Breaking out? Zap Your Zits With These Acne Spot Treatments!

Affiliate linksSummer is peak breakout season for many of us. Blame it on the heat, humidity, excessive perspiration, or even your sunscreen that ends up clogging your pores. Waking up to discover a fresh zit or two in the middle of your forehead can be a big mood buster. It might actually be worse than a bad hair day! Even though I have normal to dry skin, it’s not immune to acne flare-ups and the situation definitely gets worse in summertime.

So what are you supposed to do when a big ol’ pimple pops up when you are just about to head out the door for that important meeting or first date? That’s where spot treatments come in!

With my finicky, acne-prone skin, I always make sure to have an acne spot treatment handy to confront every red beamer head-on! Most acne spot treatments contain a more concentrated amount of active ingredients to deliver a potent punch to either an existing zit or one that’s bubbling under the surface. Use it as soon as you feel a pimple forming to nip it in the bud!

Here are some of my favorite acne spot treatments to clear up and soothe the discomfort of bothersome breakouts :

Paula’s Choice Resist BHA 9 ($42) – When you feel like nothing will trump that bump, this focused formula really ‘hits the spot’!  Formulated with 9% Salicylic Acid, this concentrated, leave-on acne spot treatment clears up stubborn blemishes, calms redness and unclogs pores. It doesn’t irritate or dry out my skin – no flaky mess! The best part is that it also works its magic on the painful cysts that crop up around my jawline occasionally. You need to try this!

MD Complete Skin Clearing Breakout Spot Treatment ($25) – This ‘zap it quick’ spot treatment gets rid of pimples with the gold standard anti-acne ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide (4.25%). Unlike many traditional Benzoyl Peroxide products, it contains anti-irritants like Chamomile and Allantoin to help calm and soothe stressed skin while helping to eliminate the bacteria that cause breakouts. This has a light, lotion texture that applies easily and works really fast without leaving my skin super dry and flaky.

bliss No ‘Zit’ Sherlock Acne Spot Treatment ($18) – What I really like about this spot treatment is its pointed applicator tip so it’s easy to dispense a small amount of product for ‘bull’s-eye’ blemish-busting action! The clear liquid formula doesn’t leave a residue and helps take down unsightly redness and swelling from breakouts – anytime, anywhere!

Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions Maximum Strength Spot Treatment Cream ($8.99) – If you are looking for a natural and budget-friendly remedy for pimples, this 99.5% natural formula with salicylic acid (derived naturally from willow bark extract) and licorice root extract  is an excellent drugstore find! Easy to apply, it helps reduce acne and improve the appearance of blemishes and redness without irritating your skin.

Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment ($5.99) – Formulated with potent salicylic acid (2%), this spot treatment pulls double duty as it blurs imperfections while instantly giving blemishes the ol’ one-two! A fine-point tip makes it very convenient to zap zits at the source and the lightweight formula absorbs quickly (no mess!). And the little tube is easy to tuck into your purse/gym bag or keep on your desk at work. Plus, it’s infused with the essences of citrus and mint for a refreshing sensation.

Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix Treatment ($18) – This acne-fighting formulation’s secret weapon is micronized benzoyl peroxide (3.5%) that reaches deep into pores where blemishes begin. I like the sheer gel formula that applies easily and doesn’t irritate my skin, thanks to soothing allantoin and niacinamide that help reduce inflammation and redness.

Do you have any favorite zit zappers for on-the-spot acne control? Please share with us in the comments!