How to get rid of acne: a step by step plan

To get rid of acne, use a treatment with strong evidence, such as benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, or the two together, on all the skin that breaks out, every day, for 12 weeks. Then keep it going, add a second treatment, or see a doctor. This page walks through each step in order, based on the 2024 acne guideline from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the UK guideline from NICE, which advises doctors in England. Deep, painful or scarring acne needs a dermatologist, and the last step explains when.

Step 1: Find out what type of acne you have

The AAD says it helps to know which types of blemishes you have, because each type needs different treatment. You can do a first check in a mirror, in daylight.

What you see	What it is	Where to start
Small bumps, white or dark tops, little redness	Whiteheads and blackheads (clogged pores)	A retinoid such as adapalene, or salicylic acid
Red, tender bumps, some with pus	Papules and pustules (inflamed spots)	Benzoyl peroxide, often with adapalene
Large, painful lumps deep in the skin	Nodules and cysts	A dermatologist

NICE also sorts acne by count. Mild to moderate acne means any number of blackheads and whiteheads, up to 34 inflamed spots, and up to 2 nodules. Moderate to severe means 35 or more inflamed spots, or 3 or more nodules. A store routine is built for the first group. Types of acne shows each spot in more detail. What is acne explains how a clogged pore turns into a pimple.

Step 2: Start a proven treatment, or the proven pair

The 2024 AAD guideline gives its strongest rating to benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and oral doxycycline. Salicylic acid and azelaic acid get a conditional rating, one step lower. Two of the strongest are sold without a prescription in the US:

• Benzoyl peroxide, which reduces acne-causing bacteria. The FDA allows 2.5 to 10 percent in store products. AAD dermatologists advise starting at 2.5 percent to avoid dry, irritated or burning skin.
• Adapalene 0.1 percent gel, a retinoid that clears pores. The FDA approved it without a prescription in 2016 for ages 12 and up.

Salicylic acid is allowed at 0.5 to 2 percent.

You can start one of these, or both together. The two work on different causes of acne. The AAD says benzoyl peroxide is most effective when used along with another acne treatment that works on the other causes, such as a retinoid. NICE lists a combination of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide as a first choice for acne of any severity, and the 2024 AAD guideline lists combining treatments that work in different ways as good practice. NICE means one gel that holds both. In the US, each is sold without a prescription as its own gel.

Whichever you choose, keep it simple. AAD dermatologists advise using your treatment for 6 to 8 weeks without adding another product or stopping. Every store acne label also warns that irritation is more likely when you use another acne medicine on the skin at the same time, so leave out extra acne products such as a salicylic acid toner.

The best acne treatments by guideline ranks every option by its evidence, over-the-counter acne treatments shows how to read a Drug Facts box in a store, and acne serums explains how to judge a serum by its active ingredient. For the choice between the two most common store ingredients, see salicylic acid vs benzoyl peroxide.

Step 3: Use it the right way

How you apply a treatment matters as much as which one you pick.

1. Whole area, thin layer. AAD dermatologist Dr. Harper says to apply a thin layer to the whole area rather than only the spots. Medicine only on the spots you see treats them but does not prevent the next ones.
2. Start slowly. NICE says to start benzoyl peroxide and retinoids every other day, or to wash them off after an hour, and to move to normal use once the skin copes. The FDA directions for store acne products say to start with one application a day.
3. Once a day for adapalene. Its label says using it more often will not give faster or better results but may worsen irritation.
4. Moisturize. The AAD says acne treatments tend to dry and irritate the skin, and a daily moisturizer helps skin tolerate them.
5. Cut back, do not quit. If dryness or peeling bothers you, the FDA directions say to reduce to once a day or every other day.

How to start adapalene without irritation walks through the first weeks of a retinoid, and what order to apply acne products shows where each gel goes at night.

Step 4: Protect your skin while treatment works

These habits come from the AAD and NICE:

• Wash gently, twice a day and after sweating. The AAD says to use a gentle cleanser and your fingertips, because scrubbing with washcloths and sponges can irritate the skin.
• Keep your hands off. NICE says persistent picking can increase the risk of scarring.
• Check your products. The AAD says to use only makeup, sunscreen, skin and hair products labeled non-comedogenic or won't clog pores. The comedogenic checker looks up the ingredients on a label.
• Skip drying products. The AAD warns against astringents, toners and exfoliants, which can dry the skin and make acne look worse.
• Wear sunscreen. The AAD advises a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher that says non-comedogenic.

NICE says there is not enough evidence to support specific diets for treating acne. How to get rid of acne naturally covers what research shows about diet, tea tree oil and home remedies. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says only a small amount of evidence suggests tea tree oil might help acne. The acne skincare routine puts every product in order.

Step 5: Give it 12 weeks

Each source gives its own timeline, and they agree that acne treatment takes weeks, not days.

Source	Timeline
AAD, 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne	Use a product for 6 to 8 weeks to see some improvement. Complete clearing generally takes 3 to 4 months
AAD, adult acne treatment	If the medicine works: fewer breakouts in 4 to 8 weeks, clearing 16 weeks after starting
NHS, benzoyl peroxide	Usually starts to work within 4 weeks
Adapalene label	May take up to 3 months of once daily use to see results
NICE	Positive effects can take 6 to 8 weeks to show. Review the first treatment at 12 weeks

The adapalene label also says that during the early weeks of use acne may look worse before it improves, and calls this normal. How to get rid of acne fast covers what helps treatment work as soon as it can, and how long an acne routine takes to work covers what to look for at each week.

Step 6: Add a second treatment, or see a doctor

If one product has not helped after 4 to 6 weeks, the AAD suggests adding a second product that works on a different cause. If you use benzoyl peroxide, the second might be adapalene. Add it slowly, every other night at first.

See a doctor if any of these apply:

• Deep, painful lumps (nodules or cysts), at any point. NICE refers nodulo-cystic acne to a specialist.
• Acne that leaves scars, or dark marks that stay (NICE)
• Mild to moderate acne that has not responded to two completed 12-week courses
• Acne that affects your mood or mental health (NICE)
• Acne that is not clearing within a few months of your own treatment, the point where AAD dermatologist Dr. Harper says to make an appointment

A dermatologist can prescribe creams, antibiotic pills paired with benzoyl peroxide, hormone treatments for women, and isotretinoin for severe acne. The AAD says 85 percent of patients see permanent clearing after one course of isotretinoin. Severe acne and when to see a dermatologist covers each option, and how to get rid of hormonal acne covers the hormone treatments.

Single pimples, adults and scars

Some questions fall outside the six steps.

• One pimple, now. How to get rid of pimples covers each type of spot, acne spot treatment and pimple patches cover single-spot products, and can you get rid of a pimple overnight? covers what one night can do.
• Acne after the teen years. Adult acne covers the causes the AAD lists, from hormones to hair products.
• Scars. How to get rid of acne scars covers what creams and dermatologist procedures can do.
• Apps and online services. If you are choosing between an app, an online doctor service and a store routine, the comparison pages set them side by side.

Brown and black skin

On darker skin, acne often leaves marks that last longer than the spots. AAD dermatologists say that dark spots after acne clears develop more often in people with darker skin tones, and that they show the acne is causing a lot of inflammation, which products bought without a prescription usually cannot control. They advise seeing a dermatologist when these marks appear. The AAD also says raised acne scars are more common in people with darker skin tones. Three steps from this plan matter most here: start treatment early, keep your hands off, and wear sunscreen every day.

Teens and pregnancy

The 2024 AAD guideline covers acne in adults, teens and children from age 9. Adapalene 0.1 percent gel is approved without a prescription for ages 12 and older. Retinoids for teens covers what the labels say for younger users.

Pregnancy changes the plan. AAD dermatologist Ramone Williams, MD, says to consult a dermatologist before treating acne on your own if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. NICE says topical retinoids, including adapalene, should not be used during pregnancy or while planning one.

Keep acne away after it clears

Clear skin is a reason to keep going. The AAD says to keep using the acne treatment even when you see clearing, to help prevent new breakouts, and that dermatologists may recommend a topical retinoid as maintenance. For people whose acne often returns, NICE suggests a combination of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide as maintenance, reviewed after 12 weeks.

Skinli's plan follows these steps with the pair: adapalene 0.1 percent gel and benzoyl peroxide 2.5 percent gel at night, every other night for the first 2 weeks and then every night, with a gentle wash, moisturizer and SPF 30 sunscreen. The sample plan shows it day by day.