You’ve invested in clean beauty, but your skin is still struggling. Could your skincare be making acne worse instead of better? Even high-end, “non-toxic” products can trigger breakouts, especially if they overload or inflame your skin barrier.

The truth is: even clean, minimalist, or dermatologist-approved skincare can make acne worse if it’s not working with your skin’s needs. From over-cleansing to piling on too many actives, it’s easy to accidentally trigger inflammation—especially if your skin is already sensitive or hormonal.

The truth is: even clean, high-end, or dermatologist-loved skincare can make acne worse if it’s not working with your skin barrier. From over-cleansing to piling on too many actives, it’s easy to accidentally trigger inflammation—especially if your skin is already sensitive or hormonal.

Even products labeled as “acne-fighting” or “non-comedogenic” can contain ingredients that backfire. Here are a few common culprits:

• Harsh exfoliants (like glycolic or salicylic acid in high percentages)

• Drying cleansers with sulfates

• Fragrances and essential oils (yes, even natural ones)

• Layering too many actives like retinol + vitamin C + AHAs = chaos

When your skin is overloaded, it fights back with breakouts, redness, or dryness—which often leads people to add moreproducts, not less.

🧪 Explore this comprehensive list of pore-clogging ingredients on Skin Type Solutions

AO2 Clear skips the acids, fragrances, and complicated routines altogether. With just two ingredients—distilled water and billions of oxygen nanobubbles—it targets one of the root causes of acne: anaerobic bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environments.

Oxygen floods your pores, creating a skin-safe environment that kills acne-causing bacteria on contact and reduces inflammation instantly. No stinging, peeling, or “purging” required.

Many people with persistent acne don’t have dirty skin—they have inflamed skin. And inflammation is often fueled by skincare that’s too aggressive, even if it’s marketed as clean or gentle.

If your skincare is making acne worse, it may be time to simplify. AO2 Clear is formulated to calm, not strip. It works with your skin’s natural healing process instead of against it—making it a perfect match for:

• Hormonal acne

• Pregnancy-safe skincare

• Teen skin and adult breakouts

• Sensitive or compromised barriers

👩‍⚕️ According to DermNet, inflammation is at the core of nearly all acne types—making it critical to treat gently, not aggressively.

If you’ve tried everything but still feel like your skincare might be making acne worse, it’s time to simplify—and oxygenate.

AO2 Clear is proof that clear skin doesn’t have to burn, tingle, or flake to work. Just two ingredients. One step. No nonsense.

Try AO2 CLEAR for yourself—with our money-back policy, there’s nothing to lose (except the breakouts).