The Best Acne Products to Clear Your Skin - Skincare for Pimples

These cleansers, serums, and moisturizers were made to fight acne.

By
Lauren Hubbard and Katie Intner

Oct 29, 2020

Jennifer Algoo

Whether you’re dealing with regular breakouts or the occasional errant zit, when a blemish turns up, you want it gone fast. Here we’ve rounded up some of the best products for making that happen, as well as keeping new breakouts at bay in the future.

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Elta MD

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Cleanse

If your skin is both sensitive and acne-prone, Elta MD’s foaming cleanser will deep-clean without leaving the skin feeling stripped and tight (thanks to ph-balancing properties). Just one pump of this cleanser, which uses enzymes found in pineapple to reduce inflammation and slough away dead skin cells, works for the entire face.

EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser, $27.50, dermstore.com.

SHOP

Maelove

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Cleanse

Give your skin a refreshing boost with Maelove’s face wash, which contains a blend of AHAs (lactic, tartaric, malic) to gently rid sebum and natural mint oil for a cooling treat. Plus, you can use it both morning and evening—it’s that gentle.

Maelove The Refresher, $18.95, maelove.com.

SHOP

Neogen

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Cleanse

Use this foaming clay cleanser (carbonated water and kaolin clay work together to create a refreshing lather) twice a week to exfoliate away excess sebum and buildup, or every day to prevent blackheads and completely remove makeup.

Neogen Canadian Clay Pore Cleanser, $27, sokoglam.com.

SHOP

Courtesy

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Cleanse

Acne starts with blocked pores, so the key to ripping acne in the bud is clearing away dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that can stop up your follicles. This version uses salicylic acid to gently exfoliate without irritating any breakouts you might already have.

PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide, $10, target.com. SHOP

Courtesy

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Exfoliate

Acne starts with blocked pores, so the key to nipping acne in the bud is clearing away dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that can stop up your follicles. This version uses salicylic acid to gently exfoliate without irritating any breakouts you might already have.

Clean & Clear Acne Triple Clear Exfoliating Facial Scrub, $7, target.com. SHOP

Courtesy: Sunday Riley

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Moisturize

Oil may seem like the last thing you want to add to acne-prone skin, but this blend includes pore-clearing salicylic acid as well as acne busters like tea tree, neem, and black cumin seed oils.

Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil, $80, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Paula’s Choice

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Moisturize

This light lotion keeps fighting bacteria all day while calming redness and dry skin with allantoin.

Paula’s Choice Clear Daily Skin Clearing Treatment, $18, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Perricone MD

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Moisturize

Short on time? Opt for this 2-in-1 cream, which boasts retinol to get rid of excess oil and heal breakouts and citrulline to hydrate and protect the skin.

Perricone MD Acne Relief Retinol Treatment & Moisturizer, $45, ulta.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Tata Harper

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Moisturize

Heavy-duty acne treatments can leave skin dry, but this moisturizer replaces all of that lost hydration without leaving behind an oil-slick on your face.

Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer, $105, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Kate Somerville

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Spot Treat

Wipe out red spots with pink ones: dab this rosy treatment onto blemishes at night and wake up with noticeably smaller pimples, thanks to oil-eliminating sulfur.

Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment, $26, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Kiehl’s

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Spot Treat

Studies have found that if you have one zit showing, odds are there are others lurking under the skin, just waiting for their moment. Instead of spreading this exfoliating spot treatment onto just your problem area, blend it out to the surrounding skin to banish new blemishes too.

Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment, $18, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Payot

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Spot Treatment

Drying spot treatments can lead to even more inflammation and acne. But Payot’s Drying and Purifying Gel has calming ingredients (think tea tree and melaleuca oil) to combat irritation, while five types of salicylic acid to prevent breakouts.

Payot Drying and Purifying Gel, $21, us.payot.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: La Roche-Posay

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Spot Treat

Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide team up to one-two punch acne-causing bacteria and pore blocking gunk in this treatment.

La Roche-Posay Effeclar Duo, $37, ulta.com.

SHOP

Starface

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Sport Treatment

Draw out the oil and moisture that keeps pimples swollen by using a hydrocolloid patch. Starface’s star-shaped patches are meant to be seen and come in a cute refillable case.

Starface Hydro-Stars, $14.99 for 32 patches, target.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Clinique

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Mask

Clay, like the kind found in this fragrance-free mask, is a classic for absorbing the excess oil that can contribute to acne.

Clinique Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask, $25, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Glamglow

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Mask

A combination of activated charcoal, clay, and exfoliating acids makes this mask a pore-clearing wonder.

Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment, $69, nordstrom.com.

SHOP

ZitSticka

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Mask

Sheet masks are typically associated with moisturizing and restoring benefits. But this sheet mask combines three types of acids (salicylic, glycolic, and lactic) with Vitamin A (aka retinoid) to knock out breakouts, while fading dark spots and calming the skin with Niacinamide.

ZitSticka Press Refresh sheet mask, $36 for 5, zitsticka.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Peter Thomas Roth

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Mask

The mild antimicrobial properties of sulfur push back against the bacteria that causes acne, making it a good choice for people whose skin doesn’t respond well to ingredients like benzoyl peroxide.

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque, $47, sephora.com.

SHOP

Kinship

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Mask

When you feel like treating yourself, reach for this Kinship mask, which is reminiscent of mint chip ice cream. While lactic acid exfoliates, bentonite and kaolin clay unclogs pores. But this mint mask won’t make your skin feel taut: moringa leaves the skin feeling plump and refreshed.

Kinship Mint Mud Deep Pore Detox Mask, $23, lovekinship.com.

SHOP

Kinship

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Prevent

This gel treatment uses two different acids (salicylic and mandelic) to reduce excess oil production and fade dark spots for brighter and clearer skin.

PCA Skin Acne Gel, $50, dermstore.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Roc

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Prevent

The blockages that lead to acne are often the fault of dead skin cells failing to be replaced by new ones in a timely fashion. Retinol, famous for its anti-aging abilities, happens to be excellent at boosting cell turnover, which makes it perfect step in maintaining an acne-free complexion.

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $25, ulta.com.

SHOP

Courtesy: Differin

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Prevent

This longtime pharmacy favorite was approved by the FDA for over the counter use to treat acne, which makes working a retinoid into your routine easier than ever.

Differin Gel, $29, ulta.com.

SHOP

Courtesy

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Treat

As if acne wasn’t bad enough, some zits leave little reminders behind in the form of dark spots that linger for weeks. Combat that hyperpigmentation from healing blemishes with a brightening vitamin C serum.

Dermadoctor Kakadu C 20% Vitamin C Serum with Ferulic Acid & Vitamin E, $95, ulta.com. SHOP

Peace Out

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Treat

Prevent and treat your acne in one step with Peace Out Acne Serum. This powerful cocktail of salicylic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, and zinc knocks out existing and future blemishes, soothes inflamed skin, evens tone, and controls oil.

Peace Out Acne Treatment Serum, $34, sephora.com.

SHOP

Neutrogena

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Treat

While you get your beauty rest, this nighttime retinol serum speeds up cell turnover to make dark spots and marks from previous breakouts less visible, while also preventing future ones.

Neutrogena Stubborn Marks PM Treatment, $17.99, ulta.com

SHOP

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Lauren Hubbard
Writer
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.

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