I have had acne off and on since I was about twelve. Unfortunately it's been mainly "on" and very rarely "off." I have tried so many different acne products both prescription and over the counter with little success. There are a few products that are worth sharing though :)
If you have acne often or even if you only get a "spot" rarely, the best strategy may be just to treat each spot. Often using a strong or drying product on your entire face will cause more harm than good. These three use a variety of active ingredients to help you get rid of zits faster.
The first is Murad's Acne Spot Treatment. This baby is $16 for a little tube that will last for a very long time. It is very soothing and effective at reducing the swelling and pain of a zit while helping it heal faster. Here are the claims straight from Sephora, "High performance ingredients, such as sulfur and salicylic acid, reduce the appearance of blemishes while supporting natural cell turnover. Zinc and licorice root extract help support natural healing. This product is dermatologist developed." I just barely ran out of this and I will miss it. The only downfall is that it is a little smelly due to the sulfur.
The second product is a glycolic acid acne spot treatment called the Zit Zapper from Perfectly Posh. This is also a small tube with the same amount of product as the Murad treatment. It also will last forever! This acid is great for getting rid of the dead skin cell plugs and oil that causes zits, blackheads and whiteheads. It can shrink some zits in a matter of hours! The claim straight from Perfectly Posh "Aggressively exfoliates clogged pores to reduce duration of blemishes."
The third product is actually a mask but I liked it a lot better as a spot treatment as it was a little too drying for my entire face. It is Proactiv's Skin Purifying Mask. This product was great for making you feel like you were instantly shrinking and drying out your zit. It also always made them heal up in about half the time that they would heal in without this treatment. The mask uses sulfur, kaolin clay and tea tree oil to clarify skin and kill bacteria. The claims from Proactiv "Containing sulfur medicine and kaolin clay, it draws out impurities, reduces excess oil, and keeps pores clear, helping prevent new breakouts. It also soothes and calms skin as it reduces redness, irritation and blotchiness."
These three have really helped me with my skin when I was desperate to fix a nasty spot or two (or three). :) I hope they will help you out too!
What are your favorite acne fixes? I'd love to hear in the comments below!
