Say Goodbye to Breakouts, Because They're Officially Cancelled
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
While it *feels* like pimples are out to ruin your day, the truth is that acne is natural, and almost everyone experiences breakouts in their life. Acne has many causes; some that you can control, like washing your face and changing your pillowcase, and some that you can't, like genetics and hormonal fluctuations. That's why it's important to understand what causes breakouts so you can treat them.
To help wave goodbye to acne for good, we've gathered the best clear skin tips from Dr. Melissa K. Levin, an NYC-based dermatologist and founder of Entiere Dermatology, and Dr. Nazanin Saedi, a Philadelphia-based dermatologist and clinical associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University. From sneaky things that might be causing you to break out to the best acne products that really work, here's everything you need to know about how to get clear skin – and fast.
Always wash your face before bed
We don't care how tired you are, you are NOT allowed to sleep in your makeup. Trust us, your future, pimple-free self will thank you. Wash your face for 30 to 45 seconds every night with a nickel-sized amount of face wash. (That's how long it takes to clear all the dirt and oil off your face.)
Oh, and by the way, there's actually a chance that you're washing your face all wrong. Watch this video from dermatologist Liv Kraemer to learn all the ins and outs of proper face-washing:
Don't skip the moisturizer
If your skin is oily, you might be tempted to go without your morning moisturizer, but drying out your skin can actually make acne worse. It's important to pick the right moisturizer, so it doesn't worsen breakouts or cause your skin to become more oily.
Dr. Levin advises picking a daily lotion that will absorb any excess shine–like Differin Oil Absorbing Moisturizer, the winner for Best Moisturizer in Seventeen's 2019 Beauty Awards. "Differin Oil Absorbing Moisturizer contains Micropearl technology to absorb surface oil for a matte finish," Dr. Levin says.
Invest in a cotton face mask
Yep, maskne is *actually* a real thing. The combination of sweat, germs, and the rubbing of your mask causes a very specific type of breakout, called acne mechanica. There are a bunch of ways to treat and prevent it (read up on those here), but the easiest is to switch to a breathable face mask made of natural fibers, like cotton or linen.
Wash off ALL your cleanser
Leftover cleanser equals leftover dirt and oil. Rinse with tepid water (hot water dries out your skin and cold water closes your pores) until skin feels clean and smooth and no longer slippery or soapy. If you're looking for a cleanser for any and EVERY kind of breakout, click here.
Be gentle on your skin
Scrubbing too hard leaves skin rough and red. Don't fight with your face. Skip harsh scrubs and even washcloths, which can be too rough on your face and can cause irritation, which in turn, can make you more susceptible to breakouts. If you use your hands, be sure they're clean, or you'll transfer acne-causing dirt and oil right back onto your face.
Don't skip your morning wash
Hairstyling products get absorbed by your pillowcase then transfer to your skin — if it's not cleared away in the am, it'll clog your pores all day long. For your before-school wash, try something brightening that'll help wake up your skin. If you have a hard time getting up in the morning, a cooling face wash can help you really look alive. Test out the Bioré Blemish-Fighting Ice Cleanser. It literally cools your skin as it cleans.
Suds up your cleanser in your hands first
This sounds pointless, but it actually helps to activate the pimple-fighting ingredients within the face wash formula. A quick suds makes them more effective when applied to your face.
You need to clean your phone, too
If you're seeing pimples on your cheeks or anywhere near the area where you hold your phone, they may be from your phone. Since it's always in your hand, your phone picks up lots of bacteria, which can then get transferred to your face when you make a phone call. Wipe your screen with an antibacterial wipe often to get rid of germs.
Stop touching your face
You know how you rest your chin on your hand when you're sitting in class? That might be the reason for those blemishes on your cheek or jaw. You're constantly touching things that have germs and bacteria — anything from your phone to your locker — so, putting your hands on your face transfers all of that onto your skin.
Shower after exercise or heavy sweating
As sweat and natural oils collect on your skin during a workout, getting trapped in your athletic gear, bacteria can form and create skin inflammation and breakouts. To prevent this from happening, you'll want to shower right after you hit the gym or any time you break a serious sweat.
"If you don’t have time to shower, keep a stash of salicylic acid wipes in your bag to wipe off your back, your chest, and your face," Dr. Saedi says.
Exfoliate regularly
The trick is to remove the layers of dead skin cells and dirt that are blocking your pores — and your skin's natural glow. Products with alpha-hydroxy and lactic acids exfoliate gently to make you look radiant.
Consider a cleansing brush
Let's be real, you just can't clean inside of teeny tiny pores with your fingers. An exfoliating brush has tiny bristles that can actually get inside to work the grime out of your skin. Trust me, use this thoroughly on your entire face every day and you'll notice a change in your skin within the week.
Don't over-wash
"People think that it is helpful to get their skin clear and you can prevent acne. When you over-wash your face you're actually stripping too much of the natural oil from your skin. Your body starts to overcompensate, and you can get oilier skin and you can irritate your acne!" Dr. Saedi says.
If your skin still feels oily, instead of washing again (which can make your skin produce even more oil), try an astringent after cleansing.
Wash, then exfoliate
When washing, first use a mild face wash to cleanse your skin. Then, lightly massage exfoliator onto your face. This may seem redundant, but before you exfoliate, you want a clean canvas, so that the exfoliant can focus on digging out the stubborn dirt and oil that are stuck deeper inside your pores.
For a great double-duty exfoliator, opt for Peter Thomas Roth's Acne Face & Body Scrub. It's an ultra-gentle yet effective acne scrub that cleanses, treats, and exfoliates the face and body with one percent salicylic acid.
Change your pillowcase
Not changing your pillowcases enough can also cause your skin to break out. Even if you wash your face every night, your pillowcases carry dirt and sweat from your hair, hands, and build-up from the products you use on your face at night. It's a good idea to change it every few days.
Beware of bangs
All that extra hairspray on your bangs could be the cause of those annoying pimples on your forehead and along your hairline. After applying hair products, swipe a cleansing wipe across your face, and try to keep hair products away from your hairline. In addition to your face, hair products can cause bacne, too. Use a mild body wash (or an acne body wash) after washing and rinsing hair to help keep body acne in check.
Try the 3-step solution
If you have acne, dermatologists recommend fighting it with a three-step regimen: a salicylic acid cleanser, a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment, and a daily moisturizer.
Salicylic acid dries out the skin and helps exfoliate it to make dead skin cells fall away faster. It's good for mild cases of acne, and is available without a prescription. Many drugstore acne creams, washes, and gels contain salicylic acid, but stronger versions are also available in prescription form. It can dry up your skin and cause redness and peeling.
Benzoyl peroxide works by fighting the bacteria that causes acne. It has an exfoliating effect that might cause some slight peeling and can dry out your skin. It's great for mild cases of acne, and you can get it without a prescription — many drugstore acne washes, creams and gels contain benzoyl peroxide. Prescriptions creams that contain higher doses of benzoyl peroxides can also be prescribed by a doctor for more severe cases.
Ask your doctor about cortisone injections
If you wake up the day before school starts with a big honking zit, your doc may be able to help. If you can swing it, Dr. Levin says your best bet is to head to the dermatologist for a cortisone injection.
It's quick, with minimal discomfort, and will zap your zit almost immediately. This isn't an easy or cheap option, obviously, but when it's an emergency — like, you have a huge whitehead on the tip of your nose the day before senior portraits — it might be worth it.
Cut down your skincare routine
Too many products can irritate and too many steps may tempt you to skip. When it comes to your skin, more is definitely NOT more. In other words, trying a bunch of different remedies at once won't boost your chances of making the zit disappear — more likely, it'll just wreak havoc on your skin and turn a teeny-tiny pimple into a red, blotchy mess.
Seriously, DON'T POP THAT ZIT
Popping can cause infections, making the situation worse. Instead, dab a sulfur treatment on problem areas morning and night. It brings down swelling until your zit disappears.
Be careful not to dry out your skin
Benzoyl peroxide products are great at fighting pimples, but can be drying to your skin, so only use them once a day at most. If that seems to be drying out or irritating your skin, switch out your cleanser for a gentle formula. Salicylic acid (in creams, gels, astringents, or masks) dries less than benzoyl peroxide, so it can be used with more drying cleansers, which might make it a better option if benzoyl peroxide isn't working for you.
Cover that bad boy up
Yep, we're talking about pimple patches. "If you're unable to get into a dermatologist for a cortisone injection then I recommend specialized hydrocolloid acne patch called ZitSticka which is a 24 freeze-dried microdarts bandage that self dissolves over two hours to deliver acne-fighting ingredients," explained Dr. Levin.
"It contains oligopeptide-76, a new anti-inflammatory ingredient that's like a gentler benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, niacinamide (which helps with anti-redness), and moisturizing hyaluronic acid," Dr. Levin said.
Try a face wash with Benzoyl Peroxide
If you tend to break out on the reg, avoid flare-ups by using a benzoyl peroxide face wash, or by applying a thin layer of a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to your whole face before bed. Dr. Levin recommends Differin Daily Deep Facial Cleanser for a cleanse that's soft on skin, but hits acne hard.
"I love this gentle yet effective benzoyl peroxide facial cleanser (for the face and body)," she told Seventeen. "Benzoyl peroxide effectively treats inflammatory acne because it reduces the factors that can cause inflammation – the overload of P. Acnes bacteria."
Do NOT use toothpaste as a spot treatment
This "trick" of getting rid of a stubborn pimple ends right here, right now. Toothpaste is formulated for your teeth, not the delicate surface of your face. So, while the ingredients and strength of chemicals in toothpaste are safe to use on your pearly whites, they are most likely way too strong for your skin. Fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, and flavoring agents all found in a toothpaste tube "can cause a lot of irritation" and "potentially make your acne worse," says Dr. Saedi.
Wash your makeup brushes
Make sure to wash your makeup brushes regularly with brush cleanser or baby shampoo. If you use makeup sponges, wash those too. These tools can accumulate bacteria, which can lead to breakouts. Dirty brushes can make the most expensive skincare routines go to waste.
Here's how to properly wash your face brushes.
Be consistent with your treatment
If you want great skin, care for it each day. Sporadic care won't do it. And don't expect any overnight miracles. It takes time for skin-clearing ingredients to kick in. "If you have acne-prone skin or an active breakout, it can take 6-8 weeks to see a noticeable improvement and 3-4 months to clear things up completely," Dr. Saedi says.
Starting a skincare routine now will give you plenty of time for your skin to adjust by the time you prom, graduation, or the start of school comes around.
Ask your doctor about laser treatments
If your over-the-counter acne treatments aren't cutting in, it may be time to ask your doctor about laser treatment. Laser technology can help clear skin by A) reducing sebum (aka naturally produced oils that can clog pores) B) getting rid of inflammation from small blood vessels and C) destroying acne-causing bacteria on the face.
"Aerolase is a device that has been shown to be effective for active acne and to help with acne blemishes. Patients need about four to six treatments in monthly intervals," Dr. Saedi says.
"The newest laser treatment, AviClear, [is] specifically designed to target acne. It uses a new energy wavelength that specifically targets the sebaceous gland — the oil-making gland," she adds, "It is the only FDA-cleared device to treat acne."
Get loooots of sleep
Re-watching Stranger Things until 3 am is not healthy for you or your skin. Not sleeping enough can make your hormones get out of whack and raise your body's stress levels, which can make you break out. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep to look and feel your best.
Wear sunscreen (yes, even indoors)
Sunscreen isn't just for summer — your skin needs protection every day, even in winter (and even indoors). There are now sunscreens for every skin type imaginable — even ones that help make your skin less oily, so your face stays matte and pimple-free.
Look for sunscreen or daily moisturizer with SPF that says it's "lightweight," "oil-free," or "oil-controlling." For the highest level, look for a PA++ rating; it covers both UVA and UVB rays, so you're guarded against everything from burns to future wrinkles!
If you're looking for a foundation that does triple duty (offers great coverage, has SPF protection, and treats your acne), Dr. Levin has found the perfect one. "IT cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream [is a] great oil-free matte foundation that combines hyaluronic acid and tea tree oil with SPF 40 for sun protection," she says.
Avoid sharing makeup products, applicators, and brushes with your friends
While acne isn't contagious, you can wind up giving yourself pimples if you use a product that has touched someone else's skin. "Acne-causing bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells from other people can wind up [getting into] your makeup," Dr. Saedi says. From it can be transferred onto your skin, enter your pores, and cause a break out.
Look into birth control
Birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone have been shown to lower the amount of androgens in your body (a group of hormones that causes your body to produce sebum; excess sebum triggers acne) and therefore, are sometimes prescribed to help treat hormonal acne.
It can take a few months to see results and initially your acne may get worse. There are risks associated with taking birth control pills, and some types can actually make your acne worse. Talk to your doctor to see if taking birth control pills will help the kind of acne you have.
Carry oil-absorbing sheets in your bag
Use them to blot away any shine that pops up while you're out and about. This will help to keep oil from sitting on your skin and clogging your pores.
Ask your doc about antibiotics
If over-the-counter treatments aren't cutting it, consult a dermatologist. Oral antibiotics are usually used for moderate to severe acne, especially on the back or chest, and kill bacteria in your skin pores. The ones most commonly used are tetracycline and erythromycin.
Like all antibiotics, they can cause yeast infections as well as more severe side effects and can interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills. They can also cause increased sun sensitivity, so you'll need to be extra careful when going outside and use SPF daily.
For more extreme cases, your doctor may suggest Isotretinoin (Accutane), which is used in moderate to severe cases of acne when nothing else works but can have more extreme side effects.
Always pat your face dry
It seems like such a tiny thing, but skin is very delicate – especially on your face. Gently pat it dry after cleansing, instead of harshly rubbing.
Dermatologists are there to help
At-home treatment not working? See a dermatologist. A few appointments to set up a regimen, plus, check-ins every three to six months may get you in the clear.
Follow Kristin on Instagram and her blog.
Follow Abby on Instagram and TikTok.
You Might Also Like
