How to improve acne: a step-by-step plan

Week 1: baseline and simplify

Scan or photograph jawline, chin, forehead and the sides of the nose. Strip the routine to gentle gel cleanser in the morning and double cleanse at night, plus SPF. Replace a stripping cleanser with a gentle gel and add a single BHA night.

Week 2: add one active

Introduce salicylic acid. Start two nights per week, building to three, evening or morning, but evening is easier to manage; typical sensation: mild tingle on application, never sting that lasts.

Everything else stays the same so you can attribute changes.

Week 3: hold steady

Resist adding more. If skin is comfortable, you can raise frequency by one night. If it stings, drop back — friction and stripping inflame spots and push skin to produce even more oil.

Keep avoiding heavy occlusive layers on active breakouts and over-exfoliating daily.

Week 4: review and decide

Compare week-one and week-four scans of jawline, chin, forehead and the sides of the nose. A full verdict needs six to eight weeks, because follicles need a full turnover cycle before a routine change shows, so decide whether to continue, not whether to quit.

If progress is stuck, change one factor — for example niacinamide in place of the current active — and restart the clock.

A zone-by-zone check

Use the same angle and the same window light each week, then look at one zone at a time.

Strengths, timing and clashes at a glance

Keep this beside the bathroom mirror. It summarises how to use each shortlisted ingredient without reopening the whole guide.

Frequently asked questions