Best Acne Spot Treatment

Squeezing or popping a pimple may seen to be the best short-term spot treatment for acne, but I’m old enough to KNOW that you don’t ever want to pop a pimple. It causes scarring and later you will regret popping them. This, absolutely is NOT the best acne spot treatment! If you don’t heed this advice and you live long enough, you’ll think back about reading this article and wish that you had taken this advice to heart!

Anyone who suffers with acne or experiences a breakout once in a while has had an occasion where they wished they could get their hands on the best acne spot treatment and that it would work a miracle instantly. We’ve all had something like the following happen to us:

• you have a first date with a very special person and want to look your very best
• you have a job interview and want to look great and make a good impression
• you have a photo shoot scheduled

You wake up on the morning of the big event and there’s a huge zit on your face that wasn’t there yesterday.

Help… Best Acne Spot Treatment Needed Immediately!

That’s when you will be asking this question: “What’s the best acne treatment that has ever been made?” Well, let’s begin by being totally realistic… there simply is no “best acne spot treatment” remedy that will cause a pimple to instantly disappear… well, at least none that I’ve found. However, I have found one that works better than others and I’ll tell you about it in a minute. But first, I believe it will be beneficial to take a look at the most popular products on the market that claim to be the best acne spot treatment. I’ll tell you what they are and whether or not they live up to their claim. That way you will be able to make an informed decision about which you believe is the best acne spot treatment.

Even the best acne spot treatment can do little more than help an existing pimple to shrink slightly in size and to heal more quickly, but, it usually takes a couple of days to see a marked improvement. You also need to be aware that these spot treatments aren’t very effective when it comes to cystic acne. Actually the best treatment for acne is taking preventative measures before you find yourself in this situation. To learn more about how to prevent acne breakouts, check out my article entitled Acne No More Review.

Best Acne Spot Treatment Choices

Let’s take a look at the most often used spot treatments for acne that you will find in every drugstore in the nation.

Is Salicylic Acid the Best Acne Spot Treatment?

First is salicylic acid or beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) which does not kill bacteria that cause acne. This ingredient acts as an exfoliant which helps to break down dead skin cells that block pores and also helps to break up sebum which is a natural oil produced by the body. It is more effective at combating whiteheads and blackheads than pimples.

If a product is labeled an “acid” and is strong enough to exfoliate dead skin cells, it has the potential to burn your eyes. Therefore, extreme caution is recommended when using this product near your eyes.

Is Benzoyl Peroxide the Best Acne Spot Treatment?

Then there’s benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is available in varying strengths. The problem with this product is that it has the ability to kill acne causing bacteria, but only if the strength is around 10%. Many people can’t use anything stronger than 2.5% without it causing more redness with harsh drying effects that cause the skin to itch.

If you decide to use a product with this ingredient, a strong solution in gel form is recommended. It is to be used on pimples only and not on the entire face because of its drying effects which cause more dead skin cells that will clog pores, which causes more pimples. You also need to use caution when using this product near your eyes.

I really can’t recommend benzoyl peroxide as the best spot treatment for acne.

Is Tea Tree Oil the Best Acne Spot Treatment?

This may be the best acne spot treatment that we’ve discussed up to this point. First of all, tea tree oil has powerful anti-bacterial properties. It may take a day longer to see the results of tea tree oil as compared to benzoyl peroxide, but the reason why tea tree oil may be a better choice is that it actually helps to get rid of redness instead of making it worse as benzoyl peroxide does and it doesn’t cause excessive dryness.

Because tea tree oil isn’t nearly as drying as salycilic acid or benzoyl peroxide and doesn’t lead to more dead skin cells which clog pores and cause more zits, I recommend tea tree oil over the other two products previously discussed.
Please be aware that most products on the market don’t contain enough tea tree oil to be effective, so pure tea tree oil is your best option, but use it sparingly. Simply dip a cotton swab into the tea tree oil and apply it directly to pimples.

I recommend doing this only at bedtime and not in the morning. Tea tree oil has a very unpleasant, medicinal smell that other people will not want to smell. For that reason, I wouldn’t use it in the morning unless you will be spending your day at home. However, it is effective enough that you will probably see some improvement overnight, making this a very good choice for the best overnight acne spot treatment.

Is Sulfur the Best Acne Spot Treatment?

Yes, sulfur preparations have been used to treat all types of skin problems for decades and still has its place in our modern day. Sulfur kills bacteria and is an effective ingredient, but it will not get rid of a pimple overnight.

Note: Don’t get this ingredient confused with sulfa, which is a type of antibiotic.

Sulfur is a naturally occuring element and is an effective anti-acne agent. This is a fairly expensive ingredient, so you might expect to pay more for a spot treatment for acne product that contains sulfur.

My Choice for Best Acne Spot Treatment

I feel as if I’ve tried every product that claims to be the best acne spot treatment available, but realistically, I know that I haven’t. But, believe me, I’ve tried my fair share. There is one which I swear by and would not be caught without it. That product is Continuously Clear Dry-Lo Spot Treatment Acne Medication by Serious Skin Care which can be found at HSN.com and the primary active ingredient is sulfur. They have come out with a new product, Serious Skin Care Serious Conceal Acne Treatment Pen, which I have not tried. However, it has the same active ingredient (10% sulfur) as the Dry-Lo Spot Treatment. This treatment pen is something that can be carried in a pocket or purse for emergencies.

The Continuously Clear Dry-Lo Spot Treatment Acne Medication works better than any product I have personally tried. It is a light flesh colored liquid that will help to conceal the pimple as it starts to heal it. It’s important to shake the bottle well before applying the liquid. Apply with a cotton swab directly to the pimple.

One drawback is that you will see the product unless it closely matches your skin tone. If you’re caucasian with fair to medium skin tone, this liquid can be blended so that is isn’t noticeable without makeup. However, if you have a darker skin tone, you will need makeup during the day to cover it. It dries with a matte finish making it easy to cover with makeup.

Another drawback is the smell. Yes, we all know that sulfur does have an unpleasant odor. However, don’t let this discourage you, because once it dries the odor is completely gone. So, it’s okay to use this one morning and night. This product is by far the best acne spot treatment that I have ever used and I highly recommend it.

HSN is a great company to do business with because they give a 30 day money back guarantee on their products.