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The Best Acne Treatment for Every Kind of Breakout

Acne is one of the most confusing (and not to mention distressing) skin conditions out there, as is figuring out the best acne treatment to address it. Take it from someone who's been there, what works for one person can turn a minor breakout into a full-blown situation for another. But not all hope is lost. While it can feel like you're the only one dealing with acne, 90% of Americans experience it at some point in their life (around 20% of them being women 26 and older). And while not all skin reacts the same, there are some key similarities in both why you're experiencing breakouts, as well as the products you should look for to calm them.

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Previously Featured

Antibiotics for Acne: Groundbreaking Study Shows Why One Works Best

The most widely prescribed antibiotics for acne have long been broad-spectrum second-generation tetracyclines such as minocycline or doxycycline. But in 2018, the FDA approved a new antibiotic called sarecycline for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. Unlike its predecessors, this new drug has specificity for C. acnes and other clinically-relevant Gram-positive bacteria.

Lots Of Acne Treatments, But Scant Evidence For Which Ones To Choose

Experts are also unsure why some treatments work, which means dermatologists have to make the best guess among dozens of options of what to suggest to each patient. Many of the studies comparing products are reported poorly with crucial missing bits of information and errors of interpretation, Williams says. That was one reason the U.S. Institute of Medicine has said that figuring out which acne therapies are most effective should be one of the top 100 targets for national research.

What’s the Best Way to Treat Body Acne?

Here’s how to get rid of it and when you might need a dermatologist’s help.

Acne Patches Are the Best Way to Deflate a Zit

The old technology is being repurposed in pricey wellness packaging. That just makes it more pleasant.

Acne treatment: antibiotics don’t need to kill bacteria to clear up your skin

A future direction in acne treatment development is utilizing agents that can kill P. acnes but that don’t lead to microbial resistance. For instance, there are studies using synthetic antimicrobial peptides, tiny strings of amino acids that can physically destroy P. acnes. This remedy would likely be used in conjunction with other therapies that can treat other causes of acne.

Best Acne Treatment Remains Elusive

From over-the-counter creams to prescription pills, few purported zit-busters have been compared to see which is most effective—and for whom. More than half of acne med studies had what the researchers called "serious flaws," which make it especially hard to determine what approach might provide the biggest pimple-blasting bang for the buck. What’s more, some treatments contain antibiotics, long-term use of which has been linked to an increase in antibiotic-resistant infections.

Dermatology: how to manage acne vulgaris

Topical retinoids are the drugs of choice for the treatment and maintenance therapy of patients with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. Depending on the severity of the acne, topical retinoids may be used alone or in combination with benzoyl peroxide and topical or oral antibiotics. Oral antibiotics are an important therapy for inflammatory acne unresponsive to topical therapy. Neither topical nor oral antibiotics should be used as monotherapy.

Diet And Acne: For A Clearer Complexion, Cut The Empty Carbs

If you're prone to outbreaks of acne, you may want to try cutting back on empty carbs and sweets. Researchers are revisiting the connections between diet and pimples, and a growing body of evidence suggests that eating a diet rich in high glycemic index foods may be tied to flare-ups.

Everything You Need to Know About Treating Cystic Acne

It’s different from other, more superficial types of types of acne like blackheads and whiteheads because it’s deeper down in your skin.

How to Get Rid of Body Acne, According to Dermatologists

Dermatologists break down the potential reasons why you're dealing with breakouts on your butt, back, and beyond — and how to find the best body acne treatment.

How to Get Rid of Pimples Fast, According to Dermatologists

Whether you decide to take matters into your own hands and start picking (a bad idea, or troll Instagram for a cure-all spot treatment, it’s a natural response to want to get rid of acne fast. But there’s definitely a right way to do so—and a lot of common mistakes that experts will tell you to avoid making. (Spoiler alert: Yes, you can overdry a zit.)

How To Treat Every Type Of Acne

Acne might be the great equalizer, plaguing everyone regardless of their grades, gender, or their taste in music. But not all acne is made equal. Various factors — like your diet, your stress levels, and your hormones — can lead to different types of breakouts. The good news: Some kinds are easier to treat than others.

Managing Teenage Acne

If the face a teenager presents to the world is marred by prominent lesions of acne, the ordinary stresses of adolescence can be that much more difficult to weather.

People With Acne Take Antibiotics For Way Too Long: Study

Acne sufferers tend to go through a predictable wringer of treatments: over-the-counter creams, prescription gels, and finally: oral antibiotics. If nothing works, dermatologists often turn to a powerful medication called isotretinoin, which is better known by the brand name Accutane. But according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, people with severe cases of acne who are eventually prescribed isotretinoin stay on oral antibiotics for far longer than current guidelines recommend—which raises concerns about how acne treatment may be contributing to antibiotic resistance, a growing problem in the U.S.

Pimple patches are everywhere, but do they work?

Every decade or so, we seek out a new quick fix for acne — tiny stickers that suck gunk out of pores are the latest.

Seven ways ... to manage acne

Acne is almost exclusively associated with teenagers, but hormone fluctuations mean up to half of adult women will also suffer from a breakout of angry pimples at some point in their lives.

Stop popping your pimples

Dermatologists warn against it, even if it’s super duper satisfying.

The 17 Best Acne Treatments, According to Dermatologists

There are so many different ways to treat acne breakouts that it can be hard to figure out exactly which might be the best acne treatment for your skin. Even if you’ve had some type of acne all your life, the pimples we have as adults can be different from the acne we had as teens and can be difficult to clear up, depending on things like hormones, changes in skin type and texture, and scarring.

The 30 Best Acne Treatments and Products, According to Dermatologists

Few things are quite as frustrating as waking up with breakouts or being unable to tackle stubborn pimples—so finding the best acne treatment is key. Whether you’ve been combating acne since your teenage years or only started breaking out as an adult, the quest to find the right product is always daunting. Ahead, we deep dive into your burning acne questions—from how to treat it to diminishing leftover scarring—plus, the best products to use according to dermatologists and Vogue editors.

The Best Acne Products, According to Shape Editors and Experts

The cleansers, creams, and body treatments you need to clear any type of breakout.

The Latest Cure for Acne: A Virus

Researchers are looking into a naturally-occuring virus which preys upon the skin bacteria that trigger outbreaks of acne

The Scorched-Earth Acne Solution

Isotretinoin, better known as Accutane, is the acne drug of last resort. It let me shed my skin—literally—for the price of some gnarly side effects.

This Is How You Really Get Rid Of Acne Scars

Acne scarring plagues the pores of so many who have long-since recovered from active acne. With the recent advent of laser technology and dermatological research, much progress has been made in understanding how to best care for patients while undergoing treatment and in improving treatment efficacy itself.

What doctors wish patients knew about acne treatment

“There is no cookie cutter treatment for acne—not everyone gets the same four ingredients or products,” Dr. Fine said. “So, doing a good physical exam and a full history will enable you to figure out what’s best.”

When Your Skin Breaks Out in Lockdown

People are winging it with home remedies to treat acne in quarantine: honey, toothpaste, face stickers.

Why Acne Scar Creams Might Not Work for You

Plenty of over-the-counter products like gels, oils and serums make attractive claims about making even tough scars, like those left behind by cystic acne, fade away. How effective are these kind of products, really? I spoke with a few dermatologists who work with clients every day that want to get rid of marks caused by pimples.

Why you shouldn't pop pimples — and 9 other things to know about acne

What scientists have learned so far, though, can tell us a lot about the trillions of bacteria that live throughout our bodies and profoundly affect our health in all sorts of ways. It can also provide a few practical tips — including why you shouldn't pop pimples.

Yes! Foods may fight acne

Acne can be an embarrassing problem that seemingly no amount of expensive creams and ointments can resolve. But research suggests that in some cases, what you put in your mouth may be as important as what you put on your skin.

Your Guide to Spironolactone for Acne

Spironolactone is an oral medication that can treat a few conditions, including blood pressure, hair loss, and acne. “Spironolactone is an oral medication used to lower blood pressure and also off-label to help with hormonal acne,” Bhanusali says. "It is also used to help with hair loss and Polycystic ovary syndrome (off-label).”

‘How do I control my oily skin and prevent pimples?’ A dermatologist explains

Pimples are the worst! They hurt, pop up overnight and can be impossible to hide. You’re right that oily skin is believed to be the most critical factor for causing acne. But rest assured, there are a few things you can do to keep your oil at bay and control the likelihood of a break out.