Our products are formulated to be safe for all skin types - especially those with acne-prone, sensitive skin! We are very passionate about providing high-quality, efficacious formulas that are packed with amazing ingredients. Most skincare products that are targeted towards people suffering from acne tend to work by simply drying out the skin or are formulated with harsh ingredients that often lead to irritation, sensitization and compromised skin barriers.

Our philosophy with treating acne-prone skin is to be gentle and focus on rebalancing the skin through gentle exfoliation, regulating sebum production and keeping the skin hydrated and moisturized. Our formulas also target hyperpigmentation and acne scars by including powerful but safe skin brightening ingredients. Dealing with acne is terribly exhausting and not a fun process, but it's a journey and we want to make it as easy and enjoyable for you as possible.

Our products work well for all skin types, including people with sensitive and acne-prone skin!

Most acne products on the market work by aggressively drying out the skin or using high concentrations of harsh actives that strip your skin barrier over time. Smood takes a different approach. Our formulas are built around the idea that acne-prone skin is already stressed skin, and what it needs is balance, not punishment. We focus on gentle exfoliation, sebum regulation, hydration, and barrier support, so your skin can actually heal rather than just react. We're also deeply ingredient-conscious, avoiding known irritants while including actives that are both effective and well-tolerated long-term.

Our products are formulated to address a range of common skin concerns, including:

• Acne and breakouts (blackheads, whiteheads, papules)
• Oily and congested skin
• Clogged pores
• Post-acne hyperpigmentation and dark spots
• Uneven skin tone
• Acne scarring
• Redness and irritation associated with acne-prone skin
• Dehydrated or compromised skin barriers caused by over-use of harsh acne treatments

Yes. Hormonal acne, which typically appears along the jawline, chin, and cheeks, often comes with increased sebum production and inflammation. Our formulas work to gently regulate oil production and calm inflammation without disrupting your skin further. While no topical skincare can address the root hormonal cause, Smood products help manage breakouts at the surface level and reduce the appearance of post-hormonal acne marks.

Fungal acne is frequently misidentified as regular acne, and many conventional acne products can actually feed the Malassezia yeast that causes it. Our formulas are mindful of ingredients that commonly trigger fungal acne and are free from the fatty acids and fermented ingredients known to exacerbate it. If you suspect fungal acne, we always recommend confirming with a dermatologist, but Smood products are generally considered safe for fungal acne-prone skin.

Our products are formulated to be safe for acne-prone and sensitive skin and have been tested on people with mild to moderate acne and rosacea with no adverse reactions. The cleanser and moisturizer are gentle formulas meant to be part of a maintenance skincare routine. For more severe acne such as cystic or nodular types, we recommend you seek the expertise of a dermatologist. We do have exciting plans to release more products that specifically treat moderate forms of acne in the future! 

Absolutely. Combination skin — typically an oily T-zone with drier cheeks — is one of the most common skin types and one our products are well suited for. Our approach of balancing sebum production without over-drying means combination skin types can use our products all over without worsening dry areas.

We're intentional about every ingredient we include. Some of the key actives across our line include:

• Niacinamide — regulates sebum, minimizes pores, fades hyperpigmentation, and strengthens the skin barrier
• Salicylic Acid — a BHA that exfoliates inside the pore, making it highly effective for blackheads and congestion
• Retinyl Palmitate — a gentler form of Vitamin A that promotes cell turnover and helps fade acne scars without the harsh side effects of prescription retinoids
• Skin-brightening actives — to target post-acne dark spots and hyperpigmentation
• Hydrating ingredients — because hydration is non-negotiable even for oily and acne-prone skin

Generally yes, but with care. If you're using prescription-strength actives like tretinoin or high-concentration AHAs, we recommend introducing Smood products gradually to see how your skin responds. Our formulas are designed to be gentle and complementary to other skincare steps, but layering too many actives at once, from any brand, can cause irritation. When in doubt, keep your routine simple: cleanse, treat, moisturize.

Yes — and we can't stress this enough. Many of our ingredients, including exfoliants and brightening actives, can make your skin more sensitive to UV exposure. Without SPF, any progress on hyperpigmentation and acne scars can be undone by sun damage. We recommend a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every single morning, rain or shine.

All Smood products are cruelty-free. We also do not test on animals - period!

Our products are safe for pregnant or nursing women to use, however, our Problem Solver Moisturizer contains Retinyl Palmitate. Despite there being low risk when applying Vitamin-A based products for pregnant women, we always recommend that you check with your doctor before using any new products while pregnant or nursing.

Yes, we do! Preservative systems are actually very important for formulations as they prevent the risk of yeast, mold and bacteria growth which could lead to irritation and possible infection - far more dangerous than using any preservative! Preservatives also help stabilize our products and allow them to have a longer shelf life. Our products are paraben-free, though.

Our products have an unopened shelf-life of approximately 48 months or an opened shelf-life of 12 months.

Our priority is to provide effective and safe formulas for your skin. While we love formulating with natural ingredients as much as possible, we are not a brand focused on all-natural or organic formulas. We do not believe that "natural" is necessarily better, nor is it safer for the skin. In fact, some natural ingredients like certain citrus oils can be highly irritating and sensitizing! We use naturally-derived, antioxidant-rich ingredients and combine them with effective and safe synthetic ingredients to create well-balanced formulas that your skin will love.

Yes, our products are 100ml or below and meet TSA carry-on luggage requirements!

This is one of the most important things we want people to understand: oily skin is not the same as hydrated skin. Many people with acne-prone skin are actually dehydrated because harsh acne products strip moisture from the skin, causing the skin to overcompensate by producing even more oil — which leads to more breakouts. Keeping acne-prone skin properly hydrated actually helps regulate oil production over time. Hydration and acne treatment are not opposites; they work together.

Please allow 1-2 business days for us to process your order. We kindly ask that you anticipate 3-9 business days for standard shipping. Orders placed after Friday at 12:00 PM PST will be shipped the following business week.

Once your order has shipped, you'll receive a shipping confirmation with tracking information via email. Please note it may take up to 48 hours for tracking information to update. Please remember to add hello@smoodbeauty.com to your Safe Sender list to make sure our email doesn't accidentally get sent to spam!

Yes! We offer free international shipping on orders $90 or more. Please note that international orders may be subject to customs duties and import taxes depending on your country, which are the responsibility of the customer.

If your tracking shows your package as delivered but you haven't received it, please first check with neighbors and your local post office. If you're still unable to locate it, email us at hello@smoodbeauty.com with your order number and we'll do our best to help resolve the situation.

We offer free Standard Shipping on US orders of $30 or more and free international shipping on orders $90+.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Amazon Pay.

We want you to love your Smood products! Because we're a small business and skincare is personal, we're unable to accept returns on opened or used products — but we do accept returns on unopened, unused items within 7 days of delivery.

If you have any issues with your order, please reach out to hello@smoodbeauty.com within 7 business days of receiving it and we'll do our best to make it right. Please note that return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer unless the error was on our end.

To process a return, just write your order number on the box and email us your tracking number so we can keep an eye out for it. Refunds are processed once we've received and inspected the items.

Not sure if Smood is right for you? Check out our reviews and detailed ingredient info before purchasing — we want you to feel confident before you buy!

Because we move quickly to get your order out the door, we're unable to modify or cancel orders once they've been placed — so please double-check your cart before completing checkout! If something goes wrong once it arrives, don't hesitate to reach out and we'll do our best to help.

Oh no! We're so sorry — that's definitely not the experience we want for you. Email us at hello@smoodbeauty.com with your name, order number, and a photo of the issue and we'll get it sorted out as quickly as we can.

Start simple. The best skincare routine is one you'll actually stick to. A solid foundation is just three steps: a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and SPF in the morning. Once your skin has adjusted to a basic routine (give it 4–6 weeks), you can start introducing targeted treatments for acne, dark spots, or whatever your specific concerns are. Smood products are designed with beginners in mind — effective ingredients without the overwhelming complexity.

Skincare takes patience. Most people start to notice improvements in skin texture and oiliness within 2–4 weeks, while acne reduction and hyperpigmentation fading typically takes 6–12 weeks of consistent use. This isn't unique to Smood, it's just how skin cell turnover works. Consistency is everything. We know it's hard to be patient, but we promise it's worth it.

It can be. A purging period, where skin temporarily breaks out more as cell turnover speeds up, is common when introducing exfoliating or retinoid-based ingredients. True purging typically clears up within 4–6 weeks. However, if your skin is developing new types of breakouts in areas you don't usually break out, or if you're experiencing burning, itching, or redness, that's more likely a reaction and you should discontinue use. When in doubt, introduce one new product at a time so you can identify the cause.

Yes — our formulas are gentle enough for teenage skin, which is often dealing with hormonal acne for the first time. We recommend starting with the basics (cleanser and moisturizer) and keeping the routine simple.

Absolutely. Smood is an inclusive brand created for all genders. Acne and skin concerns don't discriminate, and neither do our formulas. Our products work the same regardless of gender, and the routine principles apply universally.

Some common ingredients known to clog pores or irritate acne-prone skin include heavy mineral oils, certain silicones, coconut oil (highly comedogenic for many people). We're mindful of these in our formulations and prioritize ingredients that are well-tolerated by breakout-prone skin.

Non-comedogenic means a product is formulated to not clog pores. Clogged pores are one of the primary causes of blackheads and acne, so for acne-prone skin it's important to check that both skincare and makeup products are non-comedogenic. Smood products are formulated with this in mind.

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin — it keeps moisture in and environmental irritants out. When your skin barrier is compromised (often from over-exfoliation, harsh cleansers, or aggressive acne treatments), your skin becomes more prone to inflammation, sensitivity, and paradoxically, more breakouts. Protecting and restoring the skin barrier is central to Smood's philosophy, which is why we never formulate with unnecessarily harsh ingredients.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is the dark spots or marks left behind after a pimple heals. It's extremely common, especially in deeper skin tones, and can often be more distressing than the acne itself. Smood products include targeted brightening actives that help fade these marks over time by inhibiting melanin production and accelerating cell turnover. Consistent use combined with daily SPF is the most effective approach.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is one of the most well-researched and well-tolerated ingredients for acne-prone skin. It works by regulating sebum production, minimizing the appearance of pores, reducing redness and inflammation, strengthening the skin barrier, and fading post-acne hyperpigmentation. It's also exceptionally gentle, making it suitable even for very sensitive skin. It's one of our hero ingredients at Smood for good reason.

BHAs (like salicylic acid) are oil-soluble, meaning they can penetrate inside the pore to dissolve the buildup that causes blackheads and congestion — making them the gold standard for acne-prone skin. AHAs (like glycolic or lactic acid) are water-soluble and work on the surface of the skin to improve texture, tone, and brightness. For acne-prone skin, BHAs are generally more targeted and effective, though both have their place in a well-rounded routine.