Better Together: Choosing Products That Complement Your Clearly Routine

From our gentle cleansers to our nourishing moisturizers, all products by Clearly Basics have been designed to work well with each other to effectively fight acne while being kind to sensitive skin. 

As you can see, the Clearly routine is pretty simple, and on most days, you might find you don’t need much else.  

Still, there are days when we'd like to dress up and go wild with our makeup. Or days when we’d like to add a little luxury to our routine with a face mask (and a relaxing scented candle). To choose products that safely complement your Clearly routine - and that are nice to acne-prone skin, here’s what to look out for:

For Any and All Products
Be it your sunscreen, makeup, or even your hair products, keep an eye out for the “non-comedogenic” label. This means they won’t clog pores – which can lead to acne. If the label is nowhere to be seen, take a look at the list of ingredients for red flags such as cocoa butter and lanolin. If you’re still not sure if a product is comedogenic, don’t be afraid to ask the sales assistant or customer service line. Or, ask us! We’re always ready to help.

For Sunscreen
At the risk of sounding like a nagging parent, we have to say this again: sunscreen is a MUST. Yes, even when it’s cloudy outside and even when you’re indoors. This is especially important when you have acne. You know those red marks you get after acne has cleared? They can quickly collect melanin and turn into stubborn brown marks when exposed to sunlight.

When choosing a sunscreen, go for a lightweight, broad-spectrum one with at least SPF 35+ and a PA+++ rating. Ingredients to avoid include heavy oils, such as coconut, and fragrance. If you’re concerned about skin looking ‘shiny’, look for products with a matte finish.

For Face Masks
While face masks don’t often stay long enough on the skin for them to make a huge difference, they can be a great addition to your routine – especially when you need a little pampering.

Look for face masks targeted at your skin concerns. For acne, consider ones with exfoliating and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as tea tree oil, bisabolol, and niacinamide. That said, you’d want to be careful and make sure the actives won’t clash with the retinol in Clear Out. For hydration, look for face masks with hyaluronic acid, and to tackle fine lines, masks with antioxidants such as vitamin C and resveratrol are good choices.

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you might want to try clay masks instead of sheet masks or any thick, creamy ones. Ingredients such as kaolin and bentonite can help with clogged pores, drawing out impurities, absorbing excess oils, and speeding up the healing of active acne.

It’s also best to avoid DIY masks if you’re unsure how your skin might react to them. For example, ingredients such as lemon, baking soda, and garlic can dry and irritate skin.

For Exfoliants
Regular exfoliation can brighten and soften skin, as well as help with breakouts by removing the build-up of dead skin cells. While physical exfoliants such as sugar scrubs feel good, they can irritate and inflame skin.

Chemical exfoliants, such as the AHA and BHA in Balancing Cleanser, could be a better alternative for you as they can break down dead skin cells without the harsh friction.

For Makeup Remover
On days when you’re wearing heavy makeup, we recommend a double cleanse. Start removing makeup with an oil-based cleanser and follow with So Fresh or Balancing Cleanser. An oil-based cleanser helps dissolve the oils from your makeup and your pores while keeping skin moisturized, making it a great choice for those with oily skin. Look for a formula that is free of possibly irritating ingredients such as fragrance and alcohol.

If your makeup is light, however, a thorough wash with your preferred cleanser is enough.

For Makeup
Be it your foundation or your blush, look for hypoallergenic, water-based makeup. This means the first ingredient on the list should be water. You can also consider mineral-based cosmetics, with ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which don’t clog pores.

Also, while sharing is caring, it’s best to keep your makeup products to yourself to prevent any transfer of bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells from person to person.


Want to safely introduce new products to your routine but are unsure how?

Send any questions you have our way via Messenger chat or Instagram DM (@clearlybasics)!

Disclaimer: This article should not be interpreted as personal medical advice. For medical-related matters, please consult your dermatologist.

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#RealResults

See what others have to say about Clearly Basics.

Based on 25 reviews
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Skin Type: Normal
Comments: Any ideas on how to get rid of brown skin damage
Skin defence

Marks of sun damage are still there they haven't faded much after using twice a day for 60 days. . I will continue until product is finished. I'm a bit disappointed

Skin Type: Combination

I am so happy that I stumbled upon clearly basics on instagram. I was skeptical at first but decided to give it a try and bought clear out clarifying lotion. It's been 2 months and my skin has improved a lot. I can see significant reduction in pores and acne.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing

After years of medication and products, I decided to try clearly basics. In just 6 weeks my skin has calmed and I am now able to treat scarring.

So glad to have found these products!

Finding products that helped to control my acne without irritating my sensitive skin has always been a huge challenge. The clearly basics products have been my saviour, I can't recommend them enough ☺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Excellent and actually works

I am so incredibly impressed with the TLC for pore minimising - it 💯 works and has transformed my skin.

I’m in my 50’s and always had hormonal flare ups with larger pores as I age - this is a game changer and have just reordered my 3rd bottle !

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Skin Type: Combination
The Best!!

So good been buying for a couple years. Just a shame they no longer ship to UK and I have to look for another product

not bad but I thought the formula has changed since what it was previously (i had it maybe 2 years ago) and I found it less effective now

Skin Type: Combination
This is the stuff.

So, long time sufferer of acne. Started when I was 12 and I'm 28 now still battling it. I've tried all kinds of different things to try and get it under control and besides birth control, nothing has helped long term. I never want to take birth control ever again and I just happened upon this brand and decided well, why not try? To my amazement, it has helped more than anything else I've tried, I'd say it has improved my skin to the level it was at when I took BC. Of course I still get pimples every now and then, and tiny flare ups during PMS but my skin is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. I highly recommend this company. To those who are considering trying this out, be aware that during the first week or so your skin will go through a purge and your acne will appear to get worse at first. Stick with it! Once that phase is over is when your skin will begin improving. I do need to use it every night for it to be fully effective, but even when I do forget, the pimples don't get too out of control. I just can't say enough good things about this product. It has helped my confidence improve immensely and I definitely recommend trying it to those who have skin as finicky as mine.

Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
The only moisturiser I trust

I am super sensitive and this is the only moisturiser that I trust honestly incredible.

Skin Type: Combination
Amazing!

I use this product and with the clear out and it has really helped my hormonal acne.

This skin care routine is the o lay one that has helped clear up my daughters skin.

My daughters skin is really starting to look better!

Skin Type: Oily
So far so good

Bought this for my daughter that has struggled with acne for years. She has seen improvement and less frequent breakouts.

Best moisturizer I have found!

V
Lighten Up Redness Rescue Cream
Veronica Ilenya Ranieri
Skin Type: Sensitive / Dry
Perfect

Has changed my skin from acne pro to almost perfect 😍😍

Skin Type: Combination
Obsessed !!

Obsessed with this cleanser!! It left me feeling fresh and prevented break outs. It is incredible . Loved this product so much

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

My skin feels so soft after using this moisturiser!

Skin Type: Combination
Fresh and clean!

My face is filled with energy and feels so fresh and clean!

Skin Type: Normal
excellent item!

have been using this for years! so good for my skin :)

C
So Fresh pH Balancing Cleanser
Carmelinda Di Manno
Skin Type: Combination
Fresh Feeling

My skin feels so clean and still hydrated when I use this cleanser. It’s balancing and refreshing. My skin has responded really well to it and at times my skin can be sensitive. I highly recommend this product to anyone with relatively oily t-zone area

Skin Type: Combination
Very happy!

Love the texture, the minty scent and the lather.
I wish the bottles were a bit bigger HOWEVER they are just small enough to fly with.

Skin Type: Normal
Comments: The only thing I now need to use to keep my skin clear.
The holy grail for clearing hormonal acne.

This is the only product that I have needed to keep my skin clear since discovering it about 2 years ago, after suddenly developing cystic hormonal acne at the age of 25. I now only need to use it every second night, so it's incredibly affordable. It has also never irritated my sensitive skin and it has faded previous acne marks to truly clear my skin. After years of trying expensive supplements/products/harsh prescription creams, Clear Out was the only thing that gave me long-lasting results.

Skin Type: Oily
Clearly Basics is the only product that has helped my Adult Acne

I have always struggled with dehydrated acne prone skin. Every month like clockwork I would get a new breakout on my chin or cheek area. These included large cystic acne that by the time they came to a head would take me months to clear. With new breakouts each month this created more & more spots before the first could heal leaving more hyper pigmentation spots that never have time to clear. Clearly basics changed all that for me. It gave my skin a chance to heal and reduced the number of breakouts each month. When I do get a new breakout it resolves itself quickly with less scarring and redness. Now that the acne is under control the products are helping to eliminate the remaining hyper pigmentation spots left from years of acne. I have not been using the product for long but I will continuing relying on this product and look forward to the day I can happily look in the mirror at a smooth clear & even complexion some day soon.

Skin Type: Combination
Comments: Product consistency in terms of smoothness/coarseness/stickiness/ is sometimes a miss, don't believe it affects the result provided.
Great Combo

Have seen great improvements by using these 2 items concurrently, hard to fault and wil continue purchasing.

Individual results may vary

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