4 Products My Pimples Didn't Know They Needed (And Why They're So Bloody Good)
Amy Clark is Adore Beauty's former Senior Editor and co-host of Skincare School the podcast (and self-appointed beauty road-tester!). Amy's worked as a journalist, beauty editor and podcaster for several years, previously writing and talking about all things beauty at Mamamia and You Beauty. When she's not writing honest, no BS product reviews and taking selfies 'for work', you'll find Amy eating halloumi in a hair towel turban and... taking more selfies.
If you follow me on Instagram, you'd know I've been sharing a lot of pimple content lately.
Pimples watching TV. Pimple patches. Taking my pimples out for brunch. A triad of pimples that may or may not resemble the illuminati symbol.
A holy trinity, if you will.
Why would I post images of my blemishes on the internet for strangers to look at?
Aside from the fact Dr Pimple Popper's made millions from doing it, everyone gets pimples.
Even skin experts. Even celebrities.
Even beauty editors like me who have access to the best skin care on the market.
Whether my pimples look like yours or not, I've been actively trying to reframe the way I talk about them and our skin's appearance in general.
Rather than describing breakouts or an acne flare up as having a 'bad skin day', can we just call it... skin?
Skin can look and feel a whole number of ways on any given day. Pores, texture, inflammation, blemishes. They're all normal, but there are things you can do to reduce their appearance if you want to.
On that note, here are four products my pimples didn't know they needed, and why they're working for me.
Pimples vs Acne.
But first, what's the difference between pimples and acne? Even though we use the two terms interchangeably, it's important to know they aren't the same thing.
Pimples are what happens when the oil glands within our pores get blocked by a build up of excess sebum (oil) and dead skin cells that haven't shed correctly. Anyone can get pimples at any age, but it's more common in oily skin types simply because you're producing more oil.
There are six types of pimples, but the most common are: Whiteheads (small ones with a little white hat on), pustules (wearing a bigger white hat, plus some redness, soreness and inflammation) and cysts (deep, hard, painful pimples also known as blind pimples).
Acne is a pattern of consistent breakouts. It's also a medical condition, which means it needs to be diagnosed by and treated under the guidance of a medical professional, GP, dermatologist or dermal therapist. If you think you might have acne, the first step is to go and have a professional assess your skin.
In this article, I'll be discussing how I'm managing pimples and what products are working for me.
We dive deeper into acne, pimples, blemishes and blackheads in this episode of the Skincare School podcast.
Best Products for Pimples.
I have dry skin prone to dehydration and occasional hormonal blemishes depending on my menstrual cycle and how my life's going (i.e. am I sleeping, eating well, managing my stress etc?).
But over the last month, an increase in mask-wearing has resulted in the return of our 2020 friend, mask-ne. For me, this looks like whiteheads and pustules around my mouth and chin, and the odd tiny but painful blind pimple, usually in the most inconvenient place on my face.
Below are a few of the products I've been using to minimise the appearance of my breakouts and help them heal faster.
1. Aesthetics Rx AHA Cream Cleanser.
Why my pimples are loving it:
Exfoliating cleansers containing salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid or BHA) are great for subbing into your evening skincare routine when your skin is congested, but they can be too harsh for sensitised skin or dry skin types like mine.
But this product isn't like other exfoliating cleansers. There's nothing irritating about it. It's gentle and kind and would never do anything to make my skin sad and angry.
In other words, this product combines the gentle exfoliation of AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) fruit extracts from bilberries, sugar cane, sugar maple, oranges and lemons with a soothing, hydrating cream base.
It's a dry skin dream, I've been using this most nights in the shower.
2. COSRX Pimple Patches.
Why my pimples are loving them:
I've been wearing one (or three) of these pimple patches almost every day since they arrived in my last staff order.
Pimple patches are made from hydrocolloid, a type of wound dressing that can help reduce the appearance of pimples and speed up recovery. They work by drawing out all that pus and bringing it to the surface, but they also keep bacteria out.
They're affordable and discrete (can you spot them in this selfie below?). Plus, they're particularly handy over any active blemishes while wearing a mask. Or on a blind pimple to encourage it to get a move on.
3. Bioderma Micellar Water.
Why my pimples are loving it:
This product is neither new or new to me, but I haven't really used it regularly until now.
Most people love using this micellar water to remove makeup because the micelles bind to and remove oily substances on the skin like sunscreen, sebum, dirt and makeup.
What I've found it really useful for is gently and effectively cleansing the skin after wearing a mask in the areas where I'm currently blemish-prone.
I like the original pink Sensibio formula, but it comes in Hydrabio (hydrating) and Sebium (for oily skin) versions, too.
Drench a cotton pad and wipe over the area, then either layer your morning skin care as usual, or just chuck on some moisturiser. And a pimple patch. Why not, eh?
4. Dermalogica Spot Treatment.
Why my pimples are loving it:
Obviously, this tube was running late when I did my sunny pimple product photo shoot... but the fact I went to the effort of putting shoes on and taking a separate photo of it outside says it all.
What makes this Dermalogica spot treatment different to other spot treatments I've tried and loved is how it treats pimples and the little red acne scar marks they leave behind (technical term is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
How? Salicylic acid essentially clears the gunk out of your pores, niacinamide (vitamin B3) brightens and supports the skin barrier, and hexylresorcinol fades the appearance of the acne scar.
It's pretty strong, so you only need a tiny bit and apply it just where the active breakouts are.
That's it from me! Want more expert advice on navigating breakouts? Our resident dermal therapist Yads Galarza Cauchi shared some excellent tips in this article on how to quickly resolve pimples.
And finally, for more info around how to manage blemishes, watch my YouTube video below.
You can read more content for pimple and acne-prone skin here:
