Skinli

Skincare routine builder for acne

Answer a few questions about your pimples and get a morning and night routine: what to use, in what order, and how much. No photo and no account needed. The gels are the same as in the photo plan.

A pump bottle, a tube and a small jar, all plain, lined up on a wooden shelf in morning light

Tell us about your pimples

Six or seven short questions. You describe your pimples yourself, so no photo is needed.

What do your pimples look like?
How many right now?
What do old pimples leave behind?
Any big sore lumps deep under the skin?
Have you ever used anything for your pimples?

A cream, a gel, a face wash, pads, or something from a doctor.

When you try a new face cream, what happens?

This tells us how slowly to start.

Skinli gives simple skin tips and is not a doctor.

See more than this tool can tell you

A photo gets a free acne score and a plan built for what is actually on your skin.

Frequently asked questions

What skincare routine is best for acne prone skin?

The routine Skinli builds for acne prone skin uses a gentle face wash, a light moisturizer and sunscreen SPF 30 in the morning. At night it uses the same wash, a thin layer of benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1% on the whole area that gets pimples, then moisturizer. NICE, the UK health guideline body, lists adapalene combined with benzoyl peroxide, used once each evening, as a first choice treatment for acne of any severity.

What does the routine builder ask about my skin?

The skincare routine you need for acne depends on what your pimples look like, how many you have, what you have tried, and how easily your skin stings. The Skinli routine builder asks those questions and writes a morning and night routine from the answers. If a doctor gave you acne medicine, it tells you to keep using that. If new creams sting you, it starts by washing the gels off after 1 hour for the first 2 weeks.

In what order do the steps of the builder's routine go on?

The order in the builder's routine is wash, moisturizer, sunscreen in the morning, and wash, acne gels, moisturizer at night. The Drug Facts label for adapalene 0.1% gel says to clean the skin gently and pat dry before you put the product on. Skinli's plan waits until the face is fully dry, puts on the benzoyl peroxide, waits 5 minutes, adds the adapalene, and ends with moisturizer. Sunscreen always goes on last.

How long does skincare start to work?

Give an acne routine 12 weeks before you judge it. The American Academy of Dermatology says it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks before you start to see fewer pimples. The adapalene label says results can take up to 3 months. NICE, the UK health guideline body, offers acne treatment as a 12 week course. Skinli's plan is built around that time.

Can the builder's acne gels cause more pimples at first?

Starting an acne routine can bring a few extra pimples in the first weeks. The adapalene 0.1% Drug Facts label says acne may appear to worsen during the early weeks of use, calls this normal, and says to keep using it as directed. The American Academy of Dermatology says trying new acne treatments too often can irritate the skin and cause breakouts. Skinli's plan adds nothing else new for 12 weeks, so a reaction is easy to trace.

Why does the builder put the gels at night and sunscreen in the morning?

Morning and night acne routines share the same face wash and moisturizer and differ in one step each. Sunscreen SPF 30 goes on only in the morning, as the last layer. The acne gels go on only at night. The adapalene 0.1% Drug Facts label says to use it once a day, to limit sun exposure, and to use sunscreen when going outdoors. Skinli's routine keeps both gels at night and sunscreen every morning.

What should my night skincare routine be for acne?

A night skincare routine for acne in Skinli's plan is wash, wait until the face is dry, put a pea of benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and a pea of adapalene 0.1% on the whole area that gets pimples, then moisturizer. For the first 2 weeks the gels go on every other night, with only wash and moisturizer between. The adapalene label says to cover the entire affected area with a thin layer, once a day.

How many products does the builder's routine use?

An acne skincare routine from Skinli uses five products: a gentle face wash, a light moisturizer, sunscreen SPF 30, benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%. In the 12 week plan, a mark cream with azelaic acid 10% is added from week 5 when old pimples left flat marks. The American Academy of Dermatology says to use an acne product for 6 to 8 weeks and warns that switching too often can irritate the skin.

Which dermatologist guideline does the builder follow?

The 2024 acne guideline from the American Academy of Dermatology, published in its journal, makes strong recommendations for benzoyl peroxide and for retinoids, the vitamin A creams such as adapalene. The Academy also says benzoyl peroxide is most effective when used along with another acne treatment that works on the other causes of acne. Skinli's routine pairs benzoyl peroxide 2.5% with adapalene 0.1% at night, a gentle wash and moisturizer twice a day, and sunscreen every morning.

Do I need a photo to build a skincare routine?

The Skinli routine builder needs no photo, and the acne gels in the plan are the same with or without one. You describe your pimples yourself. The photo adds four things: a pimple count made from your picture, where the pimples are, whether it sees marks, and warning signs a doctor should check. With a photo, you can also scan again later and compare your score.

Is the Skinli routine builder free?

The Skinli routine builder is free and needs no account. It runs in your browser, and your answers are kept in that browser only when you open the full plan. The full day by day plan is not free: the 4 week plan is $19.99 once, for 4 weeks, and the 12 week plan is $39.99 once, for 12 weeks. Nothing renews and nothing else is charged. To keep a plan and compare scans later, you can sign in and save it.

When should I see a doctor about acne?

See a doctor about acne if the spots are deep, painful or causing scars, if the skin shows signs of infection such as hot, swollen and red skin, or if acne is affecting your mental health, per the NHS. The NHS also says to see a family doctor if you have tried treating it yourself and it is not getting better. The builder shows a see a doctor first note for deep sore lumps, scars, or more than 20 pimples.

Sources

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Skinli gives simple tips for skin with pimples. It is not a doctor. It cannot tell you what is wrong the way a doctor can. If your pimples hurt, are deep under the skin, are getting worse, or will not go away, see a doctor.