Your Ultimate Guide to Treating *Every* Type of Acne on Your Body (2024)

Alright, here's the shitty thing about treating cystic acne: Since cystic zits are rooted deep within the skin tissue, there's no magic cleanser, spot treatment, or serum that'll completely clear up your acne at home. They typically require time, patience, and a prescription-strength remedy from a dermatologist—so now might be the time to book that appointment you've been putting off for years (you can even see a derm virtually, if you can't get there in person).

But what you can do in the meantime is calm your cystic acne with a cocktail of benzoyl peroxide and 1 percent hydrocortisone cream, an anti-inflammatory combo that'll help flatten your zits faster. "The less inflammation you have now, the less hyperpigmentation and scarring you’ll have when the zit heals,” Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, tells Cosmo. Here's what you'll need:

You're going to do this every single day for one week, so listen up: After applyingyour nighttime skincare routine (your usual combination of face wash,moisturizer, etc.), gently wipe off the products from your cystic zit witha dry cotton swab. You want the areato be clean and dry, since any lingering creams or oils will get in the way of your treatment.

Then, dab a thin layer (less is more, here) ofbenzoyl peroxide on your cyst—this drugstore formula from Neutrogena is a classic and effective option, and with 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide, you won't have to worry about it drying you out.

Fun fact: Whiteheads—those classic zits with visible white caps—are formed when oil and dead skin cells get trapped in your pores. And as cute as that all sounds, the great thing about whiteheads is that they're relatively easy to treat. “The most common ingredient used to treat whiteheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid—BHA—that works to open up your pores,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, has told Cosmo.

The not-so-great thing about salicylic acid? It takes a bit to work. “You’ll likely see results in 4-6 weeks,” Rachel Nazarian, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC, tells Cosmo, "after which you should continue to use it for long-term effects." With that in mind, these are the products you should start with:

Even though it might be tempting to add as much salicylic acid to your skincare routine as possible, drying out your skin will only result in more breakouts (really). Other than the aforementioned serum, you'll want to keep the rest of your treatment plan super gentleand hydrating—and that includes your cleanser.

Mostacne face washesare filled with stripping sulfates that can make your acneworse, butthis milky cleanseruses amino acids and vitamin-rich extracts to clean and hydrate your face without aggravating your zits.

Blackheads are caused by oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria getting lodged in your pores and creating a waxy plug. But, according to Zoe Draelos, MD, a dermatologist in Durham, North Carolina, unlike with whiteheads, where the plug gets stuck, blackheads are the result of that plug getting pushed toward the skin’s surface, coming into contact with air, and then oxidizing and turning black.

Chemical exfoliation is key to treating blackheads at home—so put down the gritty face scrub (they're way too abrasive and can actually create micro tears in your skin, leading to more breakouts) and use one of these formulas with salicylic acid, instead:

Even though those peel-off blackhead masks are super satisfying, they're basically a shortcut toirritation, redness, dryness, aaaaandan increase in breakouts, since the act of rippinganything off your skin is incredibly damaging. That doesn't mean all blackhead removers are off the table, though, as long as you're using a gentle formula that doesn't take off a layer of your skin with it.

These Boscia strips, for example, use a combination of charcoal and silica powder to absorb oil, along withwitch hazelto soothe inflammation on your nose. Just make sure you're super careful taking it off—and follow the directions to a damn T.

You know those small and mighty red zits that never come to a head? The kinda painful, super-inflamed ones? Yeah, they're a type of inflammatory acne called papules, and they're formed when bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells push deep into your skin, resulting in that pain and inflammation. The easiest—and fastest—way to treat them is with benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial ingredient that soothes inflammation and fights acne-causing bacteria.

These are the products you should have in your acne-fighting team:

PSA: Retinoids are one of the best ingredients you can be using on acne-prone skin.According toMelissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD, a New York City-baseddermatologist and founder ofEntière Dermatology, retinoids speed up and regulate yourskin cell turnover, helping to prevent clogged pores and smooth out yourskin texture over time.

Adapalene—like Differin—is one of Dr. Levin's go-tos, since "it'sgenerally more tolerable and gentle compared to other retinoids." And to make things even easier, you can snag it OTC, no prescription necessary. Just make sure to start slowly (sensing a theme, here?). Smooth a pea-size dab over clean, dry skin two nights a week for two weeks, then three nights a week for three weeks, then every other night, always following with moisturizer.

They might look like whiteheads, but pustules (red, pus-filled zits) are another form of inflammatory acne. Like their cousin papules, you'll want to treat them with bacteria-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide (we meet again), salicylic acid, sulfur, or zinc.

BTW: Picking or popping a pustule is basically the worst thing you can do—you actually end up introducing more bacteria into the wound, which means your zit will hang around thaaaat much longer, and potentially get much worse.

Instead, slap on one of these pimple patches or spot treatments as soon as you notice your zit forming:

Here's the thing: The majority of acne treatments aren't gentle enough to use on sensitive skin types. Even though that benzoyl peroxide serum or maximum-strength salicylic acid could destroy your zits in theory, the irritation and redness they'll leave behind can actually cause even more zits in the end. The solution? Gentle alternatives (like lactic acid or tea tree oil) in low (I'm talking, super low) doses.

Right this way for your best options:

If those red bumps on your chest, back, shoulders, and/or butt aren't responding to your usual acne treatments, there's a good chance you're dealing with something called fungal acne (which, BTW, is especially common in people who wear moisture-trapping athletic clothes like leggings and sports bras).

"Everyone has some level of yeast in their skin’s microbiome, but when you give that yeast a sweaty, damp, or oily environment, you create the ideal place for fungal acne to grow," says Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology & Laser Surgery.

Fungal acne tends to look pretty uniform: a bunch of tiny, red, inflamed bumps, and doesn't usually respond to classic acne wipes or body washes. Instead, try one of these: