From balancing schoolwork to dealing with dizzying hormone changes, the teenage experience is filled with obstacles. Perhaps the most common and frustrating of them all are frequent breakouts.
Acne affects an estimated 80% of people between ages 11 and 30 at some point in their lives, according to The National Institutes for Health. This can take a toll on teens’ self-esteem: Adolescents and young adults who suffer from acne have higher rates of anxiety and depression, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
If you suffer from breakouts, don’t get discouraged: While acne can be one of the more anxiety-inducing parts of being a teenager, most cases are entirely curable, says Dr. Mona Gohara, a dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut. I spoke to dermatologists about how to treat teen breakouts and the best acne-fighting ingredients to look for. I also compiled experts’ top picks for the best acne facial cleansers and spot treatments to shop, along with products NBC Select staffers used and loved as teens.
When treating teen acne, my experts recommend looking for the following ingredients and skin care products to include in youreveryday skin care routine:
Face cleansers: Look for a face wash labeled noncomedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores or lead to more breakouts. Your daily face wash should include ingredients like salicylic acid (an exfoliant that removes dead skin and unclogs pores) and benzoyl peroxide (a topical antiseptic that kills acne-causing bacteria), experts say. However, these ingredients may come with some side effects, including irritated and flaky, dry skin. You should use them only a couple of times a week to start and gradually increase use as your skin adjusts, says Dr. Samer Jaber, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Washington Square Dermatology in New York City.
Spot treatments: These help target a specific pimple and should be applied directly on the breakout, never to your entire face, experts say. Similar to an acne-fighting cleanser, look for ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. For more stubborn cystic acne, you should consider a retinoid like adapalene, which is available over-the-counter and helps unclog pores and regulate cell turnover, according to dermatologists I spoke to.
Retinoids: Retinoids derive from vitamin A and are a popular acne treatment for all ages. Both prescription retinoids (like tretinoin and tazarotene) and OTC options (like adapalene) help unclog pores and get rid of dead skin by increasing cell turnover, experts say. Keep in mind retinoids can be irritating and drying, especially if you have sensitive skin. Introduce them slowly and start by applying them only once a week, says Gohara. (More on retinoids below.)
Gentle exfoliants: Though teen skin tends to self-exfoliate regularly, you can still use non-abrasive chemical exfoliants to get rid of pesky breakouts. These include alpha hydroxy acids (like glycolic and lactic acid) and salicylic acid. Avoid harsh scrubs, which can make acne and inflammation worse. Like retinoids, exfoliants can be irritating and drying, so make sure to incorporate an exfoliant slowly into your routine.
Best treatments for teen acne
Below, I gathered expert-recommended face washes, spot treatments, retinoids, pimple patches and more that can help improve teen acne. All of the following acne products are noncomedogenic and include gentle or acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and adapalene.
Differin Gel is an NBC Select staff-favorite spot treatment that won our 2023 Wellness Award for best acne treatment overall. NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin says she started using Differin gel for her hormonal and cystic acne as a teenager since it is the only OTC retinoid that does not require a prescription. “It helped reduce my acne in a few days when I used it as a spot treatment, which, as a high schooler, was perfect because it made me less insecure about my skin,” she says.
This treatment has 0.1% adapalene, which regulates cell turnover along the pores to reduce clogging, experts say. “If there’s one thing to pick to do for your acne, start using Differin gel at bedtime,” says Jaber. Wash with a gentle cleanser, dry your skin fully and apply a pea size of Differin onto the entire face, according to the brand. Make sure to avoid using Differin Gel, as well as any other retinoid, as a spot treatment. “That would be way too irritating — it meant to be used all over [the face],” says Gohara.
One of our favorite cystic acne treatments, this expert-recommended La Roche-Posay adapalene gel helps unclog pores, increase cell turnover and fight more severe acne. The gel is fragrance- and oil-free, according to the brand. Keep in mind adapalene can be irritating, so make sure to introduce this gel into your routine slowly (about once a week) to avoid redness and inflammation, according to my experts.
“Foam-based cleansers are [best] for those with oily skin,” says Jaber, who recommends this one from CeraVe. The cleanser has 4% benzoyl peroxide to fight acne-causing bacteria, hyaluronic acid to preserve the skin’s natural moisture and niacinamide, which helps to calm irritation, experts say. It’s fragrance-free, noncomedogenic and can remove any excess oil, dirt or makeup from the skin, according to the brand.
This Panoxyl face and body foaming wash has 10% benzoyl peroxide, the highest concentration available without a prescription. This was also one of Malin’s favorites as a teen: “It helped reduce the frequency of breakouts, but since I have sensitive skin, I used it every other day instead of every day.” It works to clean and unclog pores and contains moisturizing ingredients to help combat dryness, according to the brand.
Noncomedogenic products like this La Roche-Posay face wash won’t block pores, says Dr. Adnan Mir, assistant professor at New York Medical College and dermatopathologist at Dermpath Diagnostics in Port Chester, New York. This foaming cleanser is recommended byGohara because it’s both noncomedogenic and contains zinc pidolate, which has astringent, anti-inflammatory properties shown to improve acne.
This expert-recommended acne face wash from Neutrogena has 2% salicylic acid to fight breakouts and remove dirt, oil, grime, impurities and bacteria from the skin, according to the brand. This was my go-to face wash when I was a teen because it stopped breakouts from forming and I noticed it made a huge difference when it came to clearing up existing bumps around my cheeks and forehead. The wash is also oil-free and noncomedogenic, so it’s great for sensitive, oily skin. If you’re using a salicylic acid cleanser for the first time, try using it every other day at first and eventually apply it daily depending on how your skin reacts, according to my experts.
Avéne’s gentle, no-rinse cleanser is formulated with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, so it’s hydrating enough to keep the skin barrier healthy, yet won’t clog pores, says Gohara. It also works to remove makeup, dirt and oil and adds moisture back into the skin, according to the brand.
This spot treatment is a favorite of both Gohara and Jaber, and can reduce the size and redness of acne in just two hours, according to the brand. It contains 10% benzoyl peroxide, which inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes acne, experts told us.
This quick-drying formula may be a good option for those looking to avoid benzoyl peroxide, experts say. It contains salicylic acid to fight acne and calamine to calm irritation, according to the brand. Simply dip a cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle and dab it directly onto your pimple, according to the brand. The lotion dries quickly but leaves a pink, chalky residue, so the brand recommends using this product at night.
These First Aid Beauty facial pads are made for sensitive skin because they can gently exfoliate using an alcohol-free (non-drying) formula, according to the brand. Recommended by Gohara, these pads have hyaluronic acid and white tea extract to hydrate and protect your skin. The brand recommends using this product in the morning and in the evening after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Pimple patches, which adhere to the skin and use hydrocolloid gel to absorb excess oil and dirt away from pimples, are great for both reducing the size of breakouts and preventing people from picking at and popping them, says Gohara. This Hero Cosmetics pimple patch won an NBC Select Wellness Award because it’s translucent and easily blends into the skin, according to our reviewers. You can use these overnight or throughout the day, and the patch will turn white as it draws out the gunk and other sebum or debris from your pimples, according to the brand.
How to treat teen acne
Combating acne can be tough, and finding the root cause — whether that’s hormones, stress or genetics — can help you find the best solution. There are generally two ways to treat teen acne and pimples, according to my experts: preemptive face-washing with appropriate cleansers and spot-treating breakouts.
Wash your face with gentle, soap-free cleanser
It’s important to remove any makeup before bed and to wash your face every day — twice a day if you have oily skin or if your face gets dirty throughout the day, like after a workout, says Jaber.
When it comes to face cleansers, look for gentle, noncomedogenic products, which means they won’t block pores, says Mir. “Cleansers with ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be very helpful for those with acne,” says Jaber. “But be careful as they can be irritating and drying.”
Spot treat pimples
All three dermatologists I spoke to recommend spot treating pimples from the second they start to develop until they’re just about gone. Look for a product containing a retinoid (a form of vitamin A that helps unclog pores), benzoyl peroxide (a topical antiseptic) or salicylic acid (an exfoliant that removes dead skin and unclogs pores), according to the experts.
Frequently asked questions
Acne is a skin condition that primarily affects the face, shoulders, chest and back. Fueled by fluctuating hormones that increase oil production in the skin, breakouts happen when that oil (also known as sebum) combines with dead skin cells, clogs pores and traps bacteria, which then causes inflammation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Indeed, both whiteheads and blackheads are clogged sebaceous glands, says Mir. (The black color is due to the oil reacting with oxygen, not due to dirt.) “People with acne have glands that make more oil and are more easily plugged,” he says.
Though it affects teens, there’s actually no standard age or period of time when this “oil surge” calms down, according to Gohara. “It’s completely genetic,” she says. “Some people never get it, for some people, it lasts five years.”
There are three main types of acne: comedonal, inflammatory acne and cystic acne. Teens and adults commonly have a mix of the three types. Below, Gohara shares the differences between the three:
Comedonal acne is commonly known as whiteheads (closed comedones) and blackheads (open comedones). This type of acne usually shows up on the forehead, jawline and chin, though they can also form on the chest, back, shoulders and neck.
Inflammatory acne are the pimples that are pink or red, swollen and ones people are more compelled to pop.
Cystic acne results in pus-filled cysts that form deep underneath the skin. Cystic acne is usually more painful than normal bumps and can cause scarring, depending on the severity.
Minimizing or avoiding ways that could make acne worse is the key to reducing breakouts, according to our experts. Excessive face washing and exfoliating, popping pimples and trying multiple new products at once can all exacerbate acne.
Washing your face too often
Believe it or not, washing your face too frequently can leave you susceptible to more breakouts. “One of the mistakes I commonly see with teens is they really want to get their skin better, and so they over-wash their skin,” says Jaber. That can dry out skin, which can actually make breakouts worse, he says.
Piling on the trendy products
“Teens tend to turn to their favorite influencer and start putting what I call ‘the kitchen sink approach’ on their face,” says Gohara. “This can stoke the acne fire.” Acne breakouts can take five days or more to disappear, so it’s important for teens to stick to a basic routine and give their skin time to heal, she says.
Over-exfoliating or scrubbing
Though exfoliating can be beneficial for teens who notice small breakouts, don’t overdo it: Teenage skin already sluffs dead skin cells on its own, so using scrubs containing abrasive beads can be extremely irritating, says Mir. “Sometimes, teens think acne is from dirt and they start to scrub it, but scrubbing is bad,” says Gohara. She recommends using a gentle, alcohol-free chemical exfoliant once a week in the form of pads containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. Other non-abrasive chemical exfoliants include retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and alpha hydroxy acids like lactic acid (though Gohara recommends introducing these slowly and using them once a week to avoid excess irritation).
Don’t pop pimples
Though it isn’t the absolute worst thing a teen can do if the pimple has come to a head, all of our dermatologists warn against popping pimples. “Picking and popping pimples can lead to scarring, because you increase inflammation,” says Mir. “Once in a while a dermatologist will do it, and some people feel a compulsion to pick and pop, but it’s something that we like to discourage.”
If you have severe acne or cysts that leave scars, or if breakouts don’t respond to a regular routine of gentle cleansing, exfoliation and spot treatment, a consultation with a dermatologist might be in order, says Gohara. “Some people need something stronger to manage their acne, like an oral antibiotic,” she says. That includes Accutane, also known as Isotretinoin, which is an oral prescription medication that helps treat severe acne and cysts.
Though acne tends to flare due to hormonal fluctuation, which can be during your period, around puberty, pregnancy and with certain medical conditions like type 1 diabetes, all acne has both a hormonal and bacterial component to it, says Gohara. Oil glands (called sebaceous glands) on the skin are triggered by hormones, which causes the glands to produce even more oils.
“We have normal bacteria in our skin, and that excess oil is basically like Thanksgiving for these little bacteria,” says Gohara. “[The bacteria] settles in the oil gland, and they start feeding off of those extra oils and creating inflammation.”
Yes, retinoids in both prescription form like tretinoin and OTC versions like adapalene are the gold standard when it comes to treating acne for all ages, says Gohara. Teens can use retinoids to treat more severe cases of acne, including cystic acne. They help unclog pores and increase cell turnover, which replaces dead skin cells with younger, healthier ones, experts say.
Yes, you should wear sunscreen every day, regardless if you have acne or not. However, several key acne-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, experts say. Make sure you wear sunscreen every day when using any acne products.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Dr. Adnan Miris the former committee chair for the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. He is an assistant professor at New York Medical College and dermatopathologist at Dermpath Diagnostics in Port Chester, New York.
Dr. Mona Goharais a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut.
Dr. Samer Jaber is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Washington Square Dermatology in New York City.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am anupdates editor at NBC Select who has covered a variety of skin care topics, including products for rosacea, keratosis pilaris and cystic acne treatments. For this article, I spoke to three dermatologists to narrow down the best treatments for teen acne, and highlighted their recommendations for the best products to consider.
