Acne is a bummer, whether it shows up on your big day [1] . . . or just a Monday. Chances are you've had to deal with it at some point in your life. (That's why you're reading this, right?) Whether the problem is hormonal, cystic [2], or something else entirely [3], it's pretty safe to say no one is excited when they see a new pimple in the mirror.
Now's the time to break up with breakouts for good. Here are top-rated products to add to your clear skin arsenal [4], straight from Sephora.
You'll find solutions [5] to brighten and treatments to lighten (old scars), not to mention products that exfoliate skin and zap zits. There's even makeup for pimple-prone skin, too.
If you're ready to stage an acne attack (that's an attack on acne, not of acne), find the blemish-blasting products from Sephora that other shoppers are loving ahead.
Sunday Riley Space Race Fight Acne, Oil and Pores Kit
The Sunday Riley Space Race Fight Acne, Oil and Pores Kit [6] ($65) is a great intro set when you're ready to get serious about skin problems. It comes with a trio of acne-treating and preventing products: the Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask features four percent niacinamide to reduce redness; the U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil clears pores and can even treat cystic acne; and the Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner, which transforms from gel to water as it removes excess oil and pulls out skin's impurities. Not only are all three products highly rated on their own, this kit (valued at $85) has more than 40,000 hearts itself.
Glamglow SuperMud Activated Charcoal Treatment Mask
The Glamglow SuperMud Activated Charcoal Treatment Mask [7] ($25-$82) has six exfoliating acids that work hard to unclog pores, especially in acne-prone skin. These acids — which include mandelic, tartaric, and pyruvic — work alongside activated-x charcoal to bring back glowing, clear skin. Oh, and the transformative mask has more than 240,000 loves and 5,000 reviews on Sephora, too.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Treatment Bar
The Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Treatment Bar [8] ($41) consists of 100 percent clay from Nocera Umbra, Italy. It's a purifying treatment with both anti-inflammatory and absorbent properties to calm skin and soak up any toxins. The deep-cleanser-slash-detoxifying-mask-slash-spot-treatment has earned more than 10,000 loves from Sephora shoppers and has nearly 600 reviews. Put it on any problem area of your face or body to fight acne, and then let it dry before rinsing it off again.
LightStim for Acne
Zap zits and blemish-causing bacteria with the LightStim for Acne [9] ($169). This FDA-cleared wand emits therapeutic light energy to restore skin's glow. There are red and blue LED wavelengths that work together to minimize pimples and redness, all in a daily three-minute treatment. (It also has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating at Sephora.)
Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads
The textured Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Correction Pads [10] ($46) are individual cotton rounds soaked with strong ingredients like salicylic acid to clean skin and 10 percent glycolic acid to exfoliate and clarify. Nearly 1,500 Sephora customers reviewed this best-selling product — many noted that it also helps with hyperpigmentation. One savvy shopper shared that she cuts them in half when she only needs a little, leaving twice as many in the end.
Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment
There are more than 2,000 reviews and 70,000 loves for this Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment [11] ($26), so it's safe to say this is a very popular product for pimples. It's unique in that it includes 10 percent sulfur (the highest amount allowed) to minimize existing blemishes as well as new breakouts. Leave the pink sediment on problem spots overnight — as it also includes zinc oxide for lasting oil control — and wake up wondering where they went.
Murad InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment
The top-rated Murad InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment [12] ($35) can work on both old and new acne marks, filling the pitted scars and leaving a smoother complexion in their wake. The product is clinically proven to minimize the look of scars' depth and texture and reduce discoloration [13] in eight weeks — and the reviews touting it as an amazing "miracle" product that's "liquid gold" back up the science.
Proactiv Blackhead Dissolving Gel
Proactiv Blackhead Dissolving Gel [14] ($35) uses an AHA (salicylic acid) and a BHA (lactic acid) to deep-clean and clear skin — and 98 percent of Sephora shoppers would recommend this product to a friend. Those active ingredients penetrate hair follicles to clear out any sebum, dead skin cells, and other debris that form blackheads, then aloe vera, shea butter, and green tea soothe your skin.
Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
Ole Henriksen struggled with cystic acne and harsh cleansers that stripped his skin. This led him to create his "Green Fusion Complex," a blend of extracts including green tea, eucalyptus, algae, and Irish moss, to absorb oil and clear blemishes without stressing out skin [15]. It's now found in several of his products including the Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser [16] ($10-$26). We'd say the 1,000 reviews and 40,000 hearts on Sephora attest to his success.
Briogeo B. Well Organic + Australian 100% Tea Tree Oil
Have you heard of the benefits of tea tree oil? Not only is it known to fight acne, it also soothes dry, irritated skin [17]. Briogeo B. Well Organic + Australian 100% Tea Tree Oil [18] ($32) is an organic non-GMO oil that's sustainably farmed and steam-distilled for maximum strength. Plus, if you have scalp acne, or any itchiness up top, this can be used there, too. It's also earned 4.8 out of 5 stars, with 97 percent of those shoppers saying they'd recommend it at Sephora.
Origins Clear Improvement Pore Clearing Moisturiser With Salicylic Acid
It's an oil-free moisturiser and an acne treatment. Origins Clear Improvement Pore Clearing Moisturiser With Salicylic Acid [19] ($34) — with more than 1,000 Sephora reviews — can keep skin hydrated without any added ingredients likely to cause more oil buildup or breakouts. Its star ingredient is bamboo charcoal, a very fine powder that's created after bamboo stalks are burned at high temperatures, which also can absorb 100 times its weight in impurities.
Lancer The Method: Polish Blemish Control
Even if you haven't heard of celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer, you should get to know his line if you have problem skin. His Lancer The Method: Polish Blemish Control [20] ($75) has earned 4.6 out of 5 stars from Sephora customers. It uses pumpkin and pomegranate enzymes to exfoliate and adds in salicylic acid and lilac stem cell compound to help improve oily, congested skin. (There's also his original Polish [21] with the same fruit enzymes but minus the AHAs . . . or go all out with the full three-step Lancer Method [22] instead.)
Clear Skin Days by Sephora Collection Clarifying Cleanser + Mask
None of the products in the Clear Skin Days by Sephora Collection [23] has more than 12 raw ingredients in each — and the brand keeps things safe with no sulphates, parabens, or formaldehydes [24]. This top-rated double-duty Clarifying Cleanser + Mask [25] ($10) serves as a cleanser or a mask to banish blemishes and brighten a complexion with 2 percent salicylic acid and 2 percent glycolic acid.
Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free
There are more than 3,000 reviews and 60,000 loves for Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free [26] ($56). Made specifically for acne-prone skin, it's got a velvety finish and comes in 22 shades, and it contains edelweiss to nourish the complexion and kaolin clay, which works throughout the day to control oil.
Bare Minerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation
Bare Minerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation [27] ($29) contains 0.5 percent salicylic acid. This top-rated powder is formulated just for breakout-prone skin, and it features the same mineral pigments with breathable, buildable coverage that the brand is known for, along with oat protein to nourish skin.
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting and Refining Serum
The Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting and Refining Serum [28] ($65) fights blackheads and wrinkles. It's a silicone-free daily treatment that gets its power from agarikon mushroom extract (to reduce shine and firm skin) and adipic acid (to fill in pores and fine lines). And there are more than 1,000 reviews, with 94 percent of shoppers saying they'd recommend this product to a friend, too.
Dermalogica Breakout Clearing All Over Toner
As its name implies, the Dermalogica Breakout Clearing All Over Toner [29] ($20) can go anywhere on the face or body that you're experiencing skin aggravation. It has sesame seed extract to control excess oils and argan to limit redness. The top-rated toner also includes 12 fragrant botanicals like lavender, lemongrass, and bitter orange to revitalize your complexion.