All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through links in this article.
that play a part in your breakouts if you have acne-prone skin.
Allure/ Summer Soleil
Sensitive skin types might want to use ingredients like AHAs intermittently to avoid any further irritation to the skin.
What’s going on:Blame it on your clogged pores.
The white you see at the top hence the name “whitehead” is the blocked pore.
How to handle it:Consider salicylic acid your secret weapon for oily skin.
The formula pulls double-duty, too.
It works as aspot treatmentfor mild to moderate acne and as a nightly allover treatment for pimple prevention.
Since it dries clear, you could wear it to fight zits whenever, wherever.
Let it dry overnight as you catch some zzz’s, et voila: shrunken whiteheads come morning.
How to Handle It:Think of these as bigger, pissed-off whiteheads.
Your best bet, Dr. Zeichner explains, is to stock up onbenzoyl peroxide, which kills the bacteria.
A spot treatment like Kate Somerville Anti Bac Acne Clearing Lotion should do the trick.
Also, try not to pop them as tempting as that may be.
Since they’re inflamed, they’re more likely to scar if you go the DIY route.
As for those pesky pustules?
That might be because these are the work of fluctuating hormones, says Dr. Zeichner.
The combo can help prevent hormonal acne from happening in the first place.
It also includes a healthy dose ofvitamin Cto brighten up hyperpigmentation.
“Blackheads, like whiteheads, are blocked pores,” says Dr. Zeichner.
What gives them their namesake color, though, is the oil.
How to Handle It: Exfoliation is a step you simply cannot skip if you’re experiencing blackheads.
Dr. Zeichner recommends pairing a salicylic acid-packed wash with pore strips.
Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips are a tried-and-true solution.
Dr. Yadav says a monthly facial can help keep your pores in check.
What’s going on:Meet papules.
These are a pop in of inflammatory acne, and they’re the work of bacteria.
“Growth of the bacteriap.
acneson the skin promotes inflammation, causing acne bumps to become red and tender,” says Dr. Zeichner.
How to handle it:Your best bet is benzoyl peroxide.
“Benzoyl peroxide can kill acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation,” Dr. Zeichner explains.
Try a cream like the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual-Action Acne Treatment, which also exfoliates with lipo-hydroxy acid.
“Cystic pimples are brought on by genetics and hormonal stimulation of oil glands,” says Dr. Zeichner.
The pressure just builds beneath the skin, which is what makes it sensitive to the touch.
These may disappear on their own after a few days.
But if a last-minute appointment isn’t in the cards, go ahead and play mad scientist.
If you’re in a pinch, Dr. Covington recommends using ZitSticka’s Killa Microdart Patch.
The patch melts within two hours, revealing clearer skin, less texture, and minimized redness.
