It’s almost as if the universe knows when I’ve got a cheeky date or an important event coming up because the morning of, without fail, I always seem to wake up with a random breakout. Of course, this week, it wasn’t only chance at play and that fat Mount Everest looking boulder on my chin might’ve had something to do with the 600 chocolate Easter bunnies I straight-up demolished in the span of the last three days.
If you’ve wound up in a similar situation, and are struggling with every ounce of your willpower not to squeeze it, touch it or just all-around fuck it up further, then we’ve got your fix. Why? Yesterday, I turned to my brain’s trust (my friends) who came up with some ace acne treatment recommendations that actually ~gasp~ work for them. Because I’m a kind and giving person, I put them in an article for you in case you also have a random pimple and no energy to cry over it right now.
Peace Out Skincare Acne Healing Dots, $55
Can confirm, that this is top of the list because I tried them and they worked SO WELL. You just peel off the little circle, place it over your pimple and the magic happens overnight. Sure, it’s just a targeted hit of salicylic acid, not actual magic, but overnight my pimple was a LOT calmer and not a big red angry boil when I woke up. 10/10, would use it again.
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer, $21
My mate recommended this, which she swears by because not only does it dry out those gross wet-looking spots you get, but because it’s tinted it covers it up too. I don’t know about you but I hate chucking on layers of pimple cream and concealer on because it feels like the latter cancels out the former. With this little gem the two products work together. Synergy, we love to see it.
Indie Lee Overnight Banish Gel, $23
This is a good overnight option if you spy a nasty looking crater on your face before bed. It has kaolin clay and bentonite clay in it (as well as noted pimple predator salicylic acid) and for some reason, the idea of clay is just so deeply purifying to me, so I’m a sucker for anything with clay as an active ingredient.
Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment, $63
I feel like toners have their moments and then go out of fashion, and they’re having a bit of a moment again right now. This one is aimed at minimising pores and controlling oil with lactic and salicylic acid and again, does the hard yards for you while you sleep. I haven’t tried it yet, but my colleague says it has a v. satisfying tingling feeling once you use it so you know it’s really doing the work.
Sephora Collection Clarifying Peel Pads, $24
This is a reco from me because I love Sephora’s home brand of skincare. As soon as I saw old mate the pimple rear its very ugly head this week I started using these every morning and I credit them for me not getting pimples anywhere else on my face. They just leave it so squeaky clean, which I’m told is because of the glycolic acid which is all about smoothing and exfoliating.
I know I was already going on about clay earlier but nothing feels as good when you have a breakout than slathering a big thick clay mask all over your face and this one from Zoe Foster Blake’s skincare brand Go-To is an MVP. I like it because it doesn’t dry my skin out – a delicate balance to strike when you’re trying to nuke all your zits.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, $25
Most people I surveyed came back with this one, a cult classic and absolute must-have in your pimple-fighting arsenal. This product does what it says on the tin (or bottle, in this case). It’s a targeted solution that will suck all the gross moisture out of your pimple. Not something you wanna wear out and about necessarily, since it kind of looks like calamine lotion spots all over your face, but it works.
Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil, from $60
Okay hear me out here: I know putting an oil on your oily, breaking out face seems counterproductive but this one will not clog your pores and create a pimple army, according to my friend who LOVES this shit. For starters it’s a dry oil so doesn’t really go on all slick anyway. It also contains our fave salicylic acid as well as noted acne busters tea tree and liquorice. It will bring down your redness and help prevent future breakouts.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum, $59.95
While this bad boy isn’t an overnight miracle worker, take solace in the fact it’s jam-packed with glycolic and salicylic acid used to help refine and unclog pores, as well as a hydrating shot of niacinamide. All you have to do is chuck it on of a night and this serum will work to micro-exfoliate the skin and flush out dead skin cells. Over time, it’s designed to improve the appearance of blemishes and reduce the frequency of ya breakouts. Fuckin’ win-win, amirite?
I’m always sceptical of products that are called something along the lines of “blemish fix” or “pimple eraser”. That’s because when I was 15, standing in the bathroom simply begging for one of those little bottles to clear my entire face of hormonal, teenage acne, it never worked. Now that I’m an adult, and I realise these products are for those mini breakouts, I’m happy to add them back on my radar. This particular one by Verso has been going around a bunch of my social circles thanks to how good it is.
Made with retinol and niacinamide, this lil’ bottle has been developed to prevent and control breakouts, unclog pores, diminish excess oil production and reduce inflammation to fight those unwelcome visitors. Thank us later.
