7 Acne Products That Actually Work

The Ingredient: Retinol/retinoids
The Product: Envy Medical Trifecting Night Cream ($85)

For those battling the one-two punch of acne and aging, vitamin A derivatives like retinol and powerful retinoids simply can't be beat. They push your skin to turn over faster, shedding dead cells and revealing fresh ones. This has an effect on everything from acne to pigmentation to fine lines.

"Retinoids are considered the most important first line of treatment for acne, as they can turn off the inflammation that causes acne, prevent pore clogging and buildup, and even help with some of the aftermath like discoloration and scarring," said Adam Friedman, associate professor of dermatology at The George Washington University.

We're particular to this retinol night cream because it strikes the perfect balance of hydration and exfoliation. It uses encapsulated retinol, which activates on contact with the skin for incredible potency. It comes in two strengths, 0.2 percent and one percent, so you can ease your way into it without worrying about aggravating your skin with a too-potent potion.

The Ingredient: Salicylic acid
The Product: Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil ($80)

One of the granddaddies of blemish fighters, salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is perfect for those trying to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads. Because it works on dissolving the gunk that holds dead skin cells together, it not only clears away the surface buildup but also dislodges everything inside the pore. It unfortunately doesn't have much of an effect on cystic bumps, although it does provide some anti-inflammatory aid that can bring down the redness and swelling of a zit.

Sunday Riley has the market cornered on treatment oils (ahem, Luna Sleeping Night Oil), and this latest launch for acne-prone skin does not disappoint. It has 1.5 percent salicylic acid (that's a lot) that works in tandem with skin-clearing tea tree and black cumin oils to erase all traces of skin-clogging debris. The addition of milk thistle and cucumber seed oil keeps skin soft and hydrated while also smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The Ingredient: Adapalene
The Product: Differin Acne Treatment Gel ($29)

A derivative of vitamin A, adapalene is a third-generation retinoid. Or, as Dr. Friedman calls it, "The iPhone X of retinoids." Differin, which up until recently was only available via prescription, features those same declogging and skin-smoothing powers as the retinoids that came before it, but it has been synthetically designed to be less irritating than its predecessors. Key word there is "less."

Dr. Friedman notes that no matter your skin type, everyone will have some degree of what he calls reutilization (the irritation and dryness that occur when you first start using retinols). "[Retinoids] are thinning the very top layer of the skin, which is good for acne," he said, "but not good for keeping water in the skin, which [is what] causes the drying."

Dr. Friedman advises using only a pea-sized amount on the face ("retinoids both treat and prevent new acne, so you want it EVERYWHERE") every other night for the first two to three weeks. After that, ease your way into it on a daily basis and — we're sure we don't have to tell you this, but we'll say it for posterity — wear some damn sunscreen.

The Ingredient: Sulfur
The Product: Dr. Dennis Gross Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask ($42)

Sulfur: smells like farts but works like a charm on acneic skin. The stinky mineral is naturally antibacterial, so it both prohibits and gets rid of acne-causing bacteria. It also is what's called a keratolytic, meaning it helps your pores shed all those excess dead skin cells. It works like salicylic and benzoyl put together, only in a much kinder, gentler way. If you've found your skin gets easily irritated whenever you use an acne treatment, sulfur might be your savior.

We can't say enough good things about this mask from complexion magician Dr. Dennis Gross. It uses a mix of retinol, sulfur, bentonite clay, and prickly pear to absorb oil, mattify skin, increase moisture levels, and shrink blemishes. You can leave it on for 10 minutes and wash it off, but we find we get the best results when we apply a thin layer, let it dry, and then head to bed. You'll wake up looking fresh-faced in every sense of the word.

The Ingredient: Charcoal
The Product: Bioré Charcoal Acne Scrub ($8)

Charcoal has shot up the popularity scale thanks in part to your gut. Health and wellness gurus advocate for its powers as an internal detoxifier; they claim activated (i.e. processed at very high temperatures) charcoal's porous structure and negative electrical charge attract and absorb toxins, chemicals, and gases, holding onto them until the charcoal exits the body (everybody poops, guys).

Skincare experts got to thinking and realized those powers of toxic attraction can also be beneficial for the skin. And so the charcoal beauty boom was born. Bioré was one of the first out of the gate, and it's done a bang-up job adding the magic dust into a whole host of products. This new scrub combines three very effective methods into one power product. There's charcoal to absorb oil, salicylic acid to clear out plugged pores, and exfoliating beads to polish away dead skin — all without stripping away your natural moisture barrier.

The Ingredient: Benzoyl peroxide
The Product: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser ($15)

Another oldie but a goodie, benzoyl peroxide is an alpha hydroxy acid that's a stone-cold killer. "Benzoyl peroxide is one of the oldest acne medications, used for its ability to literally kill everything," Dr. Friedman explained. Part of that everything is the p. acnes bacteria, which is what feeds on your clogged-up pore gunk, multiplies, and causes your skin to go haywire. Since benzoyl peroxide focuses on destroying the bacteria rather than the dead skin cells, it also treats red, swollen pimples in addition to blackheads and whiteheads.

Dr. Friedman warns that while BP is great at mitigating some of the key causes of acne, you also run the risk of it hurting the skin. "At higher concentrations, it can be very irritating because you start to cause damage to skin cells as well," he noted. He's not a huge fan of leave-on products with benzoyl peroxide: "Many consumers use it the wrong way, causing more harm than good."

Instead, he recommends grabbing it in cleanser form, preferably with a concentration that's less than three percent. Which makes this two percent medicated gel cleanser the ideal way to terminate bacteria. The addition of micro-exfoliating acids targets oily patches, allowing it to banish buildup and clear the way for smooth, fresh skin.

The Ingredient: Electricity
The Product: Ziip Nano ($495)

What, you thought we were kidding when we said we zapped ourselves? We don't kid about clear skin, dear friends. This futuristic device is like a Swiss Army Knife of beauty — it does everything. It works by sending a variety of powerful (yet pain-free!) electrical nano-currents into your skin.

Now, what's interesting with this particular gadget — and what got us all wide-eyed in wonder — is that it doesn't require additional attachments or creams to switch up the functionality. The founder, Melanie Simon, is an experienced electrical esthetician (apparently that's a thing) who developed the device to be operated and controlled by an app.

Choose from the menu of "electrical cocktails," which use different wavelengths and currents to address individual needs, and the app sends it to the device via Bluetooth. Place it on the skin and you're good to go — the machine will tell you when to move to a different section and when the treatment is over. And if you still aren't quite sure what to do, there are videos available to walk you through it, step by step.

The acne protocol is an eight-minute treatment that targets the blemishes that are starting to brew below the surface and stops their progress before they can form. When you apply it, you can actually feel those phantom pimples start tingling. Use it when you sense a breakout coming on. Your acne won't get the drop on you anymore — you'll always be one step ahead of it.