation. This fast-acting treatment also contains copper tripeptide and licorice extract to cool your skin and target acne within 12 hours.

4. Properly remove makeup, sunscreen and other impurities

Double cleansing is such an important step in your skin care routine, but make sure you use the right oil cleanser that won’t clog up your pores and lead to even more breakouts. Acne-prone babes will love the Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil, which is a really lightweight oil cleanser that removes makeup and other impurities, without causing further inflammation on the skin.

5. Cleanse gently

Picking the right water-based cleanser is so important for acne-prone skin. You want a gentle cleanser that helps fight breakouts without stripping your skin barrier, and causing a vicious cycle of recurring acne. The Sioris Day By Day Cleansing Gel is one of our favourite low-pH cleanser made of natural ingredients like organic green plum water and macadamia seed oil to nourish and rejuvenate your skin during cleansing.

6. Hydrate and treat

By now you should know just how important moisturising is for your skin, regardless of your skin type. If you have oily skin and you're scared of heavy creams, try the COSRX Natural BHA Skin Returning Emulsion, which is a lightweight moisturiser that helps soothe and hydrate the skin while also fighting excess sebum and dead skin cells.

7. Don't forget to exfoliate!

Instead of using harsh scrubs that can cause microtears on your skin (the horror!), we would recommend opting for an exfoliating toner, or a gentle exfoliating pad like the Neogen Real Cica Pad, which helps get rid of acne-causing impurities and dead skin cells, while also soothing redness or sensitivity.

8. Sleep and treat

For those days when your skin just feels ugh, try applying an overnight mask like the COSRX Low-pH BHA Overnight Mask and make the best of your regenerative REM state. With 0.9% BHA, this lightweight mask will help tackle blemishes and brighten any dark spots while you sleep, so you can wake up to smoother and clearer skin!

9. Colour correct and protect

Dr. Jart Cicapair Re-Cover Cream is honestly a godsend for concealing and treating redness and inflammation. We know that many of you like using this as a makeup base, or as a replacement for your BB/ CC cream on lazy days. Other than making sure that your redness is not visible during the day, centella asiatica, calcium, magnesium and potassium are also present to help restore damaged skin for a healthier complexion.

10. Mask it all away

Sheet masking is such an iconic part of the Korean skin care routine that you just can't talk about K-Beauty without mentioning it at least once. However, it's a common misconception to think that sheet masks are only for babes with dry skin types! The Benton Goodbye Redness Centella Mask Pack is a good example of an acne-targeting mask that also helps soothe redness, calm and hydrate without triggering more breakouts.

What's your best acne-fighting products? Share them below!