Top 5 K-Beauty Products for Acne-Prone Skin: Clear Skin Secrets
Breakouts? Acne that just doesn’t seem to go away? We’ve all definitely been there!! Did you know you don’t have to splurge hundreds of dollars on luxurious products or beauty treatments just to clear up those breakouts?
Not only is K-beauty budget-friendly, but its effective ingredients, lightweight formulas, and amazing range of products don’t just treat the issue, but also help to prevent it. Some of the best ingredients are tea tree, centella asiatica, AHA/BHA.
Right here at deiji, we’re here to help you tackle those tricky skin moments with a bit of self-love (and a whole lot of glow). Whether you’re battling angry breakouts, calming down inflammation, or just trying to fade those stubborn post-acne pigmentation, these K-beauty staples are about to become your new holy grails.
Here are the Top 5 K-Beauty skin care products for acne-prone skin:
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser
Best for: Everyday cleansing without over-stripping the skin
Goodbye to dirt, excess sebum, and leftover makeup without making your skin feel like sandpaper. This foaming face wash contains the important star ingredient salicylic acid. A BHA hero that penetrates your pores to clean out excess oil from the skin and sebum. We absolutely love this formula as it’s gentle enough for daily use twice a day, even if your skin is sensitive! It will help to hold those breakouts under control from the very first step of your routine.
Deiji tip: Lather with warm water and massage it in for at least one minute so the salicylic acid has time to work its magic. You can also use this to cleanse body acne too!
SOME BY MI AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
Best for: Exfoliation and prevention from future breakouts
This toner from SOME BY MI is known for its triple-threat exfoliator that’s packed with AHA (removes dead skin cells), BHA (cleans out oil glands), and PHA (exfoliates while hydrating). All combined in one bottle to gently buff away the gunk that clogs your pores, hair follicles, and blackheads/whiteheads, without the irritation of harsher exfoliants to improve skin texture. It also contains a calming agent, tea tree water extract, best known for its soothing and acne-fighting properties, making it a BFF for acne-prone skin.
Deiji tip: If you are new to AHA/BHA/PHA, use it three times a week and gradually increase the frequency to every second day/daily. This helps your skin build its tolerance to these active ingredients to minimise over-exfoliation and irritation (which we don’t want to happen!).
Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum
Best for: Refining skin texture, soothing redness, and fighting acne gently (dermatology tested)
If you’re unfamiliar with Azelaic Acid, let us introduce one of the underrated ingredients that’s just now becoming a rising star in the K-beauty world. This is a serum that is formulated for acne-prone, sensitive skin. This serum from ANUA is lightweight, and it combines 10% azelaic acid with hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate the skin while soothing and reducing redness all at once. Amazing right?
If you are struggling with post-acne dark spots or post-inflammatory erythema(the red marks), this serum will help fade those annoying marks, calming down inflamed pimples and refining your skin texture without drying out your skin. It’s like the little quiet achiever of your skincare lineup, working hard behind the scenes to keep your breakouts under control and evenly toned.
Deiji tip: Use the serum after toner and before moisturiser in your night routine. Start off with three times a week or twice if your skin is sensitive. Try not to use this serum with other exfoliating products that contain AHA or BHA if your skin cannot handle these active ingredients at once.
Dr.G Red Blemish Clear Soothing Cream
Best for: Calming and strengthening the skin barrier
If you’re prone to acne, this chill-out cream is helpful for stressed, red and prone to flare-ups. It’s packed with Centella Asiatica, panthenol and hyaluronic acid, which helps to soothe, moisturise and strengthen your skin barrier while fighting off breakouts. It has a gel-to-cream texture that feels cool on the skin, making it a perfect day and nighttime moisturiser for reactive skin and angry bumps!
My all-time favourite acne-prone skincare product! I personally love this cream as it is one of my staple moisturisers for many years, especially for those days when my skin is having a tantrum or if my skin barrier is completely compromised. It contains panthenol, which has similar functions to ceramide. It has helped clear up the marks that came along with the occasional breakouts, and it quickly repairs my skin barrier when it would become too sensitive for anything and EVERYTHING! I love that I could rely on this cream even through hormonal breakouts, as I always keep two of them in my skincare drawer for when I need them (hate when it runs out, so there’s always a backup to the rescue).
SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+ PA++++
Best for: Ultra-lightweight broad spectrum sun cream that’s calming with ZERO white cast
We all know suncreams can be a dealbreaker for anyone with acne-prone skin. Some out there can be greasy, comedogenic or leave you looking three shades lighter. But absolutely not this one! The Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum by Skin1004 is super lightweight, absorbs easily into the skin and will not leave a white cast. The best part? It’s suitable for all skin types, especially acne-prone and oily skin. The calming nature of Cica soothes irritated skin and protects like a powerhouse, so you can go about your day without having to worry about clogged pores. Perfect for use under makeup and ideal for daily wear - a must for breakout days.
Deiji tip: Wear sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30 and higher. Reapply more often throughout the day if you are spending most of your day exposed to the sun. UV rays can penetrate through windows, so remember to reapply even if you’re indoors! Your skin will stay protected all day long without the stickiness.
Lifestyle & Diet Tips from K-Beauty Experts
K-beauty isn’t all about what you put on your skin; it’s also about the habits that support your skin from the inside out. Here are a few tips you can implement to help you get that glow:
🧘♀️ Keep stress in check: Stress increases cortisol, which is common for triggering breakouts. Try meditation, or even a relaxing hot bath with one of our sheet masks to help your skin and your mood.
🥦 Focus on anti-inflammatory foods: Think leafy greens, berries, omega-3s, and fermented foods like kimchi (a K-beauty fave!) for healthy gut-skin balance.
😴 Prioritise sleep: Skin heals and regenerates while you rest. Lack of sleep = dull, stressed-out skin.
🚫 Watch dairy & sugar: For some, these can spike inflammation and lead to breakouts. Try cutting back and see how your skin responds. For me, I noticed a massive improvement to my overall skin health ever since cutting out dairy.
Final Thoughts:
Acne-prone skin doesn’t necessarily require harsh treatments that burn a hole through your pocket. It needs consistency, patience and the right type of acne skincare routine. With K-beauty, you can keep breakouts in check, calm that redness, and rebuild confidence in your skin again.
At deiji, we believe skincare should feel good and work even better. These top 5 fave picks are here to support your skin journey, whether you’re just looking to reset your routine or adding that one product that makes a difference.
You got this, and we’ve got you.
Let us know if you’ve picked up any of these and how it’s going for you so far!