Our Guide To Treating Every Type Of Inflammatory Acne, Backed By Derms

Ahead, find our full guide to inflammatory acne, including how to I.D. the blemish and the best ways to treat it. 

However, a few types of pimples are more puffy and angry than others—those are what we classify as "inflammatory," as they aesthetically align with what you might imagine an inflamed zit to look like: red, swollen, and tender to the touch. 

To familiarize yourself with all the types of breakouts (non-inflammatory and inflammatory), we highly suggest taking a peek at our full acne guide. But for a quick refresh, let's discuss some inflammatory bumps below: 

Everyone's skin is unique, but these are the general tips derms recommend time and again: 

Tea tree oil deserves honorable mention, too: The essential oil boasts some antimicrobial properties and is capable of lowering levels of acne-causing bacteria on the skin when applied to acne lesions. One double-blind placebo-controlled study even found that a 5% tea tree oil gel blend was an effective treatment for mild to moderate acne2. It also simultaneously soothes the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties—which is just as important when treating angry, tender acne. Just make sure to always dilute straight tea tree oil with a carrier, as you never want to apply essential oils directly on the skin. 

Which brings us to our next point: To treat inflammatory acne, you'll want to use a mix of acne-fighting and soothing ingredients to help dial down the inflammation. We'd be remiss not to give aloe vera its worthy praise, as the gel is chock-full of anti-inflammatory vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and amino acids to soothe angry pimples. (Plus, it also contains natural salicylic acids to help unplug the acne at the source.) 

Here's our favorite moisturizers for those with acne.

You can also cover up spots with an acne patch, if you choose. These are made of hydrocolloid, a medical dressing that absorbs excess fluid (like oil and pus) without drying out the skin. They're especially helpful on pustules (those have the white, pus-filled bumps, remember?) as the patch can suck out all the gunk without ripping the skin.

An age-old remedy to quickly bring down swelling: ice. The cool temperature constricts the circulation, limiting flow to the area and retracting the inflammation—plus, it just feels nice on an irritated, tender zit. Be sure to wrap the ice cube in a tissue or towel before placing it onto the blemish, as you don't want to completely shock your skin—this can only lead to more inflammation, which is the opposite of what you want here. 

We have a whole guide to treating acne scars here, but derms often recommend brightening ingredients (like vitamin C or arbutin) to help fade those marks over time, as well as retinoids. In addition to exfoliating dead skin cells and keeping breakouts at bay, retinoids block the activity of enzymes3 behind melanin synthesis, resulting in a more even skin tone. 

Now, I'm not going to hide behind my keyboard and tell you that tending to these lifestyle factors is easy (it's definitely not!), but understanding the role sleep, stress, and diet play in your skin health is the first step to ultimately managing it. And if you're unsure where to start, we have a handy guide to help. 

Acne is a very complex condition, and so it's difficult to pinpoint an exact treatment for everyone. If you can, we recommend seeing a derm who can take a look at your skin and lifestyle and offer the best treatment plan—especially if you're dealing with nodules or cysts, as OTC acne treatments won't be as effective. 

Treating all forms of acne takes time and patience, but caring for inflammatory pimples requires even more of a balance—you want to clear the blemish with acne-fighting ingredients without making the blemish even angrier. These derm-backed tips above can help, but most of all, don't try to pop or squeeze the lesions: All experts can agree that's a major acne mistake.