How to Get Rid of Whiteheads *Without* Popping Them (Yep, Really) (2024)

After this acne face wash went viral on TikTok, I had to go to six (!) different stores to find it. But now that I’ve used it myself, I can understand the hype: This cleanser uses 4 percent benzoyl peroxide to help kill some whitehead-causing bacteria, along with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to soothe and hydrate, which helps offset some of the dryness that can come with benzoyl peroxide. Just remember: If you already use retinol for acne, you’ll want to save this cleanser for mornings, just once or twice a week to avoid irritation, and always follow with an oil-free moisturizer.

THE REVIEWS: “I spent a lot of time panicking, stressing, and crying over acne in my life, and this was finally the miracle that fixed my skin,” writes one tester. “I noticed a change after the first wash. My skin was soothed, smoother, and I could tell it was healing.”

You only need a tiny dab of this natural spot treatment to help treat your whiteheads. The formula uses a mix of calming zinc oxide (to soothe inflammation) and antimicrobial apple cider vinegar to help flatten your zit over time. It also looks opaque white on your face when it dries, which helps keep you from staring at the redness in the mirror and getting the urge to pick.

THE REVIEWS: “I have acne-prone, sensitive skin, and this helps with my large inflamed bumps, small bumps, and whiteheads,” writes one tester in a review. “Most of the time, it helps heal my acne so much faster. It also doesn't burn or irritate my skin at all.”

Salicylic acid = the best whitehead treatment, thanks to the fact that it’s oil-soluble, meaning it can penetrate and break down the sebum inside your pores, leaving you with fewer clogged pores. The only downside? It can be drying for some skin types, which is why I love this toner: It uses glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and cactus extract to keep your skin barrier plump and hydrated, plus a combo of salicylic acid and PHA (polyhydroxy acid, the mildest of acids) to keep your skin smoother and clearer. Just pat it over your clean, dry skin a few nights a week, then follow with your regular serums and moisturizers.

THE REVIEWS: “I don’t know how something could be so hydrating yet not make me oily,” one review states. “I slather this all over my face, neck, and chest, and it really feels so nice. It dries fast, and it’s not sticky or irritating, which is also a plus for my eczema-prone skin.”

These cult-favorite, at-home chemical peel pads are your skin's best chance at feeling as soft and smooth as when you came out of the womb. Seriously. The formula is filled with both retinol and five different AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids, like lactic and glycolic acid) and BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids, like salicylic acid), making it as effective as it is intense. Each treatment comes with two pads: one pad to swipe on dry skin and let sit for up to two minutes, then a neutralizer pad that deactivates the peel when your time is up. Only use this two-step system once a week, and when you first start, only keep the first pad on for about 30 seconds to see how your skin tolerates it (if your skin starts burning or stinging, immediately neutralize it).

THE REVIEWS: “I just finished my first box of 35, and my skin is smoother and clearer than ever,” one reviewer writes. “I’m so happy with how my skin looks! The stubborn bumps on my forehead and most blackheads are gone.”

This drugstore serum uses 2 percent salicylic acid to both treat existing whiteheads and help prevent them by keeping your pores clear. Smooth this on clean, dry skin two times a week before your other serums and moisturizer, using it as either a full-face treatment or as an area treatment where you tend to breakout.

THE REVIEWS: “I have been using the product for two months now, and having suffered with my skin for years and years and years, I never thought I could have skin as clear as this,” writes one reviewer. “My skin feels firmer, brighter, less congested, and my pores look smaller. “

Whenever I'm dealing with majorly oily, hormonal skin, I love slathering on this clay mask and feeling it tighten on my face. Clay, as a reminder, acts like a sponge, soaking up excess surface oils while it dries to help your pores look a little clearer after you rinse it off. But beware that clay is inherently a bit drying, making it tricky to handle for sensitive or dry skin types, so skip this one unless your skin type is oily or combination.

THE REVIEWS: “This mask leaves my skin smooth, tight, and clean, but moisturized and not stripped to dryness,” one tester writes. “I am a person who has a lot of skin texture, and this mask definitely makes my skin feel clean.”

If you didn’t already know (how’s that rock you’re living under?), retinoids are an acne-fighting powerhouse. Not only do they speed up cell turnover to help keep pores from getting clogged, but they also fade hyperpigmentation and bumpy skin texture. Though prescription retinoids are best at clearing acne, adapalene (the main ingredient in Differin here) is prescription-strength and specifically created to treat acne, without a doctor’s appointment. Just remember to start slow: apply it one night a week for one week (under moisturizer), then two nights a week for two weeks, working your way up to every other night indefinitely.

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, “Differin has worked wonders for my hormonal acne that I developed in my thirties. I have to say that it did take about 12 weeks to really show a difference. Don’t be discouraged and stick it out for at least 12 weeks—my skin is the best I’ve seen in a long time.”

Some pimple patches are filled with tons of zit-killing acids that can leave your whitehead red and flaky, which is why I love these plain and simple hydrocolloid patches. They’re good for both popped whiteheads (they absorb fluid drainage while protecting your open wound) and unpopped whiteheads (to keep your dirty fingers from scratching and picking), without any irritation. Just stick one on your zit—ideally before you try messing with it—and let your body do its natural healing thang.

THE REVIEWS: According to one tester, “Not only is it grossly satisfying, but it saved me several days of walking around with a bloody crater on my face because my previous method of dealing with unsightly blemishes was to pick pick pick.”

When I have a whitehead, it’s hard for me to stop focusing on the redness and ignore the impulse to pick. So I tend to skip the sheer patches and go for these cute, completely opaque heart patches instead, which help hide discoloration, minimize the look of the bump, and still speed up the healing process. And FYI: Dermatologists actually recommend opting for opaque pimple patches if your breakouts are messing with your mental health—they help you go on with your day instead of perpetually thinking about your acne.

THE REVIEWS: “I use this product when I get whiteheads from stress or my period,” one tester writes in a review. “It sucks all the nastiness off the top overnight and lets things heal much faster.”

​​Here's the thing: Even though it sounds like a good idea to use active ingredients in every single step of your skincare routine, from face wash to face cream, it’s actually doing your whiteheads no favors (a dried-out, pissed-off skin barrier can actually lead to more breakouts over time). Instead, layer on a gentle, oil-free cream like this one from Beautystat, which uses hyaluronic acid and reishi mushroom to give your skin some hydration, without adding a layer of extra oil.

THE REVIEWS: “You will not find a better extremely lightweight moisturizer,” one review states. “There’s no oily feeling after use.”

It’s super normal to get whiteheads on your body, especially during the sweaty summer months or if you’re very active. But instead of trying to scrub your body zits away and just causing more irritation, stick with a chemical exfoliant, like this salicylic acid-spiked body wash from Naturium. Leave it on your skin for at least 30 seconds to help it work its magic before rinsing. (And don’t worry: its added sunflower and safflower seed oils keeps it from being too drying.)

THE REVIEWS: “I love the mild lather, the very faint smell, and the way my skin feels after using it,” one review states. “It kept my mild back acne under control, left a nice glow to the skin, and made me sooo smooth.”

If you’re dealing with a whitehead that’s super painful and inflamed (and, tbh, may just be a cystic zit), you can calm some of that redness and throbbing with 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. I know, it’s not a ~sexy~ skincare product, but it’s the closest over-the-counter solution we have to a cortisone shot from the derm’s office for soothing inflammatory zits. I specifically love this one for its aloe-based formula which helps offset some irritation. Just dab it on your whitehead twice a day for up to five days and live your life.

THE REVIEWS: “I actually use this for cystic acne,” writes one reviewer. “It really helped with the inflammation and irritation of the surrounding skin. It helped the whole healing process.”

Getting rid of whiteheads on your face will fall into three choices: (1) over-the-counter topical treatments, (2) prescription-strength topicals, and (3) prescription oral medications. Lemme break them down real quick:

Over-the-counter topicals

If you get the occasional annoying whitehead, try incorporating over-the-counter topicals with acids to help exfoliate away dead skin to keep your pores from clogging as frequently. “The most common ingredient used to treat whiteheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid—BHA—that works to clear your pores over time,” says Dr. Zeichner. How you use it is up to you, but just know that salicylic acid can be drying, especially if your skin is already dry or sensitive. So stick to one acid-based treatment at a time (no doubling up on acid-spiked cleansers, serums, and toners, pls) and use it once every two to three nights until you know your skin can handle it.

Prescription topicals

But if your whiteheads are a little more stubborn, your dermatologist might recommend a stronger topical, like a retinoid. Tretinoin is one of the strongest prescription retinoid that speeds up and regulates cellular turnover, keeping acne-causing bacteria and oil from getting trapped in your pores and causing whiteheads. It’s known for being irritating at first, so start with half a pea-size amount one night a week for one week, two nights a week for two weeks, and then keep up with three nights a week once your skin is tolerating it. And always follow it with a rich moisturizer.

Your dermatologist may also prescribe a non-retinoid topical to treat your whiteheads, like a topical antibiotic (like clindamycin lotion, or Aczone antibiotic lotion), or an antibiotic and retinoid combination (like Ziana). Or they could prescribe other topical treatments, like Finacea (a higher-strength azelaic acid), or Epiduo Forte (a benzoyl peroxide and retinoid combination). Basically, you’ve got options.

Prescription oral medications

If you’re dealing with persistent whiteheads that don’t respond to topicals alone, your dermatologist may suggest one of the following:

• Antibiotics: A short-term course of antibiotics can help calm inflammation and reduce bacteria growth. The two most commonly prescribed for acne are broad-spectrum doxycycline or narrow-spectrum Seysara.
• Birth control pills: Combination birth control pills (i.e., those that contain estrogen and progesterone) help reduce your body’s androgen levels (aka “sex hormones” like testosterone) that contribute to hormonal breakouts.
• Spironolactone: If birth control pills alone don’t reduce your whiteheads, your derm may also prescribe spironolactone, a medication that helps block your androgens from overproducing oil.
• Accutane: When your whiteheads don’t respond to any other treatments, Accutane (aka isotretinoin) permanently shrinks your oil glands, so it’s harder for oil to create clogs in the first place. It does require monthly check-ins with your doc and blood testing, but it’s considered one of the most effective treatments for ultra-persistent inflammatory acne.

Just note: Most of these oral medications will take two to three months to take full effect (outside of antibiotics), and your dermatologist will likely combine them with topical treatments as well for full efficacy.

Yes, whiteheads will just go away on their own, as frustrating as it is to play the waiting game. “When the whitehead is ready to pop, your body will have already filled in the skin below the pimple before pushing off the whitehead,” says Dr. Chang. Dab on a spot treatment or stick on a pimple patch, keep up with your skincare routine (and keep your hands off your face), and wait it out.

Just know that whiteheads can always come back, even if you’re using acids, benzoyl peroxide, or retinoids, and it isn’t your fault if they do (bodies and hormones are going to do what they’re going to do). If this sounds like your whitehead journey, talk to your derm about a stronger treatment option like retinoids, oral antibiotics, and/or spironolactone.

Whiteheads on your body can be caused by excess oil and grime clogging your pores, whether that’s from hormonal fluctuations, heavy sweating, or genetics. To help treat body breakouts, cleanse your skin with a benzoyl peroxide body wash two times a week to help kill some of the acne-causing bacteria, and then spritz on a salicylic acid body spray on the days you don’t use your BP wash.

It’s important to note that not all body whiteheads are truly acne. If your bumps look tiny, uniform, and in clusters, you might actually be dealing with folliculitis, which occurs when your hair follicles get irritated and inflamed. Folliculitis can be treated similarly to whiteheads (i.e., sudsing up with a salicylic acid body wash, wiping down your body with a body wipe after sweating, and switching to an electric razor with a guard to trim hair instead of shaving), but if you’re not seeing results after six weeks, head to your dermatologist for a diagnosis and gameplan.

• Joshua Zeichner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY, who specializes in acne and rosacea. Dr. Zeichner is also the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology and an associate professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC.
• Caroline Chang, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Rhode Island Dermatology Institute in East Greenwich, RI. She is also an associate staff member at Rhode Island Hospital.
• Fatima Fahs, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Hamzavi Dermatology in Canton, MI. She is also the founder of the Dermy Doc Box, a quarterly subscription beauty box filled with dermatologist-approved skincare favorites.

Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from butt acne to blind pimples. She’s an authority in all skincare categories, but is an expert when it comes to whiteheads, thanks to a decade of bugging dermatologists about the fix to her own acne. She regularly tests and analyzes acne treatments for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top dermatologists to assess new formulas and brands.

Ruby Buddemeyer was the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan for nearly three years, and has five years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and celebrity news across print and digital, including body washes for acne and blackhead face masks. Her whitehead treatment picks were based on product reviews, ratings, personal testing, and industry experts' information.