Don’t: Use Topical Exfoliants on Cystic Acne
Cystic acne is characterized as deep, large, painful pimples that sit deeper under the skin. Topical exfoliating ingredients—like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide—can help on a surface level, but they’re not going to do a whole lot for your complexion.
“Both of those ingredients are drying and irritating to the epidermis, and are not getting to the deeper dermis where the pimple’s inflammation is,” notes Dr. Fishman. “They [can] make the pimple look more noticeable by causing redness and flaking to the skin around the pimple.”
What to Do Instead: For cystic acne, it’s best to visit with a dermatologist. They can provide a cortisone injection to quickly eliminate one or two cystic spots. For persistent cystic acne, they may want to dive deeper and get you on a treatment plan that addresses the issue head-on.