Our Fave Pimple-Flattening Spot Treatment Costs $9 (& Really Works)

We don’t have the time or patience for painful, angry pimples. We want quick and effective solutions, so we don’t have the temptation to pick or squeeze – please don’t do that! Fortunately, we tried the most bomb pimple treatment, and it’s become our new bestie thanks to its fast results. Even better, it only costs $9! Yup, you guessed it, it’s from everyone’s fave drugstore brand: The Inkey List. We’ve been using their new Succinic Acid Acne Treatment, $9, in our routine for months, and we had to share all the tea about why we love it. Here’s everything you need to know.

What it is: A non-drying targeted spot treatment. The creamy lotion is fueled with succinic acid, sulfur, salicylic acid, and hyaluronic acid to take down pimples STAT while remaining gentle on the skin.

What it does: This pimple-flattening treatment brings together not one but three acne-fighting ingredients; 2% succinic acid, 2% sulfur powder, and 1% salicylic acid. These active ingredients work overtime to gently exfoliate the skin, unclog pores, and calm inflammation, thereby minimizing the size of your pimple. It also helps reduce oil levels and prevent future breakouts in that area. To ensure it doesn’t leave your skin dry and thirsty – like so many spot treatments do – it’s also formulated with 0.4% hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin.

What we liked: We’ve tried our fair share of pimple-fighting formulas in our time, and this one majorly came through. It minimized the size of our pimple within the first 24 hours, reduced redness, and soothed sensitivity. It even helped with those pesky under-the-skin pimples, which flattened significantly. We also love the subtle green tint (from the sulfur), which helps diminish redness. Plus, even though it’s a small tube, you only need a tiny amount of formula for each pimple, so you won’t have to restock any time soon.

What we didn’t like: As this formula contains sulfur, you can smell that funky scent of sulfur when used on multiple pimples. But honestly, that’s a small price to pay when it’s such an impactful formula.

How to use: Apply to cleansed skin after you’ve used your serum. Leave it on for 10 minutes to allow it to be fully absorbed, then follow with your fave moisturizer.

For more pimple treatments, check out our 10 fave acne-busting products.

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