Breakouts may feel so high school, but fielding unwanted blemishes is hardly exclusive to teenagers. Despite many adults experiencing acne into their 20s, 30s and 40s, a majority of the pimple-fighting products on the market target a younger audience via vibrant packaging and youth-focused branding. For those who don’t feel like sporting star-shaped pimple patches in public or revisiting the irritating spot treatments of their adolescence, a growing batch of skin-care brands is stepping in to offer “grown-up” solutions for pesky blemishes.
New York City-based esthetician and “acne whisperer” Sofie Pavitt’s eponymous skin-care line specializes in “elegantly formulated” acne solutions targeting an adult audience, while Clearstem aims to meld an effective anti-acne routine with an “anti-aging” one. Brands are also increasingly refining their skin-care formulas by cutting out pore-clogging ingredients, as is the case with Lili Reinhart’s Personal Day lineup and Banu Skin’s non-acnegenic offerings.
Despite decades of evidence to the contrary, the misconception that acne is a teen-specific issue is still widely believed — and that’s carried over to product development and brand marketing. So where does that leave the many adults who still haven’t put breakouts in their rearview mirrors? “I want people to know that having adult acne doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong,” Clearstem Co-Founder and CMO Kayleigh Christina tells Fashionista. “It’s not about not washing your face enough or eating too much chocolate. It’s complex, and it deserves a sophisticated solution.”
Ahead, take a closer look at nine skin-care brands making the post-adolescence pursuit of clear skin feel sophisticated and appealing, rather than childish or clinical.
Banu Skin
Photo: Courtesy of Banu Skin
Banu Skin was born from an ‘aha’ moment during founder Roz Samimi’s own acne journey: Many of the skin-care products she was using contained pore-clogging ingredients that actually aggravated, rather than addressed, her breakouts. In 2024, Samimi was among eight finalists selected for Sephora Accelerate, the retailer’s brand incubation program, which allowed her to work alongside Sephora’s clinical skin-care team to refine Banu’s formulas. In June, Banu officially launched on sephora.com with a three-product lineup: AHA + BHA Blemish Control & Exfoliating Serum, Sulfur Spot Treatment and Chamomile Jelly Cleanser.
As an early-stage skin-care brand, Banu is zeroing in on community building through social media, community rewards platform TYB and in-person events. The company clinically tests each of its products for “non-acnegenic safety” and partners with a third-party facility for formula testing on real people with acne-prone skin across all six Fitzpatrick skin types. With vintage-leaning fonts inspired by pre-revolution 1970s Iran (where Samimi’s family is from), Banu proves that adult-centric acne care doesn’t have to feel overtly clinical.
Above all else, Banu is set on championing “acne transparency.” “I will never promise a cure for acne,” says Samimi. “I will never position any of our products as a ‘miracle treatment’. And I will never push the idea of perfect, clear, poreless skin. For me, progress is what matters most, not perfection.”
Products to try:
Sulfur Spot Treatment, $30, available here
AHA + BHA Blemish Control & Exfoliating Serum, $50, available here
Chamomile Jelly Cleanser, $30, available here
Clearstem
Photo: Courtesy of Clearstem
While struggling with cystic acne in her 20s and 30s, Kayleigh Christina’s search for a skin-care brand that squashed blemishes while addressing her aging concerns came up short. “Everything on the market was either harsh treatments that destroyed my skin barrier, prescriptions that wrecked my hormones or anti-aging products filled with pore-cloggers that broke me out,” she reflects. Christina then met Danielle Gronich, the founder of San Diego Acne Clinic, who she says “cured” her skin. Gronich shared her passion for educating people on acne’s root causes, inspiring the duo to eventually launch Clearstem.
Clearstem’s products aim to address a skin-care catch-22: “Most anti-acne products age you, while most anti-aging products break you out,” Gronich notes. With an emphasis on avoiding pore-clogging ingredients, Clearstem offers acne-friendly products like its Clearity Exfoliating Serum (a gentle, mandelic acid-powered serum to brighten and smooth skin) and its Skinspray All Day Hydration + Clearing Mist (a hydrating hypochlorous acid spray).
“We talk about real adult situations — stress breakouts before big meetings, waiting to set a wedding date until the acne is gone, hormonal changes, the frustration of having acne in your thirties,” Christina says of Clearstem’s positioning as an adult acne brand. “Our customer personas aren’t teenagers hiding in their bedrooms; they’re professionals who need their skin to cooperate with their busy lives.”
Products to try:
Clearity Exfoliating Serum, $68, available here
Skinspray All Day Hydration + Clearing Mist, $38, available here
Vitaminscrub Exfoliating Cleanser, $48, available here
Cool as a Cucumber
Photo: Courtesy of Cool as a Cucumber
As chronic acne sufferers, sisters Serra and Eda Levent faced two extremes while frequenting the skin-care aisle: stripped-down formulas geared toward teenagers and clinical creams that made them feel like patients. The duo teamed up to launch Cool as a Cucumber, a sophisticated skin-care brand creating acne solutions that don’t feel like an afterthought. According to the Levent sisters, each dermatologist-tested formula starts with one question: “What does acne-prone skin actually need to feel supported, calm and clear, not just symptomatically treated?”
With an emphasis on specifically treating adult acne, Cool as a Cucumber offers a three-product lineup: Barriersmith, a skin barrier-boosting moisturizer packed with biomimetic lipids, pre- and post-biotic microbiome complex and red clover extract; Hydralixir, a lightweight gel serum featuring a multi-hyaluronic acid blend and silver ear mushroom; and Soothe Operator, a PHA-powered gel cleanser. By primarily growing through “word of mouth, expert-backed content and a calm, clear voice,” Cool as a Cucumber has partnered with estheticians, med spas and dermatology clinics.
“We speak to the lived reality of adult acne, the spirals, the self-doubt, the mental load and respond with calm, clinically proven care,” the duo says. “We’re not selling a miracle product. We’re offering something rarer, skin care that finally lets you exhale.”
Products to try:
Barriersmith Lipid Treatment Cream, $88, available here
Hydralixir Hydrating Gel Serum, $65, available here
Soothe Operator Silky Gel Cleanser, $36, available here
Facile
Photo: Courtesy of Facile
In Facile’s L.A.-based dermatology clinics, its providers frequently navigate breakout-based frustrations from clients across generations, so co-founders Danielle Nadick Levy and Dr. Nancy Samolitis (a.k.a. Dr. Sam) set out to update the acne aisle for adults. The brand cites its authenticity as a driving force in growing its consumer base: “We’re not pushing unrealistic perfection,” says Levy. “We’re not overpromising.”
Living up to its name (a synonym for effortless), Facile aims to offer a straightforward acne routine via fan favorites like its Clear Serum, a gentle AHA and BHA-powered exfoliating formula, and its Barely There Moisturizer, a lightweight hydrating cream. Facile is currently stocked at Sephora, which Levy credits as a factor in helping the dermatologist-founded skin-care brand reach a wider audience.
“From day one, we’ve made it clear that Facile is here for adults,” Levy notes. “That shows up in everything from our formulas to our tone of voice. We’re not using cartoon packaging or talking about puberty — we’re talking about stress, hormones, travel, diet and skin-care fatigue.”
Products to try:
Clear Targeted Blemish Serum, $38, available here
The Buzz Exfoliating Mask, $35, available here
Barely There Moisturizer, $25, available here
Personal Day
Photo: Courtesy of Personal Day
To clear her stubborn acne, actor Lili Reinhart went through two rounds of Accutane to no avail, but finally found relief after her aesthetician Sarah Ford advised her to cut out any products with certain acne-triggering ingredients. While constructing her “acne-safe” skin-care regimen, Reinhart noticed a lack of options on the market and set out to create her own line alongside Co-Founder and CEO Shelagh Wong. Personal Day, which first launched in October 2024, embraces a “you-can-sit-with-us ethos” when addressing blemishes and championing mental health.
“We do not seek to replace prescription-based treatments — we see ourselves as a daily companion for clear skin in both the short term and the long term,” says Wong. “We understand acne-prone skin and seek to provide an exciting and acne-safe alternative to the trendy brands on the market that may or may not break you out.”
With an emphasis on efficacious ingredients such as azelaic acid, niacinamide, squalane and hyaluronic, mandelic and lactic acids, Personal Day’s products are clinically tested, non-comedogenic and priced under $40. Its core offerings include an exfoliating cleansing powder, resurfacing peel, calming face mask, salicylic acid acne treatment and mevalonic acid-powered moisturizer, with its latest launch, All Covered, jumping on the pimple patch trend.
Products to try:
Doing the Work Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment, $36, available here
Trust Me On This Hypochlorous Acid Spray, $27, available here
All Covered Brushed Blemish Patches, $19, available here
Practical Alchemy
Photo: Courtesy of Practical Alchemy
Doris Wong’s inspiration for Practical Alchemy hit during a workout: She often exercised with makeup on to cover her adult-onset acne, then left the gym without addressing the sweat and buildup on her skin. Wong imagined an acne-focused line geared toward adults on the move, so she made it a reality when she launched the brand in June.
“We created products made to be incorporated into your daily life so that you can have elevated, effective [skin care] without sacrificing your time or lifestyle,” says Wong. Practical Alchemy currently offers two core on-the-go SKUs: Vanishing Pimple Patches and Purify + Protect Duo (pocket-sized sachets that hold a cleansing cloth and mineral SPF 30). As the newly-launched brand looks toward potential retail expansion, Practical Alchemy is searching for a partner that takes a customer-first approach and acknowledges that “skin care is part of a broader wellness lifestyle.”
“We want to be a resource for adults dealing with acne and help them implement healthier, more effective practices into their routines,” she shares. “That might mean giving skin a cleansing boost before clogs settle in, using patches to create a clean healing environment, or applying SPF regularly to support long-term skin health.”
Products to try:
Vanishing Pimple Patches, $20, available here
Purify + Protect Duo, $48, available here
Rael
Photo: Courtesy of Rael
Rael, a holistic “cycle-care” brand co-founded by CEO Yanghee Paik, offers products that support the body throughout the entire menstrual cycle, including during hormonal breakouts. “Adult acne is often cyclical and deeply connected to hormonal shifts, so our approach is rooted in gentle, barrier-supportive ingredients that work in harmony with the skin, never against it,” says Paik.
With its product development team based in Korea and brand and marketing teams operating from the U.S., Rael’s “bi-cultural structure” tailors its skin-care innovations to American consumers. For example, its newest line of Microcrystal Activated PM Serums tap a proprietary Korean spicule technology Rael calls “shorticules” to deliver “microneedling-like results on acne scarring without irritation, needles or downtime.” Its wider Miracle Clear line also addresses hormonal acne through invisible pimple patches, exfoliating cleanser, spot gel and more.
With a focus on education and transparency, Rael originally launched on Amazon, and now counts Ulta, Walmart and Walgreens as mass market stockists. “Our goal is to help women feel seen and supported through every phase of their cycle, and every phase of their skin journey,” Paik notes.
Products to try:
Miracle Clear Microcrystal Activated PM Serum 2000, $23, available here
Miracle Clear Pore Purifying Clay Mask, $15, available here
Miracle Clear Complete Acne Serum, $20, available here
Sofie Pavitt Face
Photo: Courtesy of Sofie Pavitt Face
While confined to virtual consultations during the pandemic, New York-based licensed esthetician Sofie Pavitt began concocting her own acne-focused skin-care line that filled the market’s gap for “elegantly formulated” products that also looked good on the shelf. Each of Pavitt’s brightly-packaged products are designed with her clients from her eponymous skin-care studio in mind. Now, about two and a half years in, Sofie Pavitt Face is stocked at major beauty retailers like Sephora, Violet Grey and Goop.
“Our demographic is older, and my discerning clients don’t want to use brands focusing on a younger audience; they want something a little more grown up and tailored to them,” says Pavitt. “One thing we do differently is that we don’t use salicylics in the line — they’re too drying on older skin types. I think knowing how to cater to a ‘grown-up’ client versus a teen could only be learned by spending hours in the studio with clients.”
In pursuit of serving a more mature audience, Sofie Pavitt Face champions mandelic acid, an AHA that exfoliates and helps clear blemishes, as seen in its fan-favorite Mandelic Clearing Serum. The brand also recently introduced its Fridge to Face Blemish Defense Mist, which taps a post-biotic to protect blemish-prone skin, panthenol to soothe and niacinimide to reduce redness.
Products to try:
Mandelic Clearing Serum, $54, available here
Reset Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Mask, $44, available here
Fridge to Face Blemish Defense Mist, $38, available here
Topicals
Photo: Courtesy of Topicals
Olamide Olowe isn’t interested in the pursuit of so-called “perfect” skin. “Now I know that you make skin look good, not the other way around,” the Topicals co-founder and CEO wrote on its website. After dealing with chronic skin conditions growing up, Olowe founded Topicals in 2020 to make skin-care treatments “more approachable, fun and without shame.”
Topicals emphasizes inclusive products designed for all skin tones and types, resulting in fan-favorite formulations such as its Faded Brightening + Clearing Serum and its Clearly Clarifying + Calming Mist. The Black-owned skin-care brand also prioritizes science-backed solutions by exclusively using ingredients and herbals that have been scientifically proven in third-party clinical studies.
With vibrant, on-trend packaging targeting both Gen Z and millennial skin-care stashes, Topicals’ acne-focused products address an adult audience without veering into clinical territory. Available at Sephora, its product lineup also features grown-up solutions for eczema, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hairs and more.
Products to try:
Clearly Clarifying & Calming Mist, $26, available here
Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum, $28, available here
Sealed Active Scar Primer, $34, available here
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Source: Fashionista.com