Dr. Somji Skin has reviewed more than 20 products for acne-prone skin, and his approval rate sits at 86%. That means he found something worth recommending in nearly everything he tried. He skipped very little, but what he did skip is just as telling as what he approved.
What does Dr. Somji Skin recommend for acne-prone skin?
Across his approved picks, Dr. Somji Skin keeps coming back to actives that do more than one job at once. He praised The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for tackling redness, pigmentation, and congestion all at the same time, and said it should go on right after cleansing. He rates The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution as a strong option for congested skin, especially for people with darker skin tones dealing with post-acne marks. On exfoliation, he suggests The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution two or three times a week, starting with only a few minutes on the skin, because overdoing it raises the chance of sensitivity. He also makes a practical point about retinoids. He rates The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane, and notes that Granactive retinoids sit closer to prescription-strength retinoic acid than standard retinol, so results tend to come more reliably. That said, he is clear that not every retinoid suits every person.
Dr. Somji Skin's acne picks, in his words
"Azelaic acid makes it into most of my routines mainly because it helps with redness, pigmentation, it helps with open and closed comedones, it's great for the functioning of the skin and this you want to put on the skin immediately after cleansing and drying and that's really going to help that redness that you get within the skin."
"If you're acne prone you might want to use specific retinols for acne prone skin. One that I like to prescribe within clinic is Differin Adapalene Gel, which is great."
"If you're going to have another serum I would add the alpha arbutin 2% and you can get this from The Ordinary. For those of you that don't want to buy an extra product, this particular one's got ascorbic acid 8% in it which is vitamin C, so you've got vitamin C and alpha arbutin mix. Alpha arbutin is what we call a tyrosinase inhibitor, it blocks the production and transport of melanin, which is what pigmentation is."
"The Ordinary Salicylic Acid [...] is fantastic for acne prone skin. [...] If you've [...] got slightly darker skin type and you've got really a lot of congestion then salicylic acid is going to be a good option."
"I have this, it's prescribed to me and I've had it for a really long time, but it's the Epiduo Gel, fantastic. It's proven for acne and breakout, changed the game for me."
"Eyes clinical um hydrating serum high um is very very good um and I would use that too as well"
How many products has Dr. Somji Skin reviewed for acne-prone skin?
Dr. Somji Skin has reviewed 22 products for acne-prone skin, for an approval rate of 86%. 19 approved, 2 mixed, and 1 skipped.
What has Dr. Somji Skin skipped for acne-prone skin?
He skipped almost nothing here. The clearest skip is Clinique Clarifying Lotion One. His concern was the witch hazel, which he said can make sensitive skin more reactive over time, plus added colourants he found unnecessary. Even on products he approves, he says who they are not for. He noted that Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% is best avoided during pregnancy, since vitamin A derivatives, even in small topical amounts, have appeared in published case reports linked to birth defects.
"On their website it's designed for people with very dry sensitive skin. [...] If we look at the ingredients of this clarifying lotion, it does have witch hazel in it, which [...] I'm not a big fan of because of the tannins involved and how it can actually make sensitive skin like this a little bit more sensitive over time. It does have coloring in there with yellow coloring and blue coloring, which is a little bit disappointing."
What should you take from Dr. Somji Skin's picks?
Dr. Somji Skin's record on acne-prone skin is one of the more useful ones out there, because he is specific about why something earns his approval or not. His through-line is simple: pick actives with a real mechanism, check where key ingredients sit in the list, and be honest about who a product is actually right for. Anyone working through retinoids, exfoliants, or vitamin C for acne-prone skin will find his reasoning genuinely practical.
Watch Dr. Somji Skin say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Clinique Clarifying Lotion OneSkipped itWatch at 5:49
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%Rated itWatch at 3:46
- Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1%Rated itWatch at 7:58
- The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 9:43
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% SolutionRated itWatch at 4:31
- Epiduo GelRated itWatch at 16:34
- SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier with Arbutin and Azelaic AcidRated itWatch at 4:33
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated SerumRated itWatch at 5:55
- La Roche-Posay Niacinamide 10 SerumRated itWatch at 3:19
- iS Clinical Cleansing ComplexRated itWatch at 3:05
- Dermalogica Active Clay CleanserRated itWatch at 2:32
- Obagi Nu-Derm SystemRated itWatch at 6:00
- The Ordinary AHA 2% + BHA 2% Exfoliating SerumRated itWatch at 4:30
- Finacea Azelaic Acid Gel 15%Rated itWatch at 1:21
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% MaskRated itWatch at 5:40
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Rated itWatch at 5:50
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserRated itWatch at 3:25
- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling SolutionRated itWatch at 10:04
- Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid BoosterRated itWatch at 7:24
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning SolutionRated itWatch at 8:37
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Dr. Somji Skin said across his videos about 22 products for acne-prone skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.