14 Beauty Editors on the Products They Turn to When They Feel a Breakout Coming

Renée Rouleau Anti-Bump Solution, $50, available here: “I always travel with a bottle of Renée Rouleau Anti-Bump Solution. I stumbled on it one night in my 20s when I was googling ‘cyst breakouts why.’ It uses a particular blend of acids to target (and minimize) those deep cysts that you feel like have roots going into your brain, but also the more superficial zits, too. Sometimes I even apply this on my T-zone or more oily areas as a preventative measure before I even feel like a zit is coming.” —Kathleen Hou, Beauty Director, Elle

Starface Hydro-Stars, $15, available here: “When I feel a breakout coming on, I always pop a hydrocolloid patch over the spot before bed. I’ll continue using patches at night for the duration of the breakout’s cycle. When I recognize what’s coming early, oftentimes the pimple resolves itself and never comes to a head. I’m not picky about the brand: The Starface stickers are good, as are the Mighty Patch and Peace Out ones. I think they’re all the same, just in different shapes and colors.” — Megan Decker, Beauty Editor, Refinery29

Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser, $12, available here: “I recently used this cleanser after getting a few unexpected pimples. I tend to be a little cautious about some of the products I use because I don’t want to cause any irritation or stress to my skin, but I liked how gentle and non-irritating this was, and the fact that it took care of the pimples I had in just a few days.” —Danielle Jackson, Beauty Editor, Women’s Health

Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Clearing Serum, $54, available here: “I love Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Clearing Serum to generally keep my pores unclogged. I’ll also pick up one of the Hero Cosmetics Micropoint patches, which is meant for early stage breakouts,” —Jamie Wilson, Beauty Editor, Harper’s Bazaar

Danucera D22 Tonic, $88, available here: “If I feel a breakout coming on, I lean into an acid-based toner, but of course something super-gentle — my go-to is Danucera’s D22 Tonic. I soak a cotton round with it and dab, dab, dab anywhere something might be brewing.” —Gwen Flamberg, Executive Editor of Beauty and Style, Us Weekly

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser, $12, available here: “I quickly swap my cleanser for The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser. It’s a 2% salicylic acid [formula] (which is the maximum amount the FDA allows for over-the-counter products) that helps unclog pores and reduce inflammation.” —Deena Campbell, Beauty Director, Marie Claire

The Outset Purifying Blue Clay Mask, $46, available here: “An esthetician once told me to dab a gentle clay mask on a zit instead of a standard spot treatment. It’s now a tip I swear by, as the clay dries out the spot without completely zapping the entire area. I love the The Outset’s Purifying Blue Clay Mask, which also features salicylic acid.” —Jamie Schneider, Beauty Editor, MindBodyGreen

Georgia Louise Cryo Freeze Tools, $130, available here: “Ice! I’ll use either an ice roller or cryo balls on the incoming breakout off and on for about five minutes.” —Stixx M, Beauty Editor, Hypebae

Jori Acne & Oil Control Primer, $70, available here: “Dr. Pimple Popper once told me that the best way to zap a zit is to layer salicylic acid under a pimple patch, so that’s exactly what I do. I’ll dab some of Jori’s Acne & Oil Control Primer onto the zit, let it dry, then pop a Zitsticka on top to seal it in (and, fine, to prevent me from picking and popping).” —Zoë Weiner, Senior Beauty Editor, Well+Good

Kinship Pimple Potion 2% BHA + Retinal Acne Treatment, $22, available here: “I’ve been fighting breakouts since I was a teenager, which means I’ve tried just about every trick in the book to make them disappear. How I initially respond to a new zit depends on what kind it is, but typically, I’ll start by spritzing my face with something that helps minimize redness and irritation, like La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Face Mist. Once my face is dry, I immediately reach for spot treatments to shrink my breakout down to size — usually a combination of a cream, like Kinship Pimple Potion, and a hydrocolloid patch.” —Tiffany Dodson Davis, Beauty Commerce Editor, Harper’s Bazaar

Shani Darden Triple Acid Signature Peel, $125, available here: “I reach for Shani Darden’s peel — it’s intense and quite tingly, but it works to resurface my skin and deeply cleanse my pores. It usually removes the signs of breakouts for me. I also feel like I have a renewed glow for days following the peel. It’s my go-to facial at home.” —Asia Milia Ware, Beauty and Fashion Writer, New York Magazine‘s The Cut

The A Method Zit Stopper, $44, available here: “The A Method Zit Stopper spot treatment gets rid of a cystic zit for me in two to three days ,which is a massive feat, considering those suckers usually last me like two weeks. It’s filled with adapalene to boost cell turnover, TCA to exfoliate and hydrocortisone to soothe the inflammation — basically a lethal combo for acne.” —Beth Gillette, Beauty Editor, Cosmopolitan

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, $6, available here: “If I’m getting a breakout, it typically means I over-activated my skin in some way, so I usually reach for The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% to calm things down.” —Taylor Bryant, Beauty Editor, Beauty Independent

ZitSticka Killa Spot Clarifying Patch Kit, $16, available here: “Pimple patches. When I feel a bump start to form, I grab either the ZitSticka Killa Microdart or the Hero Cosmetics Micropoint. Each has microneedles to deliver acne-fighting ingredients deep into the pimple to treat it. Both are true miracle-workers.” —Audrey Noble, Beauty Editor, InStyle