An Acne Expert Told Me to Try This Low-Maintenance Skincare Routine (and It Worked)
The routine
· CosmopolitanWhen you get a coveted appointment with New York City’s “acne whisperer,” aesthetician Sofie Pavitt, you take diligent notes. That’s what I did when I saw Pavitt a few months ago, covered in a face full of hormonal breakouts I was convinced could only be cured by a bout of Accutane or a laundry list of products.
I shared my current skincare routine with her, which at the time consisted of a benzoyl peroxide cleanser a few nights per week and a mix of serums and exfoliants. But Pavitt’s advice was far more minimal. “For you, I recommend mandelic acid and benzoyl peroxide,” she told me. “The benzoyl peroxide is great for getting rid of bacteria on your skin—whether you use a cleanser or a spot treatment—and the mandelic acid gently exfoliates and keeps your skin clear,” she explained. I was stunned. I expected to walk out of this appointment with a whole new routine, not just one addition.
But I trusted her. I came home, built a new, simplified skincare routine, and have followed it to a T for the last three months. My skin now? It’s never been better.
The core tenets of my routine are two products: mandelic acid serum and a benzoyl peroxide cleanser. But I never use them together. Lemme explain.
About four nights per week, I’ll wash my skin with Panoxyl, my go-to cleanser for acne with 4 percent benzoyl peroxide. Keep in mind this won’t really remove makeup and is too strong to go near my eyes, so I always double cleanse (either with Reale Actives Get Bare Cleansing Balm or Bioderma Micellar Water). If I’m about to start my period or I feel a breakout coming on, I’ll wash with this a few more times per week. I’m not married to following anything too intensely, but I am quite prescriptive and always look at what my skin needs.
Then, on the off nights when I prefer to wash with a gentle cleanser, I go in with a mandelic acid serum. My favorite just happens to be the one from Pavitt’s line, the Mandelic Acid Clearing Serum. It’s won multiple Cosmo beauty awards and is a favorite among most of our team. The formula is gentle and lightweight, pairing well with any other serums or moisturizers I layer on top.
Mandelic Acid
Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Acid Exfoliating & Clearing Serum
$78 at Amazon$54 at SephoraBenzoyl Peroxide
PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash, 4% Benzoyl Peroxide
$11 at Amazon$13 at Ulta Beauty$11 at Target
I occasionally will use the mandelic serum in the mornings, but rarely on nights that I know I’ll also be using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser. This is largely to avoid irritation and stripping my skin.
Otherwise, I keep things mega simple. I always use mineral sunscreen during the day, and since my face has been a bit dry this spring and summer, I layer on a hydrating serum too, morning and night. Otherwise, I sometimes throw in a clay mask if I feel oily, or a sheet mask for extra plumpness. For the most part, though, my skincare routine takes only five or so minutes.
Why it works
“Benzoyl peroxide works by reducing acne-causing bacteria and helps to decrease inflammation,” says dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD. “Mandelic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, gently exfoliates to help prevent clogged pores, calms redness, and can improve post-acne marks,” she adds. Mandelic is widely considered a great AHA for acne-prone skin because it has a larger molecule size, explains Dr. Garshick, which means it penetrates your skin more slowly than others to reduce the likelihood of irritating sensitive skin.
Is using them together recommended by a derm, though? For the most part. “Using both benzoyl peroxide and mandelic acid in the same anti-acne routine can be helpful,” says Dr. Garshick. But she advises using them at different times, i.e., alternating days or one in the morning and one at night to minimize irritation.
“If it is working well for someone's skin, it is okay to continue,” she says. But if acne remains, she typically recommends incorporating a topical retinoid, like adapalene (i.e., Differin) or prescription-strength tretinoin, “as this helps to regulate skin cell turnover, prevent clogged pores, and address both active breakouts and post-acne marks.”
Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanMy skin right after my appointment with Pavitt in March.
My results
I cannot believe such a simple routine could give me such strong results, but here we are. I’ve been getting so many compliments on my skin lately, from my mom (a harsh critic who notices every bump on my face well before even I do), my friends, strangers, and most of all, other beauty editors who are used to me complaining about my skin all the time. “I noticed your face looks so clear lately,” an editor told me on a press trip a few weeks ago. “I was wondering if you did a treatment or what products you’ve been using.” I was delighted to share that it was really just two products used in tandem that rendered such a perceptible difference.
Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanMy skin last weekend, with just a tinted sunscreen on. Unreal, right?
Best of all, Pavitt didn’t recommend some unreasonable routine that I’d never be able to do every day. The key to results is consistency, no matter what you’re doing, and two products are incredibly easy to manage. I could keep up with a routine like this forever.
Final thoughts
Do I still get acne? Totally, especially around my period. But my skin is 10 times better now than it was six months ago, and the only major change in my life is a more simplified regimen.
Dr. Garshick, Pavitt, and I all understand one key thing about acne that’s important to keep in mind: The best skincare routine is totally dependent on the individual. There really is no “one size fits all” for breakouts, which is why seeing a dermatologist and/or aesthetician to get your own acne checked out will always be the best bet for you.
Meet the experts:
- Sofie Pavitt is a licensed aesthetician and NYC-based skincare expert who specializes in clients with acne-prone and problematic skin. She is also the founder of skincare line Sofie Pavitt Face.
- Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New Jersey.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.