What’s the best skincare routine for aging and acne-prone skin? Because whoever said that acne is only for teenagers obviously don’t know what they’re talking about. Sometimes acne sneaks up on you as soon as you hit menopause. Other times, it’s more impatient and gets you in your 30s. Like you hadn’t enough on your plate already. Wrinkles, anyone?… How the heck do you deal with both at the same time?
If you fight acne aggressively, you’ll dry out your skin and make your wrinkles more obvious than ever. If you treat wrinkles with rich creams or sunscreens, you’ll aggravate your acne. Argh! Fret not. You can treat both acne and wrinkles at the same time. Luckily, some of the best antiaging superstars double as acne fighters. You just need to introduce them into your skincare routine in the right way. Here’s how:
Why Acne + Wrinkles Show Up Together
It feels like the ultimate betrayal: zits and wrinkles at the same time. But there’s actually a reason your skin pulls this double act.
Acne happens because your oil glands don’t just clock out after high school. They keep working. And when hormones shift in your 30s, 40s, or around menopause, oil production can go a little haywire. Estrogen – the hormone that usually keeps oil under control – starts dipping. Testosterone doesn’t dip as much. So your skin suddenly thinks it’s 15 again, pumping out more sebum than you need. Add stress into the mix (hello, cortisol), and you’ve got the perfect recipe for adult breakouts.
Wrinkles, on the other hand, are all about structure. From your mid-20s, collagen quietly starts to decline about 1% a year. Elastin, the stuff that keeps skin stretchy, doesn’t really grow back once it breaks down. That means every late night, every sunburn, every free radical hit chips away at your skin’s bounce until those little lines show up.
Put the two together and you get this weird paradox: skin that’s oily enough to break out but thin and slow-healing enough to crease. That’s why adult acne feels different than teenage acne – the pimples hang around longer, they’re angrier, and they leave marks more easily because your skin isn’t repairing as fast.
And here’s the kicker: the treatments for one often make the other worse. Blast acne with harsh products? Boom, fine lines look deeper. Smother wrinkles with rich creams? Congrats, now you’ve got clogged pores. No wonder it feels impossible to win. The trick is learning how to balance both without tipping the scale too far in either direction.
Morning Skincare Routine For Acne + Aging Skin
Step 1: Gentle Cleanser
The #1 mistake women make when dealing with acne? Picking a cleanser that’s way too harsh in an effort to dry the acne away. It ALWAYS backfires. A harsh cleanser dries out the skin, which reacts by producing even more sebum. Skin is dried out alright, but the acne’s still there.
Instead, opt for a gentle foaming cleanser. Anything with sodium lauryl sulfate is banned. It’s too harsh and irritating. Stay away from bar soaps and milky cleansers, too. They can clog pores and worsen acne.
Quick reality check: cleansers aren’t miracle workers. They’re on your face for, what, 30 seconds? They’re not supposed to fix acne or erase wrinkles. Their only job is to clean without wrecking your barrier. If your skin feels tight after washing, that’s not “clean,” that’s damage. Swap it out.
Best Picks:
- Corsx low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser ($14.00): pH 5.5. A gentle, pH-balanced cleanser that removes impurities without drying out skin. Available at Sokoglam and YesStyle.
- Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser ($7.99): pH 6.2. A no-frills, daily foaming cleanser. Available at Target.
- Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser ($24.00): pH 5.5. A foaming cleaner with a drop of oil to remove impurities and makeup. Available at Paula’s Choice.
Related: How To Pick The Right Cleanser For Your Skin Type
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Step 2: Antioxidant Serum
Free radicals are your skin’s biggest enemy. These unstable molecules lack one electron. They desperately crave it. So, they crawl through your body looking for healthy molecules to attack and steal the electron from. The attacked molecule is now a free radical, looking for another electron to steal. It’s the start of a deadly chain reaction that leads to wrinkles and dark spots.
Antioxidants stop free radicals in their tracks. Your body knows free radicals are coming, so it naturally produces antioxidants to destroy them before they can wreak havoc. But, your skin needs a lot more antioxidants than your body can naturally produce. That’s where a healthy diet and skincare come in.
You’ll find plenty of antioxidants in skincare products. Vitamin C. Vitamin E. Green tea. Resveratrol. Coenzyme Q10. Ferulic acid. Superoxide dismutase… The best one? None of them. Just like your body doesn’t need only kale, your skin doesn’t need only green tea. The more antioxidants you feed it, the younger and healthier it is.
P.S. If you’re opting for a Vitamin C serum, make sure it contains Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) instead of L-Ascorbic Acid (LAA). Both fight wrinkles, but SAP goes the extra mile: it reduces lipid oxidation, one of the causes of acne.
Best Picks:
- Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum ($33.99): This hydrating serum contains a form of Vitamin C that can actually treat acne. Available at Ulta
- Paula’s Choice Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum ($49.00): A lightweight serum with a high concentration and number of antioxidants. Available at and Paula’s Choice
- The Ordinary EUK 134 0.1% (£10.75): It contains one of the most powerful antioxidants of all, a form of Superoxide Dismutase. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, The Ordinary, and Yes Style.
Related: Is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate The Best Form Of Vitamin C For Acne-Prone Skin?
Step 3. Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet. It attracts the water in the air into the skin and binds it there. It’s so good, it can bind up to 1000 times its weight in water! Another pro? Hyaluronic acid works well both in high and low humidity conditions. No matter where you are, it’ll do the job!
Think of it like a tall glass of water for your face. When your skin is dehydrated, acne heals slower and wrinkles look deeper. Keep it plump, and suddenly both problems look less obvious. Some antioxidants serums or moisturizers already have enough hyaluronic acid to keep your skin happy. If not, use a separate hyaluronic acid serum now.
Best Picks:
- Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid (£30.00): The most hydrating and plumping serum I’ve tried, it has 13+ forms of Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate every layer of skin. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, and Niod
- Paula’s Choice Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster ($39.00): A hyaluronic acid serum with ceramides to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and heal dry skin. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, SpaceNK.
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (£7.90): A simple formula with Vitamin B5 to soothe and hydrate skin. It’s fragrant-free and suitable for sensitive skin too. Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Sephora, SpaceNK, The Ordinary, and Ulta.
Related: Spotlight On Hyaluronic Acid: Why You Should Add It To Your Skincare Routine
Step 4: Sunscreen
The best sunscreens use zinc oxide, but it’s so thick and greasy, it may cause breakouts. You can totally give it a try and see how it goes. But, don’t limit yourself. In this case, it may be worth to go for a sunscreen hybrid that mixes zinc oxide with safe synthetic filters. Or, if your skin is super oily, go down the synthetic route entirely.
Just make sure there’s no alcohol in sight. Alcohol is often used to turn rich and creamy formulas into almost-runny, thin concoctions. But, it’s terribly drying and could trick your skin into producing even more oil. That’s the last thing you want.
And here’s the kicker: if you’re not wearing sunscreen because you “only care about acne right now,” you’re actually making your acne marks worse. UV rays make dark spots from pimples linger for months. Sunscreen doesn’t just protect against wrinkles – it literally speeds up how fast acne scars fade.
Best Picks:
- EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($25.00): Its silky texture is pretty lightweight and sinks in quickly without turning your skin into a greasy mess. Plus it’s water-resistant. The catch? It does leave a slight white cast on the skin. Available at Dermstore and Walmart
- Paula’s Choice Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($33.00): My fave mineral sunscreen, it’s super lightweight and doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind. It’s suitable even for oily skin. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore and Paula’s Choice
- Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($45.00): A mineral tinted sunscreen that’s lightweight enough for even oily skin. Available at Blue Mercury, Dermstore, Look Fantastic, and Skinceuticals
Related: What Are The Best Sunscreens For Oily Skin?
Night Time Skincare Routine For Acne + Aging Skin
Step 1: Oil Cleanser
Time to take the makeup off, ladies! I love oils for this. I know, I know. But, hear me out. Remember what your chemistry teacher said about “like attracting like?” Oils like jojoba oil attract the oils in your makeup and sunscreen, making it easier to rinse them off the skin.
My fave oil for acne-prone skin is jojoba. It’s very similar to human sebum so it doesn’t clog pores or irritate your skin. It’s an old friend. Yes, it leaves a residue behind. If it bothers you, remove it with your morning foaming cleanser. Done.
P.S. Some foaming cleansers have oils in there too and can remove makeup. Check the ingredient list before splurging on a second cleanser.
Related: What Is The Oil Cleansing Method?
Step 2A: BHA Exfoliant
Acne’s a job for salicylic acid (BHA). It’s the only exfoliant that gets deep inside the pores, removing all the excess sebum, dead skin cells and other crap that’s clogging them up. It removes dead cells from the surface of the skin, so they won’t end up in the pores and clog them again. Basically, it keeps your pores clean so breakouts can’t happen. By the way, salicylic acid must stay on your skin for hours to work its magic. Leave rinse-off products on the shelves. They won’t work as well. Use it every other night, alternating it with retinoids.
PRO TIP: yes, you can use salicylic acid and glycolic acid (an antiaging superstar that boosts collagen production) together. The Drunk Elephant serum below has both.
Best picks:
- Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboois Glycolic Night Serum: A lightweight serum with Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to lighten dark spots and heal pimples. Available at Cult Beauty and SpaceNK
- Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($29.00): The gold standard for acne exfoliation, it has a tacky texture that heals and prevents pimples. Available at Paula’s Choice and Selfridges
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2%: The cheaper Salicylic Acid exfoliant out there. The texture isn’t too pleasant, but it does the job. Available at Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty
Related: AHAs vs BHA: Which One Is Right For You?
Step 2B: Vitamin A (Retinoids)
Why use one treatment for acne and one for wrinkles when the one will do? With vitamin A, you can kill two birds with one stone. Here’s why:
Vitamin A comes in many forms. You can go down the prescription route and get yourself some tretinoin or you can stick to OTC serums with retinol. Retinol works more slowly, but it’s gentler on the skin.
Mind you, both will irritate and dry out your skin at first. That’s why it’s best to start slowly. Use it only two or three times a week to start with and increase frequency gradually to every other day, alternating it with BHA. It’s also not a bad idea to start with a small concentration of retinol (believe it or not, 1% is A LOT) and work your way up slowly.
PRO TIP: vitamin A makes skin more prone to sun damage. Use it at night only.
Best Picks:
- Paula’s Choice Resist Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum ($55.00): 0.1% retinol. A silly serum loaded with antioxidants. Available at Paula’s Choice
- The Ordinary 1% Retinol In Squalane ($8.60): The strongest retinol concentration in a moisturising (and oily!) squalane base. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Sephora, The Ordinary and Ulta
- Peter Thomas Roth Night Infusion PM ($65.00): 1.5% retinol release gradually over a period of several hours to make it gentler on your skin. Has a moisturising squalane base and its fair share of antioxidants. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Peter Thomas Roth, Revolve, and Ulta
Related: Which Strength Of Retinol Do You Need?
Step 3: Hyaluronic Acid Serum
This is optional. If you’re already getting your hyaluronic acid somewhere else, you can skip this. But if your skin’s on the dry side when you wake up in the morning, use a separate hyaluronic acid serum at night.
Step 4: Moisturizer With Niacinamide (Or Add It With A Booster)
This is the most challenging part. Your skin needs a moisturizer loaded with antioxidants to fight free radicals and hydrating enough not to turn your skin into a flaky mess. And niacinamide. Plenty of niacinamide. It’s a form of vitamin B3 that fights wrinkles, fades dark spots, hydrates skin, soothes irrations and treats acne. There’s nothing it can’t do.
But, texture matters here. Anything that’s too rich and creamy is out of the question. That’ll clog your pores and worsen your acne. Instead, go for lightweight lotions and emulsions. If you can’t find one that fits the bill, opt for a niacinamide booster and mix it with your moisturiser. Done.
Best Picks:
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($15.99): It uses humectants that hyaluronic acid and glycerin to attract water into your skin and ceramides to moisturise skin without adding more oil to it. Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Dermstore, and Ulta.
- Paula’s Choice Resist 10% Niacinamide Booster ($42.00): It shrinks your pores, hydrates your skin, and brightens the complexion. Plus, it’s full of antioxidants (including Vitamin C) to help you keep those pesky premature wrinkles at bay, too. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK
- The Inkey List Niacinamide ($6.99): On top of hydrating niacinamide, it also has hyaluronic acid to add moisture back into the skin and Squalane to strengthen its protective barrier. Plus, it brightens skin and helps prevent wrinkles. Available at Boots, Cult Beauty, The Inkey List
Related: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Niacinamide In Skincare
FAQ: Acne + Wrinkles
Can I actually treat both at once or nah?
Yeah, you can. You don’t have to pick team acne or team anti-aging. You just can’t throw ten products on your face and hope for the best – that’s how you fry your barrier. Use the stuff that works double duty: retinoids clear pimples and boost collagen. Niacinamide? Oil control, brightening, fine lines, the works. Salicylic acid? Unclogs pores and smooths texture. The trick is not overdoing it. Rotate, hydrate, repeat.
Does food really screw with my skin?
Yep. Sugar and white carbs make your oil glands go nuts and piss off your collagen (it literally gets stiff and weak from the sugar – it’s called glycation). That means more breakouts and faster wrinkles. Meanwhile, stuff like salmon, walnuts, berries, greens? Calms inflammation and helps skin chill. No, you don’t need to live off kale – but if your diet is all soda and fries, your face will tell on you.
Do I need sunscreen if I’m breaking out?
Yes. Don’t even argue. Sun makes your acne scars stick around forever. That little dark spot you hate? The sun’s making it ten times worse. Grab a lightweight, oil-free sunscreen and call it a day. Mineral if your skin can handle it, hybrid if you want less grease. Just don’t grab the thick, shiny ones or the alcohol-loaded gels that make you peel.
What about tea tree oil, coconut oil, “natural” fixes?
Skip them. Tea tree might kill bacteria but it’ll torch your skin barrier in the process. Coconut oil? Congrats, you just clogged every pore on your face. “Natural” doesn’t equal good. If you want plant-y stuff, stick with things that actually help: green tea, centella, licorice root. They soothe, they brighten, they don’t wreck your face.
Do supplements even do anything?
Some. Zinc can calm breakouts. Probiotics might help if your gut’s a mess. Collagen powder? Maybe – some studies say it helps elasticity a bit, but don’t expect to chug it and erase crow’s feet. Think of supplements as backup singers, not the main act. Nice to have, not life-changing.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to choose between zits and wrinkles – you can fix both. The same stuff that clears pimples (retinoids, salicylic acid, niacinamide) also keeps your skin firm and smooth. The only way you lose is if you overdo it: blast your face with harsh acne crap and you’ll look like a raisin, drown it in thick wrinkle cream and you’ll break out. Keep it balanced, wear your damn sunscreen, and stop making it harder than it has to be.
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
