Any recommendations for the safest products for someone that's never done/stuck to skincare for more then 2 days every 8 months ish (for my partner, 28, not me and yes that goes for spf too they never use it and struggle to trust skincare but they finally want to start)? Preferably not to expensive, big plus for any recommendations for nordic products or products we can get in Scandinavia. struggling to find something that seems simple, minimal and safe to just try out to not risk any bad reaction. Had previous reactions to serums and toners from the ordinary, benton, cosrx and cerave blemish gel with things like Niacinamide and aha/bha. do also have acne with painful cysts but don't want to treat that without seeing the doctor. Just want to get a basic starter routine that won't risk clogging or more acne and just treat the skin as if it is extremely sensitive and very dry with oiliness.
If your partner's skin is having sensitive reactions to a lot of products, then limit the routine to just cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Avoid oil cleansers/double cleansing, and just use one foaming cleanser. If your partner's skin can't tolerate most cleansers, try the Soapworks Calendula & Cucumber soap bar. My mother's been using that for years for her rosacea, and it's extremely calming. I use it when my skin is stressed from other products. I know it's technically not a cleanser, but it works incredibly well to soothe the skin as well as actually cleanse it! Most "sensitive" cleansers are really bad at actually doing the cleansing part, especially for oiliness, but this soap works for all skin types. If your partner's skin can tolerate salicylic acid, then try the Aprilskin Calendula Low pH Cleanser. It has 0.1% salicylic acid and helps to clean and lightly exfoliate pores in order to clear acne. It's what I'm currently using and it's definitely helping me have clear skin.
A good moisturizer would be the Purito B5 Panthenol moisturizer. Its extremely calming and helps heal acne. I've been using this for a while now and my skin has never been more calm or acne-free. The texture is a bit sticky but it has such a calming effect on the skin that I don't mind the texture.
My favorite sunscreen is the Skin1004 Madagascar Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum. It's not irritating and it will not make your skin greasy or clog your pores. It's genuinely the best sunscreen I've found. It also doesn't irritate my rosacea, so it should be fine for other sensitive skin.
Also, another good healing product I've used is the COSRX Snail Mucin 96 Essence. It's also very calming and healing for the skin and helped heal my acne and irritation.
Also avoid any makeup products. People underestimate how irritating makeup can be for the skin, ESPECIALLY foundations and concealers.
If you're looking at any other products, make sure to check on this website to see if they have any comedogenic ingredients. For acne-prone skin, even ONE comedogenic ingredient can cause a lot of acne.
I have acne-prone sking and also used to have adult cystic acne. This purifying mask from Janssen Cosmetics (from Aachen, Germany) did wonders for me. I put a thick layer only on the problematic areas after cleaning the face and leave them there until my next face wash (sometimes apply second or third layer during the day). Other than this, I almost removed all dairy products from my diet (am using oat or almodn milk as substitutes, no cheese etc.), which I believe was a crucial reason for my acnes. I still get them time to time but nothing as before.
One more thing I would recommend is to look for a decent skin therapist, one who knows how to clean and treat acne-prone skin (I am not talking about a doctor here, a facial place you go regularly). Acne-prone skins do need this kind of a cleaning treatment.
I hope your partner's sking clears up as soon as possible!
Btw Janssen mask lasts very long, I also heard Perricone MD products were really good for sensitive skin. I am using one of them and they too last really long. So I would suggest not only looking at the price but how much positive effect it does and how long it goes...
If you want to keep it minimal and get a routine going, stick with a gentle cleanser for the PM, a good moisturizer and an SPF. Leave the other actives for later, it sounds like the skin is very reactive and sensitive, so just work towards a healthy and soothing routine to restore the skin barrier.
Tips for cleansers: The ordinary squalane cleanser or Tolerance extremely gentle cleanser by Avène.
Tips for moisturizers: pick one without fragrance. I'd look for something for reactive skin. A-derma or Bioderma have good products, if that's available to you.
SPF: again: no fragrance and SPF 50. There are plenty good options, just find a texture that you like and will use.