5 Best Anti-Aging Products For Acne-Prone Skin

What are the best anti-aging products for acne-prone skin?

Treating acne is your top priority. Red, inflamed breakouts are stealing your confidence and you want to get rid of them ASAP.

But, you don’t want to wait until the acne is gone to start tackling fine lines and wrinkles. Isn’t there a way to deal with both?

You’re in luck. Some of the best anti-acne ingredients double up as wrinkle fighters. Here’s where to find them:

Table Of Contents

What Are The Best Anti-Aging Ingredients For Acne-Prone Skin?

Next time you go shopping for anti-aging products for your acne-prone skin, look out for these actives:

Retinoids: A catch-all term for forms of Vitamin A, from OTC retinol to prescription Tretinoin. Retinoids boost collagen to firm skin, fight off the free radicals that cause premature wrinkles, and speed up cellular turnover to treat acne. The catch? They’re irritating. Start with a small concentration twice a week and build up both dose and frequency gradually. I recommend you start with Granactive Retinoid, a gentle retinoid proven to reduce acne, then slowly move onto retinol, and finally go either with Differin or a prescription retinoid.
Vitamin C: Did you know there are lots of different types of Vitamin C? For acne-prone skin, I recommend Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate. It brightens skin, fights free radicals, and boosts collagen – just like all other types of Vitamin C. But it goes the extra mile for acne-prone skin: it reduces sebum oxidation (a main cause of acne and inflammation) by up to 40%! It’s also more effective than 5% benzoyl peroxide and 0.1% differin.
Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic Acid is a moisture magnet on steroids. InIt attracts and binds to the skin up to 1000 times its weight in water! All that extra moisture plumps up skin, so wrinkles look smaller. It’s also a great way to keep skin hydrated without adding more pore-clogging oils to it. Win win.
Niacinamide: Also known as Vitamin B3, niacinamide is a do-it-all. It reduces water loss to keep skin hydrated, it improves skin elasticity to make skin look firmer, it soothes irritations, it brightens the skin tone, and it helps treat acne. There’s truly nothing it can’t do!
Sunscreen: I know sunscreen is NOT an ingredient (duh!), but I had to add it to this list. It doesn’t matter what UV filters you use, sunscreen is by far the best anti-aging product on the market. UV rays are responsible for up to 90% of premature aging. Skip sunscreen because you’re afraid it’ll clog your pores and you’re sabotaging your entire routine.

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that fights both acne and wrinkles? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Acne + Aging Skin” and get started today (it features product recommendations + right application order):

What Are The Best Anti-Aging Products For Acne-Prone Skin?

Best Anti-Aging Exfoliant For Acne-Prone Skin: Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment With 2% BHA ($33.00)

I know you want to use glycolic acid because you’ve heard it’s the best thing for wrinkles. But it’s NOT the best thing for your skin type. Acne-prone skin needs salicylic acid (a.k.a. BHA). Unlike salicylic acid, it gets inside your pores and removes all the crap that’s clogging them up and giving you breakouts. It treats pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, you name it… Like all exfoliants, it also brightens and smoothens your skin tone. I recommend Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment With 2% BHA for acne-prone skin because it’s also loaded with peptides and antioxidants to slow down premature aging. Glycolic acid isn’t the only (or even best) way to fight wrinkles. 😉

Available at: Paula’s Choice and Selfridges

Best For Preventing Wrinkles: Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum ($33.99)

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum uses Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a form of Vitamin C that prevents wrinkles while fighting acne. Plus, it has a bunch of antioxidants, including Vitamin E and ferulic acid, that supercharge Vitamin C and help it do its anti-aging job better. Hyaluronic Acid is in here to add a much-needed hydration boost. Its lightweight texture sinks in quickly into your skin and dries to a matte finish.

Available at: Free People, iHerb, Mad Hippie and Ulta

paula's choice super-light daily wrinkle defense spf 30 review

Best Sunscreen For Acne-Prone Skin: Paula’s Choice RESIST Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($33.00)

Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 is the best sunscreen I’ve tried so far – and it’s especially suitable for acne-prone skin. Zinc oxide protects from the entire UV range – and in this tinted, lightweight form it leaves NO greasy residue or white cast behind. The silky texture dries to a soft matte finish that keeps your skin oil-free for a few hours. Did I mention it has its fair share of antioxidants to slow down premature aging, too?

Available at: Dermstore, Feel Unique, Nordstrom and Paula’s Choice

Best For Treating Wrinkles: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (£8.00)

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is the perfect introduction to retinoids for anyone who has never used them before. This emulsion uses both hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a new generation of retinoids that fights acne without irritating skin, and tried-and-tested retinol to reduce both wrinkles and breakouts. Retinol often causes irritations. To minimise that, here it’s micro-encapsulated. That’s a fancy way of saying it’s released over a period of several hours, making delivery way more gentle on your skin. Bisabobol and Tasmanian pepperberry soothe skin, making retinol more tolerable. What’s missing? The oily base of the other The Ordinary retinoid products. If you can’t stand that, you’ll love this emulsion.

Available at: Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Sephora

Best For Reducing Oil-Production: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (£5.00)

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% isn’t an acne treatment. But, it helps keep both acne and wrinkles at bay. Niacinamide is a multitasker that hydrates skin, fights wrinkles, soothes inflammation, and helps reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. Zinc helps absorb excess oil, so it won’t get stuck in your pores and cause breakouts in the first place. The catch? This combo is drying. Use it only if you have oily (not dry) AND acne-prone skin.

Available at: Asos, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Escentual, Sephora, and Ulta

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.

Beautiful With Brains