It can take years — and dozens of trips to the dermatologist — to discover how to get rid of acne in a way that works for your skin. And no matter how much you’ve invested in your skincare routine, most of us will still battle the occasional breakout anyway. (Thanks, hormones!) In sum, we all get pimples. But outside of that one unifier, how to actually deal with acne is going to look different from person to person. Everyone has unique skin types, skin tones, lifestyles, and genetic histories, and that makes it impossible to identify a single piece of one-size-fits-all advice.
That said a word to the wise: Although you may be tempted to try out multiple remedies at once so that you can land on a zit-zapping system and get rid of acne in a week (or quicker), this isn’t such a good idea. Irritating your skin with an onslaught of products isn’t likely to get you the clear complexion you’re after, and it may leave your skin in a spottier state than it was to start with. Try to introduce new products to your skincare regimen one at a time. For certain items, like cleansers, you’ll be able to gauge how your skin takes to them pretty quickly, but for most other products, you’ll need at least a couple of weeks of use — if not a full month — to make a call.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best ways to get rid of acne from top dermatologists.
1. Wash Your Face Daily
The first and most important rule isn’t exactly groundbreaking: Remember to wash your face! “Over the course of the day, things like sweat, oil, sebum, dead skin cells, makeup, sunscreen, and environmental pollutants build up on the skin. Cleansing and treating your skin twice a day is the best way to get rid of pimples and keep future breakouts away. For those emergencies when you’re just too tired to wash your face, keep a stash of face wipes in the drawer of your nightstand.
2. Use the Right Face Cleanser
Buying a generic face wash won’t necessarily improve your complexion. For a cleanser to be most effective, you have to pay attention to your skin’s needs and pick the ingredients accordingly. If your skin tends to be oily, choose products with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or glycolic acid.
3. Don’t Over-Exfoliate Your Skin
Scrubbing your face daily with grainy cleansers and exfoliating products can do more harm than good. When done too often, it can cause redness, inflammation, and irritation. “Exfoliating a pimple can pull away healthy skin cells and create an open wound and higher risk for scarring.” “Exfoliation should be done with caution, and not more than two to three times a week maximum.”
4. Regularly Change Your Face Towel
When you think about it, consistently reaching for your go-to face towel every day is like reusing a dinner napkin over and over again. Using dirty towels can harbor bacteria, and they can even introduce new bacteria to your skin, which may lead to more pimples. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean you need to reach for a new towel every single time you wash your face.
5. Moisturize
Worried moisturizer will make your breakouts worse? Think again — it can actually help deal with acne and improve your skin. If the skin surface is dry and dehydrated, the oil glands tend to overproduce oil and this can make acne worse. Hydrating the skin surface can re-balance oil glands and help control acne and improve healing.” When buying a moisturizer, she recommends looking for a lightweight, oil-based product that won’t clog your pores.
6. Use Sunscreen that Doesn’t Clog Pores
While SPF is a must, some sunscreens can trigger breakouts. You want to look for oil-free and non-comedogenic formulas that won’t clog pores. With some acne-treating products, though, you’ll need to go a level above a strong SPF. If you are using a retinol or retinol-derivative treatment or any ingredients that make your skin more sensitive, avoid sun exposure.
7. Skip Makeup When You’re Working Out
Take an extra five minutes before hopping on the treadmill to completely wash your face and remove your makeup to minimize the risk of breakouts. Sweat is released through visible pores in the skin. When makeup covers those pores, that barrier doesn’t allow the sweat to make it to the surface of the skin, which can lead to clogged pores. The trapped debris and bacteria are a perfect breeding ground for acne bumps and zits.
8. Wash Your Face Post-Workout
After sweating, immediately use an exfoliating cleanser to help keep your pores clear and remove excess oil. If you have body acne, taking a shower as soon as possible after working out is also key. It turns out that standing around in tight, sweaty workout clothes puts you at the greatest risk for back acne and rashes.
9. Tailor Your Diet
Sad but true: Any foods that cause a spike in insulin can lead to inflammation and an acne flare-up. Leafy green vegetables and other brightly-colored fruit and vegetables which are rich in antioxidants and nutrients dampen inflammation and improve skin quality (studies have shown acne patients have higher oil production and lower antioxidant levels). Limit intake of dairy products, which can contain hormones and antibiotics that can worsen acne breakouts.” Other skin-boosting superfoods include eggs, nuts, legumes, and quinoa.
10. Drink Plenty of Water
Okay, so drinking your eight glasses isn’t going to magically clear your skin, but “drinking water improves your overall health.” Plus, it won’t contribute to your acne struggles like the sugar and caffeine found in sodas and coffee.
11. Change Your Pillowcases
Your pillowcase touches your skin each night while you snooze (and while you dream of flawless skin). This means that unwashed sheets and pillowcases can be major breeding grounds for pimples. Because pillowcases sit against our skin every night, over time they can harbor oil, dirt, sweat, and bacteria that lead to breakouts. And if you have oily skin, or if you “often fall asleep in your makeup or tend to sweat in your sleep,” you may want to change them more frequently.
12. Try to Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
One of the most basic tips for how to get rid of acne is simply to keep your hands to yourself. Your hands aren’t always clean, and dirt under your fingernails and improper squeezing can cause acne to spread or lead to further infection. Plus, popping can lead to pitted scars, which stick around much longer than that pimple would.
13. But If You Must Pop a Pimple, Do It the Right Way
Every dermatologist ever will tell you not to pop; Traumatizing the skin in this way can cause bacteria to spread, leading to more breakouts, scarring, and hyperpigmentation. Plus, there’s always the chance your attempt at popping could force the pimple deeper into your skin, leading to a worse infection.
If you must squeeze a pimple at home, wait until it’s ready — usually, it will have a white cap on top; don’t try to pop anything deep or cystic — and prep your skin by cleansing and applying a warm compress to the pimple for a few minutes. Then, with clean fingers wrapped in clean gauze, gently apply pressure on opposite sides of the pimple. The pimple should pop easily. If it doesn’t, it’s not ready and you should stop immediately.
14. Manage Your Stress and Get Enough Sleep
The side effects of too much stress and not enough sleep most definitely include acne. Increased stress and lack of sleep is a recipe for disaster when it comes to healthy skin. These can lead to negative behaviors, including poor eating and drinking habits. When your body is rested and hydrated, your skin will reflect how you feel. Do whatever you can to bring some relaxation into your life and lower stress, whether that be by listening to music, taking a bubble bath, exercising, or heading to bed earlier.
15. Focus on Consistency
When it comes to maintaining healthy, blemish-free skin, variety is definitely not the spice of life. The most important part of an acne skin care routine is identifying products that work for you and sticking with them every night. “Topicals never work if you just use them sometimes.” Keeping up a regular skin-care regimen is much more likely to see you with clear skin, after all, versus trying to retroactively figure out how to get rid of pimples overnight. Save yourself the stress and stay consistent.
