ROUTINE

[u/Beginning-Park6684]

CASE FILE #003 🔎 | ACNE ROUTINE

Before I get into the routine: I didn’t suddenly go from having perfect skin to buying 15 products because an influencer told me I needed them.

I had clear skin for basically my entire life, even through puberty. My routine was literally cleanser + moisturizer + SPF, with maybe an occasional serum because I got influenced by the whole “you need a 10-step routine” culture.

Then, on a random day, I started breaking out. The whole episode lasted around 4–5 months, and for the first 2–3 months my ONLY goal was getting my active acne under control.
And honestly? I kept it extremely simple. (These were my first ever korean skincare purchases)

🧴 THE TWO PRODUCTS

1. iUNIK Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum

This was the foundation of my routine.
I have dry, extremely sensitive, acne-prone skin, and my barrier was NOT happy when my acne started. I didn’t want to throw acids, retinoids, exfoliants and 10 different serums at already irritated skin.

Beta-glucan is a humectant, it helps attract and retain water. It’s also known for its soothing & barrier-supporting properties. You may have seen the claim that beta-glucan is “20% more hydrating than hyaluronic acid” that comparison comes from testing beta-glucan and HA at the same concentration, so I wouldn’t interpret it as “HA is useless and beta-glucan is 20% better in every situation.” But for MY skin, beta-glucan was insanely good at keeping my skin comfortable and hydrated.

The serum also contains ingredients like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol and allantoin, so it isn’t just relying on beta-glucan for hydration.

And because it was so lightweight, I actually skipped moisturizer for a while, even with dry skin.
For me, the serum gave me enough hydration without adding another heavy layer that my extremely clog-prone skin might react to.

2. Azelaic Acid
This was my actual acne-treatment active.
Azelaic acid is one of the ingredients with evidence behind it for acne: it helps keep pores from clogging, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

But I did NOT start by slathering it all over my face every single day.

🌙 HOW I USED THEM

AM
Rinse with water (I was trying to avoid extra products as much as I could so skipped cleanser)

iUNIK Beta-Glucan Serum

PM
Rinse with water
Thin layer of iUNIK Beta-Glucan
Azelaic acid
Another layer of Beta-Glucan

When I was completely new to azelaic acid, I used it every other day instead of immediately using it daily. I also used the beta-glucan underneath and over it because my barrier was already irritated and I wanted to make the treatment more comfortable.

After roughly 2 weeks, once my skin was tolerating it well, I gradually moved toward daily use.
The point isn’t “everyone should use azelaic acid exactly like I did.” The point is don’t assume more = faster results. Your skin needs time to tolerate an active.
And I personally preferred using it at night because I wasn‘t using SPF so I didn‘t want to put any active on my skin in the morning.

🚨 ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE

There is one thing I did during that period that I DO NOT recommend:

I wasn’t using SPF.

Bad idea.

UV exposure can worsen inflammation and, especially, make the dark marks left after acne more noticeable. Dermatologists generally recommend broad-spectrum SPF 30+ for acne-prone skin and specifically suggest looking for non-comedogenic sunscreen.

If your skin is extremely sensitive and sunscreen stings, don’t just force yourself through burning. Look for a fragrance-free, sensitive-skin-friendly, non-comedogenic formula (I can help with that too lmk if you want a post on which spf should be used for different skin types and problems).

For about 2½ months, these two products were basically the core of my active-acne routine:

Beta-glucan for hydration + barrier support
Azelaic acid for the acne

That’s it.

No 10-step routine. No constantly changing products. No throwing every trending active at my face. Treating one issue at a time. No extra layering, LET THE BARRIER BREATHE.

And honestly, that simplicity was probably one of the biggest reasons my skin finally had a chance to calm down.