Few things are quite as frustrating as waking up with breakouts or being unable to tackle stubborn pimples—so finding the best acne treatment is key. Whether you’ve been combating acne since your teenage years or only started breaking out as an adult, the quest to find the right product is always daunting. Ahead, we deep dive into your burning acne questions—from how to treat it to diminishing leftover scarring—plus, the best products to use according to dermatologists and Vogue editors.
Best Acne Treatments
- Best Serum: Skinceuticals Silymarin CF, $182
- Best Toner: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, $34
- Best Face Wash: Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser, $15
- Best Body Acne Treatment: CeraVe SA Body Wash for Rough & Bumpy Skin, $13
- Best Spot Treatment: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, $17
- Best Pimple Patch: Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original, $11
- Best Face Mask: Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask, $52
- Best LED Light Therapy Device: Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, $455
Best Light Therapy Tools for Acne
The best beauty tools are known to amplify even the most thorough skin-care regimens. That said, LED light therapy is often the blemish-fighting treatment recommended by our network of experts. Take a new approach to masking with the Dr. Dennis Gross LED device to combat blemishes by destroying acne-causing bacteria through an at-home blue light treatment known to kill acne-causing bacteria. Otherwise, the Solawave wand combines four treatments into one (red light therapy, micro-current technology, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth) to fade blemishes, increase absorption of skin-care ingredients, and promote a youthful complexion.
Dr. Dennis Gross
DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro LED Light Therapy Device
A powerful LED Light Therapy Device that uses a combination of blue and red LED lights to enhance collagen production, reduce discoloration, and tackle acne for a radiant complexion every time. It's no wonder celebrities like Rita Ora and Lucy Hale have been spotted using the device.
Solawave
Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand
Don’t have room for yet another bulky skincare device that eventually collects dust underneath your bed? This portable skincare wand is compact enough to take with you and use on the go, enhancing the skin with red light therapy, galvanic currents, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth.
Best Face Wash for Acne
“If you notice that your skin is acne-prone, it can feel good to double cleanse because it helps degrease the skin,” says dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, who recommends starting with Bioderma’s micellar water, then cleansing with Skinfix’s foaming cleanser—both options, she notes, are gentle enough not to damage the skin barrier. Dr. Corey L. Hartman, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama, likes the CeraVe Foaming Cream Cleanser, especially for those with sensitive skin, and the SkinCeuticals LHA Cleanser Gel, which is formulated with a co*cktail of acids to “treat acne and prevent aging.” Meanwhile, dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu recommends the Avène Cleansing Foam for those with acne-prone, dry, sensitive skin, and the Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser for normal to oily skin types because it “contains salicylic acid to fight blackheads and congestion, along with panthenol to soothe skin and help prevent irritation.”
CeraVe
Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
An acne foaming cream from CeraVe that epitomizes simplicity at its finest. It's readily available at every drugstore on the market and owes its effectiveness to a blend of ingredients, including 4% benzoyl peroxide, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide.
LHA Cleanser Gel
You can always rely on SkinCeuticals for their top-tier formulations, and this cleansing gel is no exception, brimming with lipo-hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, glycerin, and sorbitol. Your breakouts never stood a fair chance.
Avène
Cleansing Foam
Removing makeup, dirt, pollution, and the aftermath of a busy day from your skin can be a challenge. Fortunately, this Avene cleansing foam takes care of it all for you, providing a thorough cleanse with Avene thermal spring water, non-sulfated surfactants, glycerin, and diglycerin.
Paula's Choice
Clear Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser
If your regular cleanser isn't doing enough to combat your breakouts, it might be time to consider switching to an acne cleanser. We love this one from Paula's Choice because it's gentle enough for daily use.
Best Toner for Acne
Post-cleanse, look for a toner or exfoliating solution to further unclog congested pores, wipe away dead skin, and remove impurities. Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is one of the most recommended products, and Green says it’s gentle enough for daily use. “This product gently exfoliates the skin, breaking down sebum and debris that are clogging the pores to reveal a smoother, healthier complexion,” she explains. La Roche-Posay’s toner, too, leads with salicylic acid—working alongside glycolic acid to unclog pores and smooth bumpy skin.
Paula's Choice
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
And the Oscar goes to Paula's Choice for yet another skincare essential we can't get enough of. This leave-on exfoliator contains 2% salicylic acid, which helps exfoliate away dead skin cells, unclogs pores, and hydrates and soothes irritated skin.
La Roche-Posay
Effaclar Clarifying Solution
The solution for you (pun intended) is this exfoliating acne toner from La Roche-Posay, formulated with salicylic acid and glycolic acid to help clear out pore-clogging debris and oils while improving skin texture.
Best Serum for Acne
If you’re interested in adding an acne-treating serum or moisturizer to your regimen, consider starting with The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%—a notably affordable option that’s recommended by several of our experts. “[Niacinamide] has a calming and brightening effect on the skin, helping to improve overall tone and texture while reducing breakouts and controlling excess sebum and oil production,” says Green, who notes that those with oily skin or breakouts will benefit from the healing, anti-inflammatory properties of this serum.
To treat blackheads and whiteheads, Bowe likes the SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF—an oil-free vitamin-C serum that can also help reduce signs of aging. Otherwise, perhaps try iS Clinical’s, which is a healing serum chock full of inflammation- and blemish-quelling ingredients from zinc sulfate to kojic acid, or the Caudalie Vinopure serum that features a blend of 100% natural salicylic acid and niacinamide to address enlarged pores and breakouts.
The Ordinary
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
While the name is quite self-explanatory, as are most of The Ordinary's products, not everyone is aware that the combination of niacinamide and zinc brightens the skin, improves texture, and strengthens the skin barrier.
Silymarin CF
For those with oily and breakout-prone skin, might we suggest SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF? It's a potent blend of antioxidants and acids, including 15% L-ascorbic acid, 0.5% silymarin, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 0.5% salicylic acid that reduces excess oiliness, enhances skin texture, and diminishes the appearance of fine lines.
iS Clinical
Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus
A water-based serum, powered by 15% time-released L-ascorbic acid, designed to deliver antioxidant protection and alleviate skin irritations, including rosacea, cystic acne, and scarring.
Caudalie
Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Serum
An editor-approved lightweight serum that harnesses the power of natural salicylic acid, grapeseed antioxidants, and essential oils to minimize pores, control excess oil, and address blemishes in their tracks.
Best Acne Treatments
The Differin gel that many of us may have been prescribed to treat pubescent acne may still be worth a place in your acne-fighting routine. According to Wu, “This over-the-counter retinoid gets deep into the pores to help dissolve blackheads. It’s strong and can cause sun sensitivity, so only use it at night and be sure to use SPF.” For other topical daily acne treatments, consider La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel, which regulates cell turnover to prevent dead skin from clogging your pores.
Differin
Acne Treatment Gel
You may have seen this viral gel all over your feeds, and for a good reason. It's an FDA-approved retinoid that utilizes adapalene to treat acne at its source and prevent new acne from forming, all without the need for a trip to the dermatologist.
La Roche-Posay
Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid for Acne
Kiss blackheads, whiteheads, acne blemishes and clogged pores goodbye with this prescription-strength topical retinoid gel containing 0.1% of adapalene.
Best Acne Spot Treatment
A spot treatment is a savior targeted acne treatment—meaning you don’t feel the pressure to cover your entire face in blemish-soothing ingredients. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King also recommends Acne Free’s Terminator 10 Acne Spot Treatment because it contains “calming anti-inflammatory ingredients [that] are helpful to decrease the inflammation in the active pimple.” Then there are classics like Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion, which uses a potent blend of sulfur, salicylic acid, zinc oxide, and calamine to calm zits overnight.
Acne Free
Terminator 10 Acne Spot Treatment with Benzoyl Peroxide 10%
An affordable spot treatment containing 10% micronized benzoyl peroxide to swiftly clear up acne.
Mario Badescu
Drying Lotion
All you need is a drop of this salicylic-acid infused drying lotion (and a Q-tip) to effectively dry up surface blemishes overnight.
Starface
Hydro-Stars Hydrocolloid Pimple Patches
While you could go the basic translucent pimple patch route, there's now room to have more fun with acne, a la Starface. With so many cute designs to choose from, you'll forget that the hydrocolloid pimple patch is also helping you heal acne quickly.
Kiehl's
Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Pimple Patch
An invisible pimple patch formulated with 2% salicylic acid to visibly reduce pimple size, color, and marks. Because it's in liquid form, it's perfect for days when you'd rather not draw any extra attention to yourself.
Best Pimple Patch
Pimple patches are an easy and effective acne solution. Just pop on one of the stickers to suck excess buildup from blemishes in, oftentimes, a few hours. These options by Hero Cosmetics and Cosrx are enriched with hydrocolloid gel to absorb the oil from within. Treatment aside, covering a rogue zit with a sticker means you’re less likely to pop it yourself.
Hero Cosmetics
Mighty Patch Original
Simply apply a Mighty Patch before bedtime and watch the hydrocolloid sticker improve the appearance of pimples overnight. They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing!
CosRx
Master Patch Original Fit Blemish Cover
A waterproof hydrocolloid patch that comes in three sizes per pack to heal blemishes, deter you from popping them, and prevent future breakouts.
Best Face Mask for Acne
A good face mask is necessary for any self-care night or a skin refresh, so why not use one that has acne-fighting benefits too? According to Hartman, “Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial is used as a mask and is great for all skin types. It boasts a blend of AHAs (glycolic, tartaric, lactic, and citric acids) and increases cell turnover. The BHA, salicylic acid, unclogs pores for an overall non-irritating exfoliation with maximum hydration.”
Otherwise, consider the Peter Thomas Roth mask, which is infused with sulfur and kaolin clay to absorb excess oil and prevent future breakouts,. Then there’s the well-loved Kiehl’s pore-minimizing mask, which is also formulated with clay to help minimize pores and blackheads. Omorovicza’s formula delivers a luxe approach to face masking; its blend of colloidal silver, salicylic, and glycolic acids, offers antibacterial and healing benefits, especially to acne-prone skin types. Reviewers say it rivals professional results.
Drunk Elephant
T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial AHA + BHA Mask
Now, this is the good stuff — an editor-favorite mask enriched with a 25% AHA and 2% BHA blend of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids to leave your skin baby soft and smooth.
Kiehl's
Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Cleansing Clay Mask
An at-home spa-worthy treatment, this purifying clay face mask uses Amazonian white clay to reduce the appearance of pores and blackheads.
Peter Thomas Roth
Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask
Sulfur is a tried and true medicine cabinet staple when it comes to acne. And thanks to Peter Thomas Roth’s Therapeutic Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask, you can now use 10% sulfur to clear up and help prevent acne, all without the foul egg scent.
Omorovicza
Silver Skin Saviour
A nourishing treatment that harnesses the power of colloidal silver and niacinamide to address clogged pores and breakouts.
Best Body Acne Treatments
Of course, acne is not reserved for the face. Our experts recommend products packed with salicylic acid to treat the skin. While Wu likes the Versed body mist to treat the back, buttocks, arms, and chest, other dermatologists look to body washes like CeraVe’s SA. Otherwise, Kosas Good Body Skin gently exfoliates, brightens, and soothes with the help of an AHA blend, fruit enzymes, and allantoin.
CeraVe
SA Body Wash for Rough & Bumpy Skin
A gentle, non-irritating body wash, formulated with our favorite ingredient, salicylic acid, ideal for individuals dealing with rough and bumpy skin.
Kosas
Good Body Skin AHA + Enzyme Exfoliating Body Wash
There's your standard body wash (gentle, pleasant fragrance), and then there's Kosas's exfoliating body wash, specially formulated with AHA's and enzymes to help prevent body acne.
Versed
Back-Up Plan Acne-Control Body Mist
A few spritzes of this daily mist, packed with 2% salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and witch hazel, and you'll never have to worry about body-acne again.
Acne Free
Blackhead Removing Scrub with Charcoal
Baby got (no) bacne, thanks to Acne Free Blackhead Removing Scrub with Charcoal. Add it to your daily wash routine for best results.
Best Acne Scar Treatment
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kseniya Kobets suggests using a topical retinoid available over-the-counter, including adapalene, as well as numerous cosmeceuticals containing retinol as the primary ingredient in serum or cream form. Overall, topical retinoids gently exfoliate the skin while gradually building collagen, which can help improve the appearance of acne scars where collagen was destroyed by inflammation.
