Love it or Leave it: Acne products that are spot on and those that miss the mark

From occasional blackheads to cystic acne, some kind of breakout curses 85% of women.  And while having acne is perfectly normal at any age, it’s a nuisance we could all do without.

Not to worry dolls, help is on the way. We’ve tested and tried 20 of the top blemish blasting products on the market and we’re ready to dish about which ones work and which made our skin worse. Yikes!  That means you can skip the six to eight week detour traditionally needed to see if a product is effective, and get on the road to perfect skin today.

Love it: Holy Zit!
That’s the name of an on-the-spot acne treatment we love from Spa Cadet. There’s also Booty 911, a bump buster for your bum; Busta Grime, a camphor cleanser that keeps skin smooth; Grand-Masta Splash, a toner and exfoliant packed with alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids; and Nuttin But a “B” Thang face cream, rich with Vitamin B, a vitamin essential in fighting blemishes. We were initially put off by the collection’s kitschy packaging, but found the goods inside to be solid gold. Looks may be deceiving, but great looking skin is impossible to mistake. Shop the collection, priced from $26 to $37, online at spacadet.com.

Leave it: Clearasil Ultra Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream

The only thing that vanished after using Clearasil’s Ultra Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream was the 10 bucks we dished out for this drugstore product.  The product did not deliver on its promise of “clearer skin in just 3 days.” The active ingredient, 10% Benzoyl Peroxide is, however, sure to suck the moisture out of your skin in 72 hours or less!

Love it: Deglazing Mask from emerginC
When cooking, deglazing involves dissolving the small particles of meat that stick to the bottom of the pan. We can’t help but conjure this apropos image every time we apply emerginC’s Deglazing Mask, a clay-based facial mask that promises to rapidly improve problem skin. Designed for adult breakouts — like the ones we all get at that time of the month-- the mask calls upon ingredients such as calamine and chamomile to remove dead skin cells, absorb excess oil, and reduce redness.  Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes and apply up to three times a week; available online for $40 at emerginc.com.

Leave it:

We were immediately drawn to the generous 6 oz. container of pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Facial Wash for less than $6 while browsing the blemish bustin’ offerings at our fave drugstore. Sure, the price is right, but the deal turned sour when we didn’t see any compelling results after using the product for weeks. Cheap? Yes. Results driven? Definitely not. Our advice: save up for something that actually works.

Love, love, love it! Thermaclear