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WARNING: these before-and-afters will ~deeply~ affect you...and make you a believer.
This is gentler than most prescribed retinoids, but still be careful if you have sensitive skin!
Promising review: "I normally do not write reviews, but today I knew I must. I am a nearly 30-year-old woman who broke out horrifically with cystic acne when I was in my early 20's. I don't mean one or two. I mean my entire face was severely affected. I've finally gotten it mostly under control, but I was still very frustrated with regular breakouts and scarring. I became used to wearing a mask of makeup daily. I was never seen without layers of foundation and powder, which I'm sure wasn't helping my breakouts. I've been using the Differin gel now for about three weeks and today, I am about to go out in public without any makeup except a little mascara. I feel confident with my skin. It isn't perfect, I still have scars from the cystic acne, but I feel good! I cannot tell you what this means to me!" —ameyer7487
Get it from Walmart for $28.25.
Its main ingredients (drumroll, please): rosemary flower extract (to cleanse and control oils), olive fruit oil (to prevent and reverse damage from UV rays), aloe vera juice (to help heal irritated, broken-out skin), and coconut oil (to smooth and moisturize).
Promising review: "I'm one of those people that didn't have to be concerned with skincare until adulthood, because I literally never got any pimples or blackheads as a teenager. With that said, when I did start having issues I was mortified and have spent hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on products over the last 10 years trying to find the product that would clear up my cystic acne/oily skin. I've used everything and while each of those gave my skin some improvement, none of those were clearing up my skin and smoothing my texture like Christina Moss Naturals. It has been just under two weeks since I started this product and I can already see my skin looking 50% better than when I started. I'm getting compliments left and right, and people are asking me what I am doing different to make my skin glow. It's AMAZING! I think I have finally found what my skin has been craving for the last 15 years." —Kristina Owens
Get it from Amazon for $22.99.
Reviewers use it as a spot treatment!
Promising review: "This feels SO good on painful cystic breakouts. It cools the skin, and it calms inflammation. This begins working right away and my blemishes shrink a bit over night. It gets rid of the redness around the blemishes, too. This doesn't dry my skin out, which almost seems strange, because I'm so used to fighting acne via burning my skin off. This is the best blemish remover I've ever used." —Catwomanca
Get it from Sephora for $27.
Promising review: "I have had acne for nine years. I'm in my late twenties now. My acne is mainly cystic acne and primarily sits on my cheeks and chin. They are deep, red, and take weeks to go away (if they ever do). I have tried everything. Some things would make the acne a bit better, but would never actually clear it up. I saw some friends on Facebook talking about this soap. The bar is very large and I have sliced off chunks to use. Immediately, I noticed the redness decreased. Over several days, I noticed I had no new pimples developing. After the first two weeks or so, the majority of my acne was gone. Now, after one month, a lot of my dark scar spots are gone or seriously diminished. I have only a few remaining red spots. I have made NO other changes to my diet, makeup, or skincare routine. For such a great value, it's worth a shot!" —TammyLou
Get it from Amazon for $4.18.
Promising review: "I love this product! I mixed it with coconut oil for my son's cystic acne before bed and we were amazed at the results the next morning. Redness and swelling was cut in half. We have tried every OTC product out there and I will definitely keep using this. This is working wonders after two uses." —Sue
Get it from Amazon for $7.59.
Promising review: "I received this on May 16 and have been using it twice a week since. Let me just say, wow! This has helped so much with the cystic acne I had. I'm currently nursing my son and can't take the oral medications or use the topical prescriptions. My skin hurt from all the cysts. I started using this, and like all acne treatments, my skin did get a bit worse before it got better. But after just a few weeks, I saw a huge difference. I would see a cyst starting, use the mask, and wake up with a small whitehead instead of a giant, painful, red cyst. As of July 2nd, I have zero cysts and two whiteheads. The redness is fading and my skin looks and feels better. I highly recommend giving this a try!" —JBake
Get it from Amazon for $14.34.
Basically, anything with retinol resurfaces new skin so deep pimples can be brought to a head, leaving your complexion clearer, glowing, and moisturized.
Promising review: "The stuff is seriously unbelievable. I’ve had terrible skin my entire life including a long stent with Accutane in my teens. After reading a lot of reviews, I finally decided to pull the trigger with this product and I’m really happy I did. After I put on some witch hazel and then apply the stuff, my skin feels a little tingly/burning, but it only lasts for 30 seconds then it feels amazing. I’ve been doing this for less than three weeks and my skin has changed dramatically. The cystic acne that I’ve had for almost 20 years is gone. The sallow skin color and red spots are completely gone. This product is worth it and every way — go buy it now." —Missy Moore
Get it from Amazon for $24.79.
It also has pink grapefruit essential oil (to reduce inflammation, kill infections, and promote collagen production), witch hazel (to clear excess sebum and balance oil production), peppermint and spearmint water (to kill bacteria and reduce scarring), tea tree water and essential oil (to moisturize and tone), and aloe vera (to promote vitamin E and C and help your skin recover). SO YEAH, IT DOES A LOT.
Promising review: "I’ll be honest — I really didn’t want to like this product. I wanted to be rid of my acne, but I wasn’t really interested in shelling out 25 bucks for a quarter-sized container — but OH MY GOSH. I have struggled with cystic acne on my chin and chest since I was 12 (over half of my life). I have tried everything short of Accutane. I tried this about a month before a wedding I was supposed to be in, AND MY CHIN AND CHEST WERE COMPLETELY CLEAR IN TWO WEEKS! This has happened maybe five times ever in my life! I have only had one cystic pimple come up in the month I’ve used this, and it lasted half as long! I cannot tell you how happy I am. I use it nightly on my chest and chin, and then I just rinse it off in the morning. One tiny container has lasted me over a month (which is impressive seeing as I used it to cover large portions). Keep your layers thin!" —CAM
Get it from Amazon for $24.95.
To learn more about this, check out "Hundreds Of People Swear By This Spot Treatment For Cystic Acne".
Promising review: "With combination skin I often find that chemical exfoliators treat my oily zones fine, but are too harsh on my cheeks/drier areas. This is gentle enough for those spots, but still give me the exfoliation I need in my T-zone. I have been using it twice a week and it has really calmed down my cystic acne. They're not as painful and pass very quickly." —Tabitha C.
Get a pack of 30 from Soko Glam for $27 or from Amazon for $18.48.
To learn more, check out "Hundreds Of People Love Exfoliating With These Neogen Pads, And This Is Why".
It also contains kojic acid, olive oil, rosehip oil, jojoba oil, and tea tree oils to penetrate deep into your pores and get rid of excess oil and dirt. Toodle-oo.
Promising review: "I love this face wash. I have been struggling with severe adult cystic acne for years and tried everything offered to help. I saw this online and was not hopeful, but within 24 hours I saw a change — one that was different than the prescriptions and other face products. In less than two weeks my skin is almost clear. I wish I took before-and-after photos, because the difference is that dramatic." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
It even fades acne scars after your breakout is treated!
Promising review: "This serum single-handedly transformed my skin! I suffered from with cystic acne on my face. I tried every single face wash/cream with no luck. This serum was my last resort and I can’t believe the amazing results! Within a week my skin cleared up and it’s never looked better! I’m placing a second order right after I finish writing this review!" —Daria Malinina
Get it from Amazon for $17.95.
Promising review: "I love this product. It's what I had to switch to and only use. I can get really bad, cystic breakouts during that time of the month and I feel like this has helped a lot. The price isn't too bad compared to other products with the same ingredients. This is really the only face wash that has worked on my skin." —stephaniem16
Get it from Walmart for $5.22.
Plus it's gentle enough to use twice a day! It specifically works to target and control oil, and then treat blackheads and breakouts so your skin is left clear, clear, and clear.
Promising review: "I was lucky enough to have clear skin in high school so I never understood how awful acne really is. When I was about 21-22 years old, I switched to a birth control implant, and that thing wreaked havoc on my entire life. I suddenly had horrible cystic acne. It was actually so painful — laying on my pillow hurt my face! To top it all off, my skin was also dry, and irritated. I tried every skin care line on the market for about two to three years, with no, or very little, results. Finally, I found La Roche-Posays skincare products. Within four days, the inflammation decreased, the redness was fading, and my skin felt less dry. By two weeks, my skin was practically clear! I have been using this product for about four to five years now, and I haven't had a single outbreak, EXCEPT for the time I wanted to try a different product to save money. Huge mistake, one I will not make again." —LadyHawke
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
Promising review: "THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. I'm 34 and never had a blemish...until I hit 30. The hormonal cystic acne has plagued my chin and neck for years. I've tried everything from washes, scrubs, microdermabrasion, facials, masks, even antibiotics as a last resort. NOTHING cleared my skin like this! I've been using this product for only two weeks and my skin is clearing beautifully, as well as my old acne scars disappearing. People are making comments about how fresh, young, and healthy my skin looks. Its a small tube, but you only need a pea sized amount for your face, neck and chest. Thank you Acure for finally clearing my skin after four years of searching!" —emhart16
Get it from Amazon for $8.49.
Promising review: "This stuff is amazing. My skin has virtually no breakouts, appears smoother, and feels smoother now that I use this. I’m 32 and still get cystic acne, been on Accutane twice, and nothing worked. I’m so happy BuzzFeed had an article about it, I’m sold! Yes, its pretty oily, but it soaks in. I use it in the a.m. as my moisturizer and at p.m. before bed. It has a yellow tint, but fades after soaking in. I highly recommend it." —Emily Jacob
Get it from Amazon for $14.95.
Promising review: "In my thirties I struggled with hormonal cystic acne. I have been on everything under the sun that dermatologists can prescribe. My acne got under control with spiralactone and prescription topicals in my forties, but I was able to get off all of those with Glossier Solution. I have not had a breakout in over a year! I haven't even needed to see my dermatologist for acne. Thank you, Glossier!" —Thankful
Get it from Glossier for $24.
To learn more about this, check out "Here's Why The Mega-Popular Glossier Solution Is Totally Worth Your Money".
Promising review: "I don’t write many reviews, but I have to say this product right here is hands-down THE BEST face cream I’ve used! I’m in love! I have autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s to be exact) and I suffer from all kinds of unpleasant things that come out on my face, like cystic acne, dark spots, large pores, redness, itchiness, etc. Just within a few days of using this, I saw a huge difference in the appearance of my skin. It’s never felt this amazing either! I even use it on my hands before I go to bed — totally hooked!" —KELLEY S
Get it from Amazon for $14.97+ (available in four sizes).
FYI, the witch hazel is there to soothe and tone your skin (to balance out the other exfoliating properties). And if you're a skincare obsessive like me, I don't have to tell you how great a deal $10 is for glycolic acid. Bless.
Promising review: "I’m really impressed with these pads. I’ve suffered from adult cystic acne for about a decade now, and have tried countless products over the years. Adding these things into my skincare routine has made my skin look bright and clear like porcelain. I still get the occasional blemish, but they’re always very small and go away in a day or two. I highly recommend them." —Caroline Powell
Get a pack of 60 from Amazon for $6.89.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.