When I have an active breakout, I actually try to leave it alone as much as possible. I find that doing too much can often be worse than just sticking to the basics of cleansing and moisturising with the products I know work. But if I feel a breakout brewing, there's one mask I whip out as soon as humanly possible: Kate Somerville Eradikate Mask (£46), which you might recognise from its famous sidekick: the EradiKate Blemish Spot Treatment (£22).
Colloidal sulphur, the main ingredient, helps clear congestion and clogged pores; and while that's working, the addition of oat helps to soothe irritation. The mask applies like a thick cream and quickly starts to bubble and foam (which makes great selfie material), working into the pores to clear out the gunk.