6 Fast & Effective Acne Products
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PR Sample – products have been sent to me in exchange for my honest review.
I’ve never really struggled with awful skin growing up. Sure, I had the occasional pimple and I did have a weird bumpy texture on my cheeks, but it was manageable and something I never gave much thought to. I’ll be the first to admit that I never even took my makeup off during my college years and didn’t own a face wash. It was only after I really started experimenting and growing in the world of makeup that I realized I was doing some damage to my skin by not taking care of it. Around this time last year, I found a skincare line and routine that changed my life. I didn’t realize what I was missing out on! After consistently using it for a couple months, my skin was so smooth, so even and so fresh looking.
Further Reading: The Skincare Routine that Changed my Life
And then…we moved to Louisiana in April. And maybe it was the stress of the move or the lifestyle changes that came along with it, or maybe it was just because it was so hot and humid in the Deep South, but my skin had a major meltdown. I mean, it was a meltdown of epic proportions. I started breaking out all along my hairline, my upper lip, and my chin/jawline, and they weren’t your typical blemishes. They were VERY painful cystic pimples that swelled up under the skin but would take weeks to actually come to a head and then stay red for weeks after. My bumpy texture along my cheeks grew and expanded and my skin tone became uneven and dull. Unfortunately for me, my skin has continued to be in meltdown mode through our move to Utah and is still struggling now (although it does seem to be getting better, thanks to the products I’m about to share with you.)
My skin, which I finally had fallen in love with before our move, became a huge source of anxiety and insecurity for me. I spent days hunkered down in my apartment and going makeup up free, hoping that it just needed some air. I started throwing every skin care product I owned at it, multiple times a day, trying to help it, and that only made it worse. In a final act of desperation, I took a very rough shower exfoliator and scrubbed it all over my forehead, which made my skin raw, pink and angry. It was bad news bears.
When we got to Utah and my skin continued to freak out, I decided I needed to come up with a plan and really figure out what to do about it. That started with me going makeup free for a week and putting NO products on my skin, minus a very light moisturizer at night. I just felt like it needed a break from everything. During that week, I did a ton of reading and research into products that might help me get my skin back and put together my own regimen to try. I’m happy to say that things have gotten considerably better since using these specific products consistently over the last month. While these didn’t erase my zits overnight, things are definitely improving and my skin is looking a lot better.
6 Fast & Effective Products for Acne
Nip & Fab Glycolic Fix Extreme Night Pads – ($14.95)
Disclosure – this product was sent to me in a PR package, but I am so glad it came because it’s been great for my skin.
What this does – This product is for minimizing pores, evening skin tone, and decongesting skin. It’s made with a very potent mixture of glycolic and salicylic acid that helps improve problem areas through the natural exfoliation process.
How I feel about it – The packaging does say that it’s for oily skin (and I’m combination) so I am careful not to use it on my dryer areas (like my nose or my eyes) and concentrate the pads on my chin, forehead, and cheeks. Since the acid levels are more potent, I use these every other night, right after taking my makeup off with a makeup wipe. Ever since I started using this product, I have noticed the texture issues in my cheeks has decreased and my skin tone has evened out a bit as well. And, since this product helps with the exfoliation process, I do feel like it helps my skin get rid of pimple-causing irritants before they can wreak havoc on my face.
The Rating – 4/5 stars
Derma E Scar Gel – $19.99
What this does – This product is made with a unique mix of botanical extracts that help target, smooth, and diminish the appearance of scars. It’s herbal ingredients help break down scar tissue and encourage healthy natural-looking tissue growth.
How I feel about it – My friend Amanda from Blissful Gal originally put this product on my radar and after waiting weeks for a particularly nasty blemish to heal, I decided I needed to pick it up. If you can walk away from this post with two products, this is the second one I would say you NEED. Granted, I did have to use this consistently for about a week and a half before I started seeing results, but once I started to seeing them, it was very clear. Not only did this help my red marks post-pimples fade a lot faster than they would have on their own, it really helped reduce the bumpy texture on my cheeks. I LOVE this product and will continue to use it, even if I don’t have scars!
The Rating – 5/5 stars
Mario Badesco Buffering Lotion – $19.00
What this does – This product has been a huge game changer for my skin when it came to my very painful cystic pimples, because it is specifically formulated to target cystic acne. It is also formulated with anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to promote healing.
How I feel about it – Like I said: game changer. A good friend of mine who works at Ulta recommended the acne products from the Mario Badesco line and this was one of two products I picked up to try. The first few days, I applied it over my cystic areas 2-3 times during the day. Using it that much did dry out my skin a bit, but I was okay with it since my pimples were increasingly smaller and less painful. Now that the situation is under control, I apply it over all the areas that are formulating the painful cysts every night and sometimes in the morning before putting my makeup on.
The rating – 4.5/5 stars
Mario Badesco Buffering Lotion– $17.00
What this does – This drying lotion does exactly what it promises: it dries out your pimples overnight! It’s formulated with salicylic acid, calamine, and other quick-drying ingredients, this product will shrink ugly whiteheads virtually overnight.
How I feel about it – If you could only buy one product from this post, this is the one I would recommend. This is the most effective spot treatment I’ve ever tried and it truly zaps pimples away overnight. The first bottle I bought I used wrong the entire time (you’re supposed to dip your q-tip into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle and I just used the clear fluid at the top) and it still was pretty effective. Once I started using it the right way, however, it became even more effective. For regular pimples, this stuff dries them out overnight. My deeper cystic ones usually need 2-3 nights before it goes away, but it still drastically reduces the size and tenderness after the first night. Be aware, though, this is a drying lotion, so it will dry your skin out if you use it repeatedly on the same places, but from my experience, it isn’t awful.
The rating – 5/5 stars
Götz Bad Ischl Oxygen Facial Tonic – $35.00
Disclosure – this product was sent to me in a PR package, but I am so glad it came because it’s been great for my skin.
What this does – This is a spray formulated for oily and acne prone skin. It helps tone the skin, reduces red marks and targets acne problem areas.
How I feel about it – I use this as a toner on the nights I’m not using the Nip & Fab night pads. I find that this spray goes on light and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy, which is great. I do think it helped reduce my skin’s overall redness as well. The cool thing about this toner is that it’s formulated to also help with irritation from bug bites and razor burn, so it’s a great multipurpose product to have on hand!
The rating – 4/5 stars
Water – Free
What this does – Drinking water flushes out the toxins and keeps your skin hydrated from the inside out.
How I feel about it – I decided to really work on my water uptake while trying to improve my skin and made it a goal to drink four 24 ounce cups of water a day. Not only did I have to pee a lot more, but I do think that my skin looked and felt significantly better. It seemed more vibrant and hydrated when I made sure I hit my water goal and on days I didn’t hit those goals, it looked duller. I also noticed that drinking a lot of water consistently prevented any other major breakouts from happening; I only had to deal with the ones that were already on my face.
Okay, that wraps up my reviews and recommendations for acne-prone skin. If you struggle with acne, know that you are not alone. Although it’s true that we’re more than our outside appearance, I know how hard it can be to face the outside world when your skin is betraying you. I do recommend these products 100% from personal experience!
Do you struggle with acne? What products do you use to help you manage yours?
