Why Kendall Jenner should be your acne-prone skin muse

As any acne sufferer will know, you can’t let a bad skin day get in the way of your life. Kendall Jenner certainly didn’t when she showed up to the 2018 Golden Globes red carpet with a few breakouts plaguing her normally-flawless skin. And from that moment on, she was our skin muse - for both good skin days and bad.

Kendall Jenner’s acne became one of the most talked about moments from the awards night, and while someone sporting a pimple is often met with negative comments, Kendall actually received overwhelming support and praise for getting out of bed, putting her frock on, and showing up. Despite her pimples.

While a few trolls put their two cents in about Kendall’s acne, it was her fans’ responses to these comments, followed by this plain-and-simple reply from Kendall herself, that reminded everyone that the show must go on.

Despite this hotly-talked-about time when Kendall happened to be suffering from an acne breakout, Kendall’s skin is generally the picture of perfection. So armed with the knowledge that she does battle with acne, and yet still manages to get skin looking that good on a regular basis, we wanted to know ALL her secrets. And thankfully, a few clues have been leaked. Some by Kendall herself, others by her go-to dermatologist, Christie Kidd.

Here’s what we know - and have learned - from Kendall’s struggles with acne.

#1 / A good skin care routine is everything

Good skin care formulas make ALL the difference to how your skin looks and feels, and so too does sticking to a regimented routine. While your skin may be looking amazing one day, it’s when you start slacking with your creams and cleansers that you open yourself up to breakouts. Keeping your skin clear is a lot easier than trying to get rid of pimples after they appear.

A lot of the credit for Kendall’s good skin goes to her dermatologist, Christie Kidd. In an interview with W magazine, Kidd revealed that Kendall uses her CK Perfect Skin 4 Step regimen twice daily. These products aren’t currently available for purchase by the public (instead you’ll have to jet off to LA and book in to see Kidd for yourself), but there are plenty of alternative products that follow the same premise.

“The regimen consists of step one, clean face wash, which is a natural wash to fight acne yet it is very gentle to the skin. Fresh pads are step two—medicated pads to reduce the bacteria and oil on the skin, as well as redness. Step three is renewal; this is an acne/scar treatment which helps to keep pores tight and invisible and dries up active blemishes. Because it helps with cellular turnover it works wonders on acne scars. Step four is clear protection, which is for the daytime—it's sunblock and acne medication all in one. It controls oil, reduces redness, and gives you sun protection.” 

Our picks for similar products are: Go-To Skincare Properly Clean, First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Anti-Breakout Pads with White Clay, Dr Dennis Gross All Over Blemish Solution, Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 | PA++

#2 / Double cleansing is essential, especially after wearing a full face of makeup

As a model, Kendall’s skin is subject to layer upon layer of makeup on the regular. So she’s learned the power of a double cleanse to ensure ALL traces are removed from her skin at the end of every day. In an interview with Byrdie, she said, “I’ve always been super OCD about washing my face—and that’s even before I started modeling. But it’s definitely enhanced now because I wear so much makeup all the time. I wash my face at least two or three times a day.”

On her app, back when it was up and running, Kendall revealed that she uses Estée Lauder's Micro-Cleansing Balm as part of her nighttime skin care routine. This cleaning balm emulsifies with water, turning into a cleansing oil that dissolves makeup and cleanses skin. And it leaves skin feeling nourished and pampered afterwards.

#3 / Don’t touch your face

Kendall picked up this sage piece of advice from her sisters. “They’re like, ‘Never touch your face, never pick your face, always wash your face and wear eye cream.’” We’ll also add to that: be weary of dirty phones and sunglasses, they’re common causes of breakouts, too.

#4 / Treat your acne-prone skin to a professional treatment

Acne can take time and patience to get under control. If you’d like to speed things along, there are numerous professional treatments that can help with the healing process. Kendall says a non-invasive laser treatment known as Laser Genesis helped turn around her skin and improved its condition and texture. It targets overactive sebaceous glands while helping to shrink pores, smooth fine lines, fade acne scars and even out skin tone. We also recommend blue light therapy such as Omnilux Blue, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits for acne-prone skin.

#5 / You have everything you need in your pantry to make a DIY spot treatment

Kendall used this easy DIY spot treatment recipe when she’s in a pinch: She mixes half a teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of honey. In a video on her former website, she explained that the baking soda and lemon juice help dry out the pimple, while honey works to soothe irritation.

#6 / Your skin *will* clear up

Acne-prone skin may not be curable, but it’s definitely possible to manage it. “I had such bad acne when I was younger. It completely ruined my self-esteem – I wouldn't even look at people when I talked to them. I felt like such an outcast; when I spoke, it was with my hand covering my face,” Kendall shared on her site. Now, with all the above wisdom and a good dermatologist on speed dial, Kendall’s skin looks pretty darn good most of the time.

#7 / You are not alone

“Even after things started to clear up, it took a solid amount of time to be okay with my skin and gain back my confidence,” Kendall says. “I realised that it’s a part of life for some people and it doesn’t define who you are.” The best thing you can do is not stress about (no seriously, stress is one of the main causes of breakouts!).

Kendall also has a genius trick for keeping bacne at bay - check it out, plus find out everything else you need to know about back acne.

Do you suffer from acne? Do you have good days and bad days? What are your acne-fighting tricks?

Image credits: Getty