9 Ways to Treat Acne

Seeing spots? Here are the best methods to clear up blemishes.

Tea-Tree Oil

Use it: To treat mild, occasional breakouts.

How it works: Distilled from the leaves of an Australian shrub, tea-tree oil contains antibacterial and anti-microbial compounds called terpenoids that help kill the bacteria that, when trapped behind oil in a plugged pore, lead to acne breakouts. Try Burt’s Bees Herbal Blemish Stick ($8, burtsbees.com). A roller-ball tube makes for easy application.

Good to know: Studies testing tea-tree oil against the gold-standard acne treatment, benzoyl peroxide, have shown that while the latter works more quickly, tea-tree oil is equally effective over time. And it results in fewer annoying side effects—namely, dryness and redness.