While it *feels* like pimples are out to ruin your day, the truth is that acne is natural, and almost everyone experiences breakouts in their life. Acne has many causes; some that you can control, like washing your face and changing your pillowcase, and some that you can't, like genetics and hormonal fluctuations. That's why it's important to understand what causes breakouts so you can treat them.
To help wave goodbye to acne for good, we've gathered the best clear skin tips from Dr. Melissa K. Levin, an NYC-based dermatologist and founder of Entiere Dermatology, and Dr. Nazanin Saedi, a Philadelphia-based dermatologist and clinical associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University. From sneaky things that might be causing you to break out to the best acne products that really work, here's everything you need to know about how to get clear skin – fast.
Always wash your face before bed
We don't care how tired you are, you are NOT allowed to sleep in your makeup. Trust us, your future, pimple-free skin will thank you. Wash your face for 30 to 45 seconds every night with a nickel-sized amount of face wash.
Oh, and by the way, there's actually a chance that you're washing your face all wrong. Watch this video from dermatologist Liv Kraemer to learn all the ins and outs of proper face-washing:
Don't skip the moisturizer
If your skin is oily, you might be tempted to go without your morning moisturizer, but drying out your skin can actually make acne worse. It's important to pick the right moisturizer, so it doesn't worsen breakouts or cause your skin to become more oily.
Dr. Levin advises picking a daily lotion that will absorb any excess shine–like Differin Oil Absorbing Moisturizer, the formula contains Micropearl technology to absorb surface oil for a matte finish.
Differin Oil Absorbing Moisturizer with Sunscreen - Broad-Spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30
Differin Oil Absorbing Moisturizer with Sunscreen - Broad-Spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30
Wash off ALL your cleanser
Leftover cleanser equals leftover dirt and oil. Rinse with tepid water (hot water dries out your skin and cold water closes your pores) until skin feels clean and smooth and no longer slippery or soapy. Here's a helpful guide to cleanser for any and EVERY kind of breakout.
Be gentle on your skin
Scrubbing too hard leaves skin rough and red. Don't fight with your face. Skip harsh scrubs and even washcloths, which can be too rough on your face and can cause irritation, which in turn, can make you more susceptible to breakouts. If you use your hands, be sure they're clean, or you'll transfer acne-causing dirt and oil right back onto your face.
Don't skip your morning wash
Hairstyling products get absorbed by your pillowcase and then transfer to your skin — if these remnants are not cleared away in the am, they'll clog your pores. For your before-school wash, try something brightening that'll help wake up your skin. A cooling face wash can help you feel and look alive. Test out the Bioré Blemish-Fighting Ice Cleanser. It literally cools your skin as it cleans.
Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash Mini
La Roche-Posay Medicated Gel Cleanser
Suds up your cleanser in your hands first
Bubbles offer more than a fun face-washing experience. Suds actually helps to activate the pimple-fighting ingredients within the cleanser. A quick suds makes them more effective when applied to your face.
You need to clean your phone, too
If you're seeing pimples on your cheeks or anywhere near the area where you hold your phone, it may be a result of grime on your phone. Since it's always in your hand, your phone picks up lots of bacteria, which can then get transferred to your face when you press the device to your face to make a phone call. Wipe your screen with an antibacterial wipe often to get rid of germs.
Stop touching your face
Resting your chin on your hand when you're sitting in class might be the reason for those blemishes on your cheek or jaw. You're constantly touching things that have germs and bacteria — anything from your phone to your locker — so, putting your hands on your face transfers all of that right onto your skin.
Shower after exercise or heavy sweating
As sweat and natural oils collect on your skin during a workout, getting trapped in your athletic gear, bacteria can form and create skin inflammation and breakouts. To prevent this from happening, you'll want to shower right after you hit the gym or any time you break a serious sweat.
"If you don’t have time to shower, keep a stash of salicylic acid wipes in your bag to wipe off your back, your chest, and your face," Dr. Saedi says.
Exfoliate regularly
The trick is to remove the layers of dead skin cells and dirt that are blocking your pores — and your skin's natural glow. Products with alpha-hydroxy and lactic acids exfoliate gently to make you look radiant.
Fresh Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator
Olay Regenerist Face Cleansing Device Face Cleansing Device
Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator
Naturopathica Sweet Cherry Brightening Enzyme Peel
Don't over-wash
"People think that it is helpful to get their skin clear and you can prevent acne. When you over-wash your face you're actually stripping too much of the natural oil from your skin. Your body starts to overcompensate, and you can get oilier skin and you can irritate your acne!" Dr. Saedi says.
If your skin still feels oily, instead of washing again (which can make your skin produce even more oil), try an astringent after cleansing.
Wash, then exfoliate
When washing, first use a mild face wash to cleanse your skin. Then, lightly massage a chemical exfoliator, like an acid-laced cleanser, onto your face. This may seem redundant, but before you slough, you want a clean canvas, so that the exfoliant can focus on digging out the stubborn dirt and oil that are stuck deeper inside your pores.
For a great double-duty exfoliator, opt for Peter Thomas Roth's Acne Face & Body Scrub. It's an ultra-gentle yet effective acne scrub that cleanses, treats, and exfoliates the face and body with one percent salicylic acid.
Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub
Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub
Change your pillowcase
Not changing your bedding enough can also cause your skin to break out. Even if you wash your face every night, your pillowcases carry dirt and sweat from your hair, hands, and build-up from the products you use on your face at night. It's a good idea to change it every few days.
Beware of bangs
All that extra hairspray on your bangs could be the cause of those annoying pimples on your forehead and along your hairline. After applying hair products, swipe a cleansing wipe across your face, and try to keep hair products away from your hairline. In addition to your face, hair products can cause bacne, too. Use a mild body wash (or an acne body wash) after washing and rinsing hair to help keep body acne in check.
Try the 3-step solution
If you have acne, dermatologists recommend fighting it with a three-step regimen: a salicylic acid cleanser, a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment, and a daily moisturizer.
Salicylic acid unclogs pores and helps exfoliate to make dead skin cells fall away faster. It's good for mild cases of acne and is available without a prescription. Many drugstore acne creams, washes, and gels contain salicylic acid, but stronger formulas are also available in prescription form. It can dry up your skin and cause redness and peeling.
Benzoyl peroxide works by fighting the bacteria that causes acne. It has an exfoliating effect that might cause some slight peeling and can dry out your skin. It's great for mild cases of acne, and you can get it without a prescription — many drugstore acne washes, creams, and gels contain benzoyl peroxide. Prescription creams that contain higher doses of benzoyl peroxides can also be prescribed by a doctor for more severe cases.
Ask your doctor about cortisone injections
If you wake up the day before prom with a big honking zit, your doc may be able to help. If you can swing it, Dr. Levin says your best bet is to head to the dermatologist for a cortisone injection.
It's quick, with minimal discomfort, and will zap your zit almost immediately. This isn't an easy or cheap option, obviously, but when it's an emergency — like, you have a huge whitehead on the tip of your nose the day before senior portraits — it might be worth it.
Cut down your skincare routine
Too many products can irritate and too many steps may tempt you to skip caring for your skin altogether. When it comes to your skin, more is definitely NOT more. In other words, trying a bunch of different remedies at once won't boost your chances of making the zit disappear — more likely, it'll just wreak havoc on your skin and turn a teeny-tiny pimple into a red, blotchy mess.
Seriously, DON'T POP THAT ZIT
Popping can cause infections, making the situation worse. Instead, dab a sulfur treatment on problem areas morning and night. It brings down swelling until your zit disappears.
Be careful not to dry out your skin
Benzoyl peroxide products are great at fighting pimples, but can be drying to your skin, so only use them once a day at most. Salicylic acid (in creams, gels, astringents, or masks) is less drying than benzoyl peroxide, so it may be a more gentle option if benzoyl peroxide isn't working for you.
Cover that bad boy up
Yep, we're talking about pimple patches. "If you're unable to get into a dermatologist for a cortisone injection then I recommend specialized hydrocolloid acne patch called ZitSticka which is a 24 freeze-dried micro darts bandage that self dissolves over two hours to deliver acne-fighting ingredients," explained Dr. Levin.
"It contains oligopeptide-76, a new anti-inflammatory ingredient that's like a gentler benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, niacinamide (which helps with anti-redness), and moisturizing hyaluronic acid," Dr. Levin said.
The editor-favorite Peace Out Acne healing dots are also a great option, with the formula's salicylic acid working to penetrate pores and clear up clogging, retinol exfoliating the skin, and aloe vera gently soothing the pimple's redness.
Try a face wash with Benzoyl Peroxide
If you tend to break out on the reg, avoid flare-ups by using a benzoyl peroxide face wash, or by applying a thin layer of a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to your whole face before bed. Dr. Levin recommends Differin Daily Deep Facial Cleanser for a cleanse that's soft on skin, but hits acne hard.
Differin Daily Deep Cleanser BPO 5%
Differin Daily Deep Cleanser BPO 5%
"I love this gentle yet effective benzoyl peroxide facial cleanser (for the face and body)," she told Seventeen. "Benzoyl peroxide effectively treats inflammatory acne because it reduces the factors that can cause inflammation – the overload of P. Acnes bacteria."
Do NOT use toothpaste as a spot treatment
This "trick" of getting rid of a stubborn pimple ends right here, right now. Toothpaste is formulated for your teeth, not the delicate surface of your face. So, while the ingredients and strength of chemicals in toothpaste are safe to use on your pearly whites, they are most likely way too strong for your skin. Fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, and flavoring agents all found in a toothpaste tube "can cause a lot of irritation" and "potentially make your acne worse," says Dr. Saedi.
Wash your makeup brushes
Make sure to wash your makeup brushes regularly with brush cleanser or baby shampoo. If you use makeup sponges, wash those too. These tools can accumulate bacteria, which can lead to breakouts. Dirty brushes can make the most expensive skincare routines go to waste.
Here's how to properly wash your face brushes.
Be consistent with your treatment
If you want great skin, care for it each day. Sporadic care won't do it. And don't expect any overnight miracles. It takes time for skin-clearing ingredients to kick in. "If you have acne-prone skin or an active breakout, it can take 6-8 weeks to see a noticeable improvement and 3-4 months to clear things up completely," Dr. Saedi says.
Starting a skincare routine now will give you plenty of time for your skin to adjust by the time your prom, graduation, or the start of school comes around.
Ask your doctor about laser treatments
If your over-the-counter acne treatments aren't cutting in, it may be time to ask your doctor about laser treatment. Laser technology can help clear skin by A) reducing sebum (aka naturally produced oils that can clog pores) B) getting rid of inflammation from small blood vessels and C) destroying acne-causing bacteria on the face.
"Aerolase is a device that has been shown to be effective for active acne and to help with acne blemishes. Patients need about four to six treatments in monthly intervals," Dr. Saedi says.
"The newest laser treatment, AviClear, [is] specifically designed to target acne. It uses a new energy wavelength that specifically targets the sebaceous gland — the oil-making gland," she adds, "It is the only FDA-cleared device to treat acne."
Get lots of sleep
Re-watching Stranger Things until 3 am is not healthy for you or your skin. Not sleeping enough can make your hormones get out of whack and raise your body's stress levels, which can make you break out. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep to look and feel your best.
Wear sunscreen (yes, even indoors)
Sunscreen isn't just for summer — your skin needs protection every day, even in winter (and even indoors). There are now sunscreens for every skin type imaginable — even ones that help make your skin less oily, so your face stays matte and pimple-free.
Look for sunscreen or daily moisturizer with SPF that says it's "lightweight," "oil-free," or "oil-controlling." For the highest level, look for a PA++ rating; it covers both UVA and UVB rays, so you're guarded against everything from burns to future wrinkles.
If you're looking for a foundation that does triple duty (offers great coverage, has SPF protection, and treats your acne), Dr. Levin has found the perfect one. "IT cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream [is a] great oil-free matte foundation that combines hyaluronic acid and tea tree oil with SPF 40 for sun protection," she says.
Sun Bum Face Lotion SPF 50
IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40
Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++
Bare Republic Mineral Gel Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30
Avoid sharing makeup products, applicators, and brushes with your friends
While acne isn't contagious, you can wind up giving yourself pimples if you use a product that has touched someone else's skin. "Acne-causing bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells from other people can wind up [getting into] your makeup," Dr. Saedi says. It can be transferred onto your skin, enter your pores, and cause a breakout.
Look into birth control
Birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone have been shown to lower the levels of androgens in your body (a group of hormones that causes your body to produce sebum; excess sebum triggers acne) and therefore, are sometimes prescribed to help treat hormonal acne.
It can take a few months to see results and initially your acne may get worse. There are risks associated with taking birth control pills, and some types can actually make your acne worse. Talk to your doctor to see if taking birth control pills will help the kind of acne you have.
Carry oil-absorbing sheets in your bag
Use them to blot away any shine that pops up while you're out and about. This will help to keep oil from sitting on your skin and clogging your pores.
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Facial Blotting Sheets
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Facial Blotting Sheets
Ask your doc about antibiotics
If over-the-counter treatments aren't cutting it, consult a dermatologist. Oral antibiotics are often used for moderate to severe acne, especially on the back or chest, and kill bacteria in your skin pores. The most commonly used ones are tetracycline and erythromycin.
Like all antibiotics, they can cause yeast infections as well as more severe side effects and can interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills. They can also cause increased sun sensitivity, so you'll need to be extra careful when going outside and use SPF daily.
For more extreme cases, your doctor may suggest Isotretinoin (Accutane), which is used in moderate to severe cases of acne when nothing else works but can have more extreme side effects.
Always pat your face dry
It seems like such a tiny thing, but skin is very delicate – especially on your face. Gently pat it dry after cleansing, instead of harshly rubbing.
Dermatologists are there to help
At-home treatment not working? See a dermatologist. A few appointments to set up a regimen, plus, check-ins every three to six months may get you in the clear.
Kristin Koch is the Editor in Chief of Seventeen, overseeing the content and editorial operations for all of Seventeen's digital and print efforts. Before coming to Seventeen, Koch held editor positions at Glamour, Vanity Fair, and The Knot. In 2016, she founded lifestyle blog, Closetful of Clothes, where she covers everything from style and interiors to travel. A Chicago native, Koch graduated from Colgate University with a degree in History. She loves pizza, rom-coms and HGTV.
Abby is an editorial assistant at Seventeen, covering pop culture, beauty, life, and health. When she's not busy watching the latest true crime docuseries, you can find her strolling through Sephora, thrifting the perfect dress, or jogging with her pup.
