The inspiration: A little blemish can go a long way to ruin a day, but finding the proper treatment can be an even bigger dilemma. To save our dear readers from subjecting their sensitive skin to creams, zappers and pills, we put our own blemishes under the spotlight and tested four new treatments — don't worry, we'll spare you the before pictures.
The testers and products:
Emma, testing Clindoxyl Gel. Prescription required.
Mia, testing Tanda Zap, US $49. Available at www.tandazap.com.
Sam, testing Nip + Fab Spot Fix, $10. Available at www.nipandfab.com.
Emma tested: Clindoxyl Gel (Clindamycin phosphate and benzoyl peroxide) (prescription needed)
Started using: August 7
Stopped using: Well, still using it.
I get very bad hormonal breakouts along and under my jaw line (think whiteheads, blackhead and red acne patches). They’re called “hormonal breakouts” because they’re close to some glands in my neck, not because I only get them once a month - once a month I could handle but I have continue eruptions all month long. Fun!
After trying every over-the-counter cream out there, I finally asked my doctor to prescribe me something with a bit more breakout-busting juice. I’ve applied the cream every night for over a month, and while the acne patches haven’t completely gone away, I haven’t had a major breakout since mid-August.
SweetTip #1: Don’t use your good towels to wash/dry your face. The active ingredient is peroxide, which I didn’t clue into until bleach-out spots stared appearing all over my facecloths and hand towel.
SweetTip #2: Make sure you put the medication directly onto each spot. I applied the cream to the surrounding area as well and woke up with a major red rash.
Mia tested: tända ZAP
Started using: Beginning of July
Stopped using: Still using it.
I have pretty flawless skin...except for when I get one massive blemish. My skin isn't bad enough to go on a heavy duty prescribed medication but when I get a breakout, I need more than the average drugstore cream to clear it.
I was a little skeptical of the tända ZAP. I'd never seen anything like it, let alone used one but I figured it couldn't possibly make my skin worse, so what was the harm?
I began using it as soon as I felt a flare up, before it was even really visible on the surface. Using the device was pretty straight forward. Twice a day I placed the tända ZAP over my blemish, pressed the one and only power button, and let it buzz away for two timed minutes. With a little research I learned the vibrations are meant to gently warm and open pores, while the blue light kills bacteria.
But you don't care how it works, you just want to know if it worked. Well, after three days my blemish was still in hibernation, and after five days it was gone. Those first three days still showed a little redness, but I'd take that over a full eruption. Best of all, creams tend to dry out my skin, but the tända ZAP left no side effects.
Not only will I continue to use this, I'd recommend it to friends (without intending to offend...).
Sam tested: Nip + Fab Acne Spot Treatment
Started using: Beginning of September
Stopped using: Still using it.
I typically (and don’t hate me for saying this) have pretty good skin. I never suffered from severe acne, and while I do get the odd pimple here and there, they aren’t that bad. That being said, when I do get a pimple, I feel like it stands out like CRAZY! It typically comes right before a big event, or a night out where I really, really, really want to look perfect – just my luck.
So when it comes to acne treatments, I need something that works fast, and can target one spot. The Nip + Fab gel worked great. It goes on clear, which is really nice if you live with someone (which I do) and dried out my zits pretty quickly. I even used it under makeup and it seemed to work just as effectively.
Within a day (or sometimes even overnight), the redness and severity of my pimple would be drastically reduced. I would definitely suggest buying this treatment and keeping it on hand should you come under attack.
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