Your Acne Skincare Routine Capsule: The Top Products for Acne + How to Customize Your Routine

With many different product choices, tips flooding your social media feed, and the internet promising to heal your acne, it can be hard to figure out how to heal your skin. With something so unique + personal, how do you start building your acne skincare routine? 

Maybe you know some of the basics, but they don’t seem like enough. 
Or maybe the combinations you’ve tried just haven’t cut it. 

Acne is caused by a variety of different reasons, so it’s no wonder it can be difficult to heal. But don’t give up hope! There are plenty of natural solutions for acne that really work. And here’s a secret: your acne skincare routine doesn’t need to be complicated to see results. 

In fact, we’d argue simplifying your routine is MORE beneficial than throwing a million different products at your skin. So breathe a big sigh of relief!

Whether it’s hormonal, cystic, or another type of acne: Here are our top picks for building the best capsule for an acne skincare routine.

Step 1: Double Cleansing (Oil + Cleansing Bar)

If you’re new to the oil cleansing method, it can feel scary. But trust us on this one – cleansing oil is one of the best ways to balance your skin’s oil production. It’s a must for an effective acne skincare routine that heals naturally.

Cleansing Oil

Truth: Some of the magic of using cleansing oil as part of your acne skincare routine is also the aspect of facial massage. ;) We recommend spending at least 1-2 minutes massaging your face (or more if you’re feeling it). 

To get the most out of this step, apply to dry skin and let the oil sink deeply into the pores as you massage. This helps pull out impurities + dissolve excess oil and makeup. The massage stimulates the lymphatic system in your body to clear out toxins + deliver nutrients and blood flow to the areas that need healing most.

→ How often to do it: 1x/day in the PM hours. In the AM, you can just rinse with water before continuing your acne skincare routine. 

→ How to pick the best oil cleanser for your skin: Our oily formula will be best if you’re prone to excess oil production and reaching for blotting sheets by noon. Normal is best for combination skin with dry patches and oil production. Dry will be best if you’re feeling dehydrated but still experiencing breakouts.

Cleansing Bar (Clarifying)

As part of your acne skincare routine, add in a double cleanse 3-5x/week. Simply finish cleansing with the Clarifying Bar after your Cleansing Oil.

We love the Clarifying Bar because it’s a powerhouse natural acne solution. It contains charcoal to gently detox the skin without stripping it. Raw honey boasts antibacterial, antimicrobial, and moisturizing properties. And essential oils purify the pores.

→ How often to do it: We recommend 3-5x/week, but if you feel you need to do it every day (or after excessive sweat/exposure to bacteria), go for it. Just tune in to ensure it’s not too drying for your skin. 

Tips: Check out this tutorial for oil cleansing + this double cleansing tutorial to learn the ropes and oil-cleanse like a pro.

Resources: If you’re unsure if you’re oil cleansing correctly, check out our post on oil cleansing mistakes to avoid. You’ll also find a lot of helpful information in our Oil Cleansing Q&A. 

Step 2: Everything Spray

You can tell we’re biased by the name – but this spray really can do everything. (Okay, almost ;)) Here’s why we chose Everything Spray as the next step in your acne skincare routine.

While your skin needs oil in your acne skincare routine (which still might sound counterintuitive to you), it also thrives with water. A combination of water and oil supports balance in your skin. So don’t skip this step.

A facial mist primes your skin to better absorb the nutrient-dense products that follow in your acne skincare routine. It not only protects the skin’s moisture barrier, but it also keeps the skin hydrated – which is critical with natural acne solutions.

We love the Everything Spray as part of your capsule acne skincare routine because of its impressive ingredients:

• Organic lavender and tea tree essential oils – calms inflammation and provides antibacterial protection against further acne formation
• Witch hazel – a natural astringent that helps cleanse the skin and removes any remaining excess oil, makeup, etc. and shrinks the pores to regulate oil production
• Organic apple cider vinegar – resets the skin’s pH to bring balance + improves healing

→ To heal scarring/discoloration: Swap for the Clarifying Mist. If you want your acne skincare routine to focus on healing acne and healing past scarring/discoloration, this could be a great option. It contains ingredients to help reduce scarring and discoloration. Bergamot, neroli, and aloe vera balance pH levels and tighten pores, providing many of the same effects as the Everything Spray.

→ Insider advice: Our holistic esthetician Courtney also loves layering both. :) First, apply Everything Spray on a cotton round, and then spritz the Clarifying Mist.

→ How often to do it: Apply 2x/day, in the AM and PM, as part of your acne skincare routine.

→ Tip: Layer with an extra mist after your final step to seal everything in and provide added nutrients to the skin. ;)

→ Resource: This blog will help you understand why your skin needs oil + water as part of your capsule acne skincare routine.

Step 2, done. Now let’s move on to the nutrient-dense serum you’ll want to add next. 

Step 3: Clarifying Serum 

After cleansing your skin + prepping it with a dose of healthy hydration-rich botanical plant waters, it’s time to incorporate a deeply penetrating clarifying serum into your acne skincare routine capsule. 

Serum has a unique job. It’s a critical part of your acne skincare routine that you don’t want to miss out on. It provides more potent superfoods and plant actives for targeted acne-clearing results.

And don’t worry – similar to the concept of cleansing oils, oil-based serums are GOOD for your acne-prone skin. They continue to aid in the gentle balancing of your pores + oil production. And leaving oil on your skin won’t feel oily – promise. Our formula is designed to sink into deeper levels of the skin to give you a radiant glow – never looking greasy. 

Our Clarifying Serum is perfect for your acne skincare routine capsule because it contains:

• Powerful antioxidants like green tea with EGCG and prickly pear seed oil that have Vitamin C, E, and K to treat active breakouts + acne scarring.

• Manuka oil (not to be confused with manuka honey) which is one of the most naturally antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory ingredients that exist in nature. In fact, it’s 20-30x more effective than tea tree oil in fighting bacteria and breakouts. All without disrupting the moisture levels in the skin – perfect for your acne skincare routine.

→ How to apply: Take a moment to massage the oil into the skin to activate lymphatic drainage and tension release. 

→ How often to use it: Apply 2x/day – in the AM with your routine and in the PM with your full cleansing routine. 

→ Tip: Only use gentle massage pressure to lightly stimulate lymphatic flow without aggravating acne.

→ Resource: Read more about the power of oils in your skincare routine.

Are you ready for the next step in your acne skincare routine? This one is meant to seal in moisture overnight – so if you’re applying in the AM, skip and move on to the following step. ;)

Step 4: Clarifying Cream (PM Only)

A rich part of your nighttime routine, we love incorporating nourishing + non-comedogenic creams in your acne skincare routine. We find that acne-prone individuals are afraid to layer in moisturizers and creams. 

But rest assured, our Clarifying Cream is not going to clog pores. Your skin NEEDS extra moisture + protection at night – especially as you sleep and your skin does the most restorative healing work. And don’t worry, the texture is a lightweight, whipped goodness that easily absorbs. 

In fact, our entire line of skin-specific creams is designed to provide potent nourishment through biocompatible animal fats. This means the nutrients are easily absorbed + incorporated into your body, so they get to work faster (and more efficiently). 

In our Clarifying Cream, you’ll find: 

• Tallow + Emu oil – both derived sustainably and ethically. These healthy fats contain an impressive amount of vitamins and nutrients you won’t find in plant-based ingredients alone.

• A blend of concentrated clarifying and anti-inflammatory oils – like neroli and manuka that balance oil production, calm inflammation, + repair damage.

→ How often to use it: Apply 1x/day in the PM with the other nighttime products in your acne skincare routine.

→ Tip: During winter months or in colder climates, you may find that using a clarifying cream in the morning is also helpful to prevent drying and irritation.

→ Resource: If you’re curious about tallow + how this animal fat is derived for our products, here’s a video from our founder Bethany.

Now the journey is up to you: You can stop here and repeat tomorrow. Or if you’re feeling it, keep going! Let’s cover two different “boosts” you can incorporate into your acne skincare routine for an extra dose of healing goodness. 

Bonus: Boost Your Acne Skincare Routine: Clarifying Mask + Neck Flow

Using the acne skincare routine above would be more than sufficient to get you started on your skin-healing journey. But if you’re looking to add an extra boost to your routine, here are two of our favorite practices to add in! 

These can be used routinely following the directions below, or you can add them in whenever you have time. Either way, your skin will thank you.

Clarifying Mask

All our masks would be a great choice, but this mask is packed with ingredients from nature proven to detoxify, brighten, and minimize breakouts. We love the kaolin clay, raw + local honey, and colloidal silver. Plus adding turmeric gives it high anti-inflammatory powers and a lovely yellow hue. Not to mention white willow bark is a natural alternative to salicylic acid – yes, please! 

→ How often to use it: Apply 1-3x/wk, in the AM or PM. And our Holistic Esthetician, Courtney, says you can also spot-treat with the mask more often.

→ Tip: If you have combo skin, try a multi-masking trend. (Check out our mask trio bundle to test out all three masks.) 

Lymphatic Neck Flow (Gua Sha or Facial Cupping)

Using your facial cupping set or gua sha stone, gently work on the neck to stimulate flow. Avoid active inflammation and breakouts on the face. This is an excellent way to open up pathways for more blood flow, nutrients, and detoxification for skin experiencing acne. 

→ How often to use it: Practice daily for best clearing results. But any amount will benefit your skin!

→ Resource: Check out this gua sha neck flow tutorial with our holistic esthetician Courtney or her facial cupping tutorial on Instagram. 

Whether you indulge in these extra steps or not, prioritizing this acne skincare routine will bring new life to inflamed, red, and stubborn breakouts. 

We know it’s hard, but just be patient, and results will follow. :)

Your Acne Skincare Routine Capsule, Delivered

Healing acne can become an exhausting and long-term commitment. And truthfully, finding helpful natural acne solutions can be very daunting – especially if you’re new to the non-toxic and holistic world. 

That’s why we’ve created this resource – to take off some of the pressure for making decisions + weighing options. 

So if you’ve been struggling with acne and need some guided direction, give this acne skincare routine capsule a try. Plus, there are no rules – you can always adjust as you see fit – listen to your skin!

Hopefully, this provides clear information and suggestions so you can spend less time in the “trial and error” phase and more time getting back to the skin you love and feel confident in. 

XO

P.S. If you’re still feeling stuck, check out our skin quiz for even more personalized suggestions.

---

 Pin your fav blog post below: