Blemish, Be Gone—17 Spot Treatments That Actually Stop a Pimple in Its Tracks

Harper Rose18 October 2024Last Updated: 18 October 2024

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Blemish, Be Gone—17 Spot Treatments That Actually Stop a Pimple in Its Tracks

We’ve all experienced the absolute rage that waking up with a pimple can cause. They seemingly appear out of nowhere, glaring and red, without warning. At other times, it feels like something is lingering just below the surface in the moments before it makes its fateful appearance. While there’s no magical solution to zapping away blemishes on your skin’s surface for good, spot treatments can help protect your complexion from the threat of a breakout.

For a better idea of how to find the perfect spot treatment for our skin needs and piece together an edit to help you shop, we reached out to two board-certified dermatologists for their guidance. Your skin will look better in no time!

What Are Spot Treatments, and How Do They Address Blemishes?

Since there has been a recent influx of products labeled as spot treatments all over the aisles of beauty retail stores and touted as “the best” by influencers and skincare specialists, I decided to go straight to the experts and ask them why anyone dealing with blemishes to consider spot treatments. According to Ava Shamban, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, and founder of Ava MD, SkinFive, and Althaea Skin, the idea of a spot treatment is, “a more intense, targeted high dose of an acne-fighting ingredient to blast a blemish or breakout stopping it in its tracks.”

When it comes to using spot treatments, less is more, as a small amount of product applied directly to the site and left for several hours can get the job done. While there are both gel and cream formulas, pimple patches and hydrocolloid patches that use antibacterial ingredients have also become a popular option. She also warns that these spot treatments do not necessarily work on closed lesions or comedones since they don’t clean out pores.

What Ingredients Should Be Spot Treatments?

With so many products on the market, it can be challenging to decide which spot treatments will offer all the benefits you’re after. Luckily, we also tapped board-certified dermatologist Hadley C. King, MD, FAAD, for her guidance on what to be on the hunt for while shopping for a spot treatment. “Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur, and clay are all ingredients commonly found in spot treatments,” says King. “The formulation should also contain emollient ingredients to support the skin barrier so that it does not get too dried out.”

While benzoyl peroxide works to kill bacteria and clear pores, salicylic acid helps exfoliate the surface of the skin and penetrates the pores to remove oil while sulfur has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and drying properties. Shaban adds that these ingredients often work well with azelaic acid, tea tree oil, hemp seed oil, and witch hazel, but that they may irritate sensitive skin. If your skin responds negatively to any of the above, consider looking for one with aloe vera for calming effects.

To apply a spot treatment, wash the area with a gentle cleanser, ice the blemish, and then dab the treatment to the area without applying much pressure. To avoid applying the product anywhere but the blemish, a Q-Tip can be used. When using spot treatment patches, warm water can help loosen the seal for easy removal.

Ready to add a spot treatment to your skincare lineup? Keep reading to see the top expert-approved picks from dermatologists and beauty editors.