Maskne who? Best spot treatments for every pocket!

**********This post contains gifted items. Gifted mentions may be present. All links used are affiliate.********** 

Spot treatments have come a long way since the days of using toothpaste on those pesky pimples. These 4 treatments can kill a spot on a spot (overnight) without drying your skin. How’s that for instant results!

No longer dreadfully drying, the modern acne-fighting skincare concentrates on 2 most important aspects of fighting unwanted blemishes. In order to reduce spot size overnight and leave little scarring, the best treatments not only balance sebum production but also hydrate so your face is rid of the pimple quickly and surrounding area kept hydrated reducing healing time and preventing scarring.

Maskne can be a real pain, but even if you’re lucky and somehow skipped this particularly annoying side effect of wearing a mask, I’m sure there are days (read: PMS/period) we can all use a little help to rid our faces (and bodies) from unwanted visitors. Depending on personal preference, there are gels, creams, lotions and new fan favourite spot fighting dots, aka stickers for pimples. What they all have in common are their ability to make our lives a little easier when dealing with pimples. Mental side effects of acne are not uncommon, so it’s not just about physical blemish but also how they make us feel. Clear skin has been considered healthy and sought after since the beginning of time, so what we consider a healthy look has been long decoded in us. We must challenge ourselves to change that, to accept ourselves as who we are, love our skin on good and bad days. Skincare can help, not only by physically healing spots but also making us feel more confident in the process. 

It’s worth learning the names of the ingredients that help actively fight blemishes, such as well known BHAs (Salicylic Acid, Willow Bark Extract), Benzoyl Peroxide, Sulfur, Retinol, Tea Tree Oil and one newcomer Succinic Acid. What they all have in common are their antibacterial properties which can help fight acne-causing bacteria, as well as anti-fungal capabilities (fungal acne is caused by an overgrowth of yeast). And let’s not forget about ingredients you may want to know off, such as overly drying SLS and alcohols (overly drying of skin leads to increased sebum production), pore-clogging silicones, comedogenic oils, and anything too occlusive like lanolin etc. I’m not trying to fear monger here, as all of these ingredients can be tolerated by most people, but the formulation is key, as always and it’s simply worth knowing. What you shouldn’t avoid is hydrating and nourishing skincare, in fact, skin that’s kept hydrated and nourished is better at balancing oil production and healthy lipid barrier keeps it from getting irritated and spotty. The moral of the story is that there’s no need to avoid oils that are low on the comedogenic scale, and moisturisers - even the oiliest skin needs them to keep healthy too.

The brand new The Inkey List Succinic Acid Blemish Treatment* | £6.99 for 15ml |  is meant to be applied topically to problem areas up to 3 times a day. Don’t worry about the beautiful turquoise shade either: that disappears when massaged in. The non-drying treatment has been designed for all skin types, whether acne-prone or simply prone to occasional hormonal breakout. A light cream texture that balances not only 2% Succinic Acid, but also 2% Sulfur Powder and 1% Salicylic Acid is quite powerful working to keep inflammation in check, keep pores clog-free and reduce breakouts quickly. Use it after cleansing on dry skin and let fully sink in before going in with the rest of your routine. Results guaranteed. Available from Cult Beauty and The Inkey List (sold out at the time of this post - waitlists available)

Skin Doctors Zip Zapper* | £12.99 for 10ml | is a targeted spot treatment meant to be applied on the blemish to help reduce its size in just 8 hours. Whilst I cannot comment on this rather optimistic target, as I tend to use it at night allowing treatment to work for a bit longer, but the results are quite remarkable. Zip Zapper is able to stop the hormonal spot from fully forming if used it a time or to reduce it overnight if fully developed thanks to Tea Tree Oil, Salicylic Acid and Witch Hazel while Zinc Sulphate promotes further healing of the skin and prevents scarring. Whilst I haven’t experienced any tingle with The Inkey List, Zip Zapper definitely has that tingly kick to it at first. Apply directly onto the spot as the last step in your routine. Available from Look Fantastic and Skin Doctors.

I don’t remember how many Dots for Spots* | £5.99 for 24 or £13.99 for 60 |  I’ve used since discovering this affordable spot treatment. If you’ve ever used Compeed stickers for cold sore, you’ll know the drill. Translucent sticker is applied directly onto the spot to protect the area from elements and bacteria while simultaneously actively fighting the blemishes thanks to hydrocolloid technology which absorbs the sebum, pus and fluid from the spot actively reducing its size and prominence without drying and post blemish scarring! Sounds too good to be true? I thought so too, but there’s a reason why everyone hypes Dots for Spots and that reason is: they work! Apply to dry skin and leave overnight or during the day. Available from Amazon.

Funderm Was Bad Anti-Pimples Gel Treatment* | £35 for 30ml | is an invisible gel that creates a barrier over the area applied. It balances sebum production and keeps pores unclogged, while actively fighting blemishes and preventing unwanted visitors from coming back. The non-drying formula is also soothing and helps reduce inflammation. Per other treatments, Salicylic Acid is also present here alongside Prebiotics, Probiotics, AHAs, Niacinamide, Panthenol and other plant and fruit extracts. Slight tingle can be felt and I tend to apply it similarly to Zip Zapper as the last step of my routine, topically on breakouts. Available from Funderm.

Thank You For Reading.

With love,

Full disclaimer:

In line with an updated CMA/ASA Non-broadcast Code, if gifted products are present, the disclaimer at the top of the post will be specific if all or some products have been sent for review consideration. In the instance there's a need to differentiate between PR and non PR, all products marked with * have been gifted to Beauty Drama Queen for review consideration, therefore are considered sponsored and displayed as a form of an unpaid advertisement.

All articles sponsored by a brand, a retailer or via a PR agency where specific product placement has been paid for on top of product gifting will be clearly branded as AD.

Products I've bought myself, but there's a current or past (up to 12 months) relationship with the brand present will be marked with **.

Products unmarked have been purchased by Beauty Drama Queen, gifted by family and friends or won in a giveaway and therefore not in the scope of the legislation.