The best acne treatments for clearer, happier skin

Best for: Clearing a pesky pimple FAST before a big event

Australian skincare brand Hey Bud is favoured for its simple, botanical-based formulations for clear skin that harness the properties of hemp seed oil. Its handy acne patches are a quick way to eliminate pesky, painful spots.

Hey Bud’s hemp seed oil-infused acne patches absorb excess fluid, accelerate skin repair, and reduce redness and scarring. For optimal results, cleanse your face thoroughly before use, then wear the acne treatment patches for six to eight hours (during the day or night).

Best for: treating your skin to a five-star facial at home

Alpha-H offers a raft of acne-fighting skincare products, from a fast-acting spot treatment to a pore-clearing clay mask. But if you have never tried a liquid exfoliant, we highly recommend incorporating Alpha-H’s Clear Skin Tonic into your skincare routine. You can use it on your face or other areas of the body where breakouts occur, including your back and neck.

The exfoliating tonic contains 2% BHA and gently clears pores of debris and excess oil without drying out the skin. After continued use, you’ll notice an improved, smoother skin texture; many customers say it gives their skin a glow.

The acne-busting tonic is best used after cleansing and before your daily SPF or nighttime moisturiser. Moisten a cotton pad with the solution and sweep over your skin. If you’re new to skincare acids or your skin is sensitive, use the tonic twice a week. Then you can build up to daily use if required.

Best for: an effective back acne treatment for clearing stubborn ‘bacne’

If you’re plagued by persistent back acne, you need a product that can powerfully unclog pores, clear existing acne and prevent ne w breakouts.

This PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash packs a punch. It’s the most powerful benzoyl peroxide acne treatment wash you can buy without a prescription. Keep in mind it can be drying, so start slowly and use it a few times a week, ensuring you hydrate the area with a light, oil-free moisturiser afterwards. Those with sensitive skin might want to opt for a gentler acid-based cleanser, something like the Skinstitut L-Lactic Cleanser. 

Best for: improving your skin’s microbiome to help prevent future breakouts

This freshly reformulated serum targeting acne by Aotearoa skincare brand Emma Lewisham packs a punch. Its hero ingredient is a patented live skin probiotic, Micrococcus luteus, that naturally lives on healthy human skin and inhibits pathogenic bacteria like Cutibacterium acnes, which contributes towards the development of acne and blemishes.

We recommend using the pimple-busting serum for a few weeks to see the results, allowing the probiotic to rebalance and colonise your skin. As with all Emma Lewisham skincare products, the Supernatural Blemish Serum is pregnancy-safe and an excellent alternative for those who want to avoid harsh skincare acids.

Best for: clearing and soothing active breakouts, without resorting to homemade masks

Trying to keep your beauty cupboard all-natural while tackling stubborn acne? You’re going to want to opt for ingredients that work to exfoliate and purify the skin, while keeping it nourished. This purifying mask from Australian-founded skincare brand Little Bay Beauty is ideal for oily, combination or acne–prone skin. It’s formulated with sugar maple sap extract to gently exfoliate and kaolin clay to help detoxify. 

Oat kernel extract also deeply calms and nourishes, to prevent irritation or damage to the skin barrier. As acne sufferers know, a damaged barrier is a nightmare.

Best for: an acne supplement for clearer skin from the inside out

A vegan-friendly supplement that reduces pimples and relieves mild eczema and other skin conditions, Skin + Digestion includes zinc and vitamins B2 and C to maintain and support overall skin health.

Australian nutritionist Jessica Sepel developed this range. Customers rave about Skin + Digestion, saying their skin is clearer with a softer texture. The supplement also alleviates digestive discomfort, helping you to feel confident inside and out. The formulation is easy to ingest — take one tablet with water twice daily and after food.

Best for: a total acne skincare routine

If you tried Hey Bud’s aforementioned blemish patches and loved them, dive into the rest of this hemp-powered range. Each product is formulated to tackle acne at the root while keeping the skin hydrated and nourished.

Hemp is an acne-fighting superhero, thanks to its gamma-linolenic acid. This effective natural ingredient regulates your skin’s oil and controls acne.

This pack contains: a calming gel cleanser; a clay mask to help draw out impurities; the beloved acne-clearing treatment; and a lightweight gel moisturiser to hydrate without clogging pores. Four products, four steps, and clearer, brighter skin. Win, win, win.