Dermstore’s New Acne Skin-Care Kit Is Luxe, Streamlined, And It Works

Whether you're a teenager or dealing with hormonal adult acne in your 20s or 30s (so fun!), dealing with pimples is one thing that many people can probably relate to: Breakouts of any kind — blackheads, whiteheads, painful cystic bumps — can be some of the most stubborn and hard to treat skin concerns out there, and if you're like me, it can be pretty disheartening to try every acne product under the sun with limited results. And if it seems daunting to even know where to start, that's because, a lot of times, it is. But if you know where we're going, then you know that it doesn't always have to be.

Enter Dermstore to the rescue, with a brand-new range of Solution Kits made to target a variety of common skin concerns, starting with the Clarifying Regimen, which launched this week. (Three more kits, offering products targeted for brightening, anti-aging, and hydration are set to launch in 2020.) For $75, you can get ten travel-friendly products (including one full-size, but more on that later) to use as part of a dermatologist-approved skin-care routine to address acne past, present, and future: "When creating this kit, the goal was to mimic an example of a skincare regimen that I’d recommend to a patient dealing with [acne] issues in my practice," Dermstore's medical director (and Los Angeles-based dermatologist) Ashley Magovern, MD, tells Refinery29. "I worked with the Dermstore team to select formulas that are, of course, highly efficacious, and those that I’ve found to be successful in targeting this specific concern in my own experience as a dermatologist."

Whereas many gift sets and value kits simply curate an assortment of products anchored by a theme (which isn't a bad thing), Dermstore's acne regimen includes everything you need for your morning and evening skin-care routines. Fan-favorite acne products like Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid and a full-size EltaMD mineral sunscreen (which alone retails for $35) are included in the AM regimen, while the night-time assortment features potent treatments like La Roche-Posay's bestselling Effaclar Duo spot treatment and Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask. (And if this is already sounding like a lot of info, don't worry — each kit comes with an insert that walks you through the entire routine and shares a bit about each product.)

After testing the products for a couple weeks — a handful were ones I'd tried at some point in my own journey towards clear skin — I found myself loving how easy it was to bring the entire kit with me to a workout class (no more struggling to tote my entire five-step routine to Y7!) and repurposing the clear pouch to add extra toiletries for an upcoming weekend trip.

However, the inspiration behind launching targeted kits goes far beyond convenience. "The concept of the Clarifying Regimen was, honestly, created with the idea that we could offer a more personalized experience, effective skincare & professional advice to deliver real at-home results," Magovern explains. "We wanted each consumer to feel as close as possible to having an in-office experience with an actual medical professional."

Breakouts, meet your new worst enemy.