Acne & pore-clogging ingredient checker

For most people, adapalene 0.1% gel at night plus a benzoyl peroxide wash in the morning. The American Academy of Dermatology's 2024 guidelines strongly recommend both: adapalene stops new clogged pores forming, and benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria behind red, inflamed pimples. On DemythSkin's scores, the two adapalene gels we've scanned rate 4.7 out of 5 for efficacy, the highest of any non-prescription acne treatment in our database.

There's no overnight cure, but you can shorten one. Put a hydrocolloid pimple patch on a spot that has come to a head, or dab a 2.5–5% benzoyl peroxide gel on an inflamed one once or twice a day. Don't squeeze it: that pushes inflammation deeper and raises the risk of a dark mark or scar. A large, painful cyst can be flattened within a day or two by a dermatologist's steroid injection.

Yes. It flags known pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredients by name and shows their position in the ingredient list, then scores the whole formula for efficacy and safety.

No. It depends on how much is in the formula and on your skin. A flag near the top of the list is worth taking seriously if you break out easily; one near the bottom is usually a trace. The flag tells you where to look.

Not necessarily. “Non-comedogenic” has no legal definition in the US, so each brand sets its own bar. The ingredient list is the only place you can see what's actually in the bottle.

Adapalene is a synthetic retinoid regulated as an acne drug and tested in clinical trials for acne; it has been sold over the counter in the US at 0.1% since 2016. Retinol is a cosmetic ingredient that skin has to convert into retinoic acid, and most of its research is on ageing, not acne. For breakouts, adapalene is the stronger choice; retinol is usually gentler.

Yes. Adapalene stays stable alongside benzoyl peroxide, unlike tretinoin, and the two together work better than either alone. The ready-mixed gel is prescription-only in the US, so over the counter use them separately: a benzoyl peroxide wash in the morning and adapalene at night.

It scored 3.2 out of 5 for efficacy and 4.2 for safety on DemythSkin. Its actives, ibuprofen piconol and isopropyl methylphenol, calm inflammation and fight bacteria, but they have far less acne research behind them than adapalene, benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, so it didn't make our treatment list.

It helps, but as a supporting ingredient. Niacinamide reduces oil and redness, and an early trial found a 4% niacinamide gel worked about as well as a 1% clindamycin gel on inflamed acne. Pair it with a main active such as adapalene or benzoyl peroxide. See our best niacinamide serums.

It doesn't treat acne, but it doesn't clog pores either. Its value is making drying acne treatments easier to tolerate, which helps you stick with them long enough for them to work.

Some. Oral zinc has modest evidence for inflammatory acne, and topical zinc mainly helps as a partner to other actives. Neither is as effective as adapalene or benzoyl peroxide, so treat zinc as an extra, not the main treatment.

No, salicylic acid doesn't cause acne, but it can irritate and dry skin, especially if you layer it with other acids or retinoids. If you break out in new places after starting it, that's more likely irritation than "purging": cut back to every other day or stop.

Sugar doesn't cause acne on its own, but diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates (a high glycemic load) are linked to more breakouts in several studies, and some small trials found that a low-glycemic diet reduced acne. The effect is modest compared with a proper topical routine.

At-home exfoliating toners with salicylic or glycolic acid can help blackheads and rough texture. Stronger professional peels can help acne and post-acne marks, but they are best done by a dermatologist or licensed aesthetician, and not while you're using a retinoid on the same days.

A pimple forms around a single pore and usually has one white or yellow head. A cold sore (oral herpes) tends to start with tingling or burning, then forms a cluster of small fluid-filled blisters, usually on or right next to the lip line. If you're unsure, or a sore keeps coming back in the same spot, see a doctor.

Yes. Every scan here also runs the fungal acne check; open it under the pore-clogging result. For a fungal-acne-first view, use the fungal acne ingredient checker.

Yes. 5 scans a week without an account, 5 a day with a free account, unlimited with Pro. The pore-clogging check and the scores are the same on every plan.