Current:Home > ContactYour Ultimate Acne Guide: Treat Pimples, Blackheads, Bad Breakouts, and More -AlphaFinance Experts
Your Ultimate Acne Guide: Treat Pimples, Blackheads, Bad Breakouts, and More
View
Date:2025-04-27 16:07:02
The products featured in this article are from brands available in NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a commission on purchases
Acne — we thought we’d seen the last of it come high school graduation. But alas, acne is one of those things that we don’t always grow out of. In other words, it’s totally normal to experience adult acne.
What's worse than an acne breakout, though, is the painful inflammation that often comes along with it and the acne scars that remain once the breakout has subsided.
If you struggle with mild acne or moderate acne, there are plenty of over-the-counter skin care products that can help. So, our team of shopping experts rounded up the best ones just for you.
The best acne treatment is powerful yet gentle and treats current breakouts while preventing them in the future.
What causes acne?
To start, let’s define acne. According to experts, acne refers to a skin condition that occurs when a build up of oil, sebum, and dead skin cells clog pores and hair follicles. The result is the whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts we associate with acne.
You can experience acne no matter your skin type, however, those with oily skin are more prone to experiencing acne breakouts, experts say.
What are the best acne treatments?
Regardless of the type of acne you’re experiencing, there’s a product out there to treat acne-prone skin.
Experts say that the most effective acne treatment contains the following key ingredients:
- Salicylic Acid: Best for treating inflamed pimples and cysts, clearing pores, and exfoliating skin.
- Benzoyl Peroxide: Attacks acne-causing bacteria and prevents oil build up.
- Topical Retinoid: The vitamin A derivative can help soothe inflammation, fade hyperpigmentation, and help clear and prevent clogged pores and blackheads.
Depending your concern, you'll want to incorporate some of these ingredients into your skin care routine.
Pro tip: Be sure to start out with low dosages and only a few applications a week to help avoid skin irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin.
How do I get rid of acne?
Since acne is often caused by a build up dirt, grease, and sebum, it’s important to incorporate a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
Contrary to popular belief, experts say harsh cleansers won’t minimize oil production. In fact, it’s likely to result in dry skin, which will then overcompensate and produce even more oil to make up for lost moisture.
Some options we love are Paula's Choice acne foaming cream cleanser, which is gentle yet effective in lifting dirt and grime.
Targeted treatments – such as La Roche-Posay's famous Effaclar Duo Acne Treatment with benzoyl peroxide or the salicylic acid pads from First Aid Beauty – are a must after washing your face.
And just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you should skip a moisturizer. Just be sure look for one that's oil free, like Caudalie's Vinopure option below.
Stop picking at your skin!
Trust us, we know it's tempting, but picking at your pimples or trying to pop them can spread bacteria, leaving behind acne scars and dark spots.
If you want help leaving your face alone, invest in pimple patches. They can reduce your urge to pick and make treating stubborn spots so easy (and virtually invisible).
Need another avenue to prevent picking? You can apply a spot treatment to your pimples that can help shrink painful pimples overnight, sucking up what's trapped beneath the skin.
This way, you won’t be tempted to squeeze that juicy pimple. I've been using products like Kate Somerville's acne treatment for years, and can attest that it will reduce the size of a pimple by half in just a few hours.
Shop our favorite acne treatments
Want to clear acne? From spot treatments that soothe angry pimples overnight to gentle cleansers made with oily skin in mind, these are the best products for making your acne disappear.
veryGood! (1358)
Related
- Family of explorer who died in the Titan sub implosion seeks $50M-plus in wrongful death lawsuit
- Oscars 2023: Michelle Yeoh Has a Message for All the Dreamers Out There
- Lady Gaga Just Took Our Breath Away on the Oscars 2023 Red Carpet
- Ex-Facebook manager alleges the social network fed the Capitol riot
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- Oscars 2023: Lady Gaga Deserves an Applause for Helping Guest Who Fell on Red Carpet
- Get Cozy During National Sleep Week With These Pajamas, Blankets, Eye Masks & More
- All the Ways Everything Everywhere All at Once Made Oscars History
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Oscars 2023: Malala Officially Calls a Truce Between Chris Pine and Harry Styles After #Spitgate
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- The U.K. will save thousands of its iconic red phone kiosks from being shut down
- Russia pulls mothballed Cold War-era tanks out of deep storage as Ukraine war grinds on
- There's an app to help prove vax status, but experts say choose wisely
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- Elon Musk says he sleeps on a couch at Twitter headquarters and his dog is CEO in new wide-ranging interview
- How Jimmy Kimmel Addressed Will Smith's Oscars Slap During 2023 Ceremony
- Ex-Facebook employee says company has known about disinformation problem for years
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
An original Apple-1 computer sells for $400,000
Gigi Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio Reunite at 2023 Pre-Oscars Party
Oscars 2023: Ana de Armas Details Being Moved by Marilyn Monroe's Presence During Blonde
Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
Every Time Jimmy Kimmel and the 2023 Oscars Addressed Will Smith's Slap
You're Gonna Love Our The Last of Us Gift Guide for a Long Long Time
El Salvador Just Became The First Country To Accept Bitcoin As Legal Tender