Your Ultimate Acne Guide: Treat Pimples, Blackheads, Bad Breakouts, and More

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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.