In this post:
- Living with acne
- What causes acne?
- Acne products that work
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Living with acne
Acne has been the bane of my existence for so many years. I’ve spent hundreds (if not thousands by this point) on various acne treatments and makeup to cover up acne. I’ve spent countless hours trying home remedies for acne and researching best acne medicines, and missed out on so much in life all because of acne. So many people think acne is limited to just teens. Not so! Acne can affect anyone at any age.
The worst period of my acne was in college. I can still remember when a guy asked me out on a date on a “good” day, where I had managed to reduce the redness and cover up the worst spots. I was so excited that someone actually liked me and could think I was attractive. That night when I got home from classes and took off my makeup, I really thought things might be looking up. The next morning after another severe breakout appeared on my skin though, I canceled the date for that night. How could anyone want to spend time with someone who looked as awful as me? I would think to myself.
I missed out on a lot of fun during college, choosing instead to hole up in the library to study, or stay in my room. I missed out on dozens of parties and get-togethers, all because I was too ashamed to let others see me. I went on extreme diets to see if there were certain foods that caused it. Nothing worked, and I was border-line depressed as a result.
Since college, I’ve finally managed to get my skin under control, after trying countless products, methods, diets, and tools. I’m here to tell you there is hope for you if you’re battling acne, as well. It may take some time to find the right balance and routine of products, but acne can be treated.
What causes acne?
First things first: what are the causes of acne? Acne surfaces when the pores of your skin are blocked with dead skin, bacteria, or oil. Your skin has millions of pores, and each pore is the opening of a follicle. Each follicle is made up of a hair and a sebaceous oil gland. This gland releases sebum (oil), which can travel up the hair follicle, out of the pore, and onto the surface of your skin. Sebum is what keeps your skin moisturized. However, the moisture that sebum provides also presents problems, particularly when:
- The follicles overproduce oil
- Bacteria builds up in the pore(s),
- Dead skin cells build up in the pore(s).
These issues are all conducive to the development of acne. The zit, or pimple, you see on your skin occurs when bacteria proliferates in a clogged pore, and the oil cannot escape. The result? A not so pretty landscape of zits.
With all the options out there, you may be wondering how to treat acne, and which course is best. Unfortunately when it comes to treating acne, nothing works overnight (bummer, I know). However, the products I’m going to tell you about are tried-and-true, effective, quick remedies for acne, and will significantly reduce your acne overnight, or at the very least, reduce redness from acne, calm acne inflammation, and diminish the size of your acne.
Acne products that work
For removing makeup and cleansing at the end of the day, use a Chemical Free Cleansing Towel. Completely cleansing your skin is key to effectively treating your acne. When I got this soft cloth as a gift, I was super skeptical about it working, especially since it claimed to remove even waterproof mascara! This washable, reusable towel wipes away ALL your makeup, with or without face wash.
Cleansers: Biore’s Charcoal Acne Clearing Wash and Clean and Clear’s Deep Action Cream Facial Cleanser. If I need to treat my acne a little more strongly, I’ll use an OTC acne treatment wash. While there is a range of super strong acne washes out there with high concentrations of benzoyl peroxide (e.g., Panoxyl or Oxy), I find that these only irritate my skin more and exacerbate my existing acne. Consequently, I opt for a lower strength wash that treats inflammatory acne, calms my skin, and doesn’t dry it out. My favorites are Biore’s Charcoal Acne Clearing Wash (feels great, non-drying, and leaves you feeling super clean), and Clean and Clear’s Deep Action Cream Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. Clean and Clear is one of my favorite brands, particularly this creamy wash as it rinses away dirt and excess oil, but leaves your skin hydrated.
Toners: Clean And Clear’s Essentials Deep Cleaning Toner for Sensitive Skin and Neutrogena’s Acne Stress Control Triple Action Toner. 
It’s important to use a toner both selectively and sparingly. I used to use toner every day on my face, but found that it led to dry patches of skin that made my eczema worse (sounds super fun, huh?). Nowadays, I use toner daily, but only on my chest and back to keep any acne there at bay, especially in the summer months for when I show a little more skin. If your face is super oily though and you don’t suffer from eczema, go ahead and try a toner there, as well. However, I would recommend using a lower strength of toner for your face to minimize dryness. Try Clean and Clear’s Essentials Deep Cleaning Toner for Sensitive Skin with salicylic acid .5%. Your chest and back will be able to handle a higher strength. I use Neutrogena’s Acne Stress Control Triple Action Toner (salicylic acid 2%). It smells fresh and clean, and works wonders for keeping your back and chest smooth.
For Blackhead Treatment: Active Wow Charcoal Black Mask Peel. Blackheads can be especially stubborn to get rid of. I’ve tried a ton of special washes and creams for them, but the best treatment I’ve found specifically for blackheads is this charcoal black mask peel. It’s an effective acne treatment that is formulated with charcoal to deep clean your pores, and helps to reduce redness FAST. Plus, it’s still gentle enough that it doesn’t dry out your skin. Yay!
Moisturizer: Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin. I cannot stress enough how important moisturizing is when it comes to taking care of your acne. Acne products that work are designed to dry out your skin to remove/dry out pore-clogging oil, dirt, and bacteria. Using a non-comedegenic, oil-free moisturizer is key to replenishing your skin’s moisture, but without causing more pore build-up. I’ve learned the hard way just how essential a good moisturizer is in my treatment of acne. If you don’t moisturize, your glands will overcompensate with excess oil production to lubricate your skin, which can lead to even more acne.
Note: is your skin extra sensitive? Use a heavier cream at night. I would recommend Cetaphil’s moisturizing cream. A little goes a long way, and it is one of the top recommended creams by dermatologists. It’s fantastic for restoring moisture to the skin, especially when used overnight.
For Cysts: Ichthammol Ointment. I am a huge skeptic of a lot of home remedies (especially for for cysts), but for a homeopathic, cystic acne home remedy, look no further than Ichthammol Ointment (my favorite brand is Globe). Drawing salves are an age-old panacea for treating minor infections, removing slivers and splinters, and even treating poison ivy. But drawing salves are also exceptionally effective for treating a cyst FAST. Although I haven’t had a cyst in a year now (thanks to my blue light device), I always bring my Ichthammol Ointment when I travel, just in case. It has saved me in so many desperate moments. The best time to use it is just before bed so it can work its magic overnight. As the ointment is quite dark, you need to be careful so it doesn’t get on your sheets. What I do is apply a dot of the ointment over the cyst so that the cyst is fully covered, and then use a bandaid to cover it, but I don’t use the entire bandaid. Rather, I cut off one of the sticky ends, and put that over the ointment so that the ointment doesn’t “leak” out when I sleep. In the morning, you’ll see that the ointment has ‘drawn out,’ or drained, the cyst. Ta-da!
For Long Term Prevention of Acne: Differin or Other Retinoid. I’m always singing the praises of retinoids because it’s an acne medication that works for long-term prevention of acne. While the majority of retinoids are available only by prescription, Differin is the exception and is now widely available as an over the counter acne medication. You can buy it without a prescription at CVS, Walmart, Target, essentially anywhere! So what make a retinoid cream so special? Retinoid creams are ideal for acne treatment because they help to shed pore-clogging skin cells, thereby breaking the cycle of acne and making it an effective treatment of inflammatory acne. With time and consistent use, retinoids are able to keep pores from getting clogged so that breakouts can be halted before they even develop. No wonder Differing is one of the best acne medications you can get over the counter!
Note: When you start the use of a retinoid, it is critical that you moisturize. Retinoids are notorious for their drying effects, but that’s why it’s an acne treatment that actually works! To minimize the negative effects, try applying a retinoid every few nights, and work up slowly to every other night, and then eventually every night.
For Calming Inflamed Acne: Use Rosewater. While not an intuitive step in an anti-acne skincare regime, rosewater presents a ton of benefits for inflamed and irritated acne. For one, rosewater helps to maintain the skin’s pH balance, controlling excess oil. It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, thus helping to calm redness and irritation. Bonus: it smells delicious.
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