A good OTC acne treatment system comes down to the formulation, ingredients, and quality.Treating Acne at any age can be tricky. It is important to understand how the different OTC products work. Acne poses many challenges for our skin: excess oil, clogged pores, leading to overgrowth of acne bacteria that causes redness and of course whiteheads and pimples.
High-quality acne systems are the best kept secret to clear skin.
Here’s what you should consider when looking for the best Over-The-Counter (OTC) acne treatment:
To clear acne effectively, you need to be thoughtful in your approach to avoid mistakes and select the right acne treatment. A complete system must address the essentials: it should exfoliate, clear the skin’s pores, & clear the buildup of acne bacteria. This is why the best acne treatments use a multistep regimen.
This is the most important factor – both the active ingredients (there’s only a handful of active ingredients to consider in over-the-counter acne treatments) but also the secondary ingredients that will make the solution more effective and often control how it affects your skin – for better or worse.
Surprisingly, no drugstore brand made our list but we took a deep dive into many of the better quality lines…(or jump to our top pick’s review)
Here are the acne systems we think are worth considering:
& Skin Repairing
Ingredients
Proven to Heal
Skin
Basic Kit
Clear Control
CLEAR Regular Strength
Unblemish
The top 4 products reviewed are antibiotic-free and do not require a visit to a doctor’s office. Be sure to read the detailed reviews (or jump to the Exposed in-depth review).
What the Pros Say: Review Summaries
BEST Overall Acne Treatment 4.5/5
Our Top Recommendation – If you have sensitive skin, this kit is definitely a good option for you. This product has all the key ingredients and more, utilizing both scientific and natural actives to effectively treat and prevent all kinds of acne, from blackheads to pimples. It contains benzoyl peroxide to help treat pimples, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid to treat blackheads and whiteheads, and it contains green tea, aloe vera, and passionflower extract to reduce inflammation and redness.
High-quality ingredients with an ideal combination of active ingredients, this kit has the highest customer ratings on both Amazon and Google Shopping, & comes with a full one-year money-back guarantee.
Although it is still generally very affordable, this kit is slightly more expensive than some of the other kits in this list.
Clear Control Kit
Mild Acne Treatment – (Runner Up) 3.5/5
This kit is designed to treat and prevent very mild acne and works best with normal to oily skin. It contains salicylic acid, which helps open pores and fights blackheads and whiteheads, and sulfur, which helps dry out excess oil. It also contains a few natural ingredients, like passionflower and sage extract, which can both help reduce inflammation.
Clear Control Kit
This acne treatment kit is the most affordable option in this list, making it a great place to start if you are hesitant to invest too much money into your skincare right away.
The products in the Murad kit do not contain ingredients that effectively prevent or treat pimples (pustule or papules), though it is a good solution for treating white/blackheads.
Paula’s Clear Kit
3.0/5
This is a classic acne treatment kit, containing the two most popular ingredients on the market: salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. By combining these ingredients, this kit can effectively treat blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. It is relatively gentle, meaning it’s a great option for dry to normal skin types.
Paula’s Clear Kit
This kit contains only three products and involves a very simple routine, so it’s a great option for those who struggle to stick to new habits.
Surprisingly it does not contain any anti-inflammatory ingredients and isn’t the best for sensitive skin types and can reduce its effectiveness.
Unblemish Acne System
Best overall Acne Treatment (Runner Up) 4.0/5
This kit is a good option for those who have both oily and sensitive skin. The benzoyl peroxide effectively treats pimples, while the sulfur helps dry out excess oil that can contribute to blackheads and whiteheads. It also includes sage and green tea extract, to help prevent sensitive skin from having an inflammatory reaction to the benzoyl peroxide or sulfur.
Unblemish Acne System
This kit is our runner up for the best acne system. Good for skin that is both oily and sensitive.
Unfortunately, this particular kit is far more expensive than the other options by nearly $150.
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