Last Updated on November 9, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Got acne? Back in the day, you’d be drying your skin with benzoyl peroxide, exfoliate with salicylic acid twice a day every day and add a witch hazel toner to the mix… and then you wondered why your acne came back with a vengeance. Truth bomb: drying out acne dries out skin, too.
When skin is dry, it plays all sorts of tricks on you. It stings and flakes. Your skin’s pH level goes through the roof. Your protective barrier breaks down so that everything irritates it. Cue inflammation, excess oils and breakouts. Those days are over.
Don’t get me wrong. You can still use your salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide – they do get the job done. But they’re not enough. If you want to make acne heal faster and keep the breakouts away, you need to give them a helping hand. Here are 3 little known anti-acne ingredients that help you clear up your skin faster:
Little Known Acne-Fighting Ingredient #1: Zinc
Zinc is a trace metal found in meat, nuts, whole grains, legumes and… your body. It helps wounds heal faster, protects broken skin from external, harmful stimuli and kicks acne’s ass. Zinc fights acne in two ways:
- Regulates oil production: When your skin pumps out too much oil, the excess gets stuck in the pores – together with dead skin cells and bacteria. The clogged pore ruptures and a pimple rears its ugly head. Zinc tells the hormones that make sebum to slow down production to keep that from happening.
- Soothes inflammation: zinc has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce inflammation. Guess what acne is? An anti-inflammatory disease!
Now, here’s the catch: zinc alone can’t kill P. Acnes, the bacteria that is making your life miserable. If you’re dealing with active acne, you’d still need benzyl peroxide or another of the acne killers below. BUT, if you’ve got acne-prone skin, adding zinc to your skincare routine helps the breakouts heal faster and prevents them from coming back.
Best Picks:
- Replenix Pore Minimizing Serum ($70.00): A serum with niacinamide, zinc, and antioxidants to support acne healing while slowing down premature aging. Available at Dermstore
- Naturism Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% ($16.99): A hydrating serum with niacinamide and zinc to keep skin soft and supple without adding more oil to it. Available at Boots, SpaceNK, and Ulta
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (£5.00): Suitable only for oily skin, it reduces excess oil, helps treat acne, and reduces redness and inflammation. Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Sephora, SpaceNK, The Ordinary, and Ulta
Related: Does Zinc Help Treat Acne?
Little Known Anti-Acne Ingredient #2: Azelaic Acid
Azelaic acid is the unsung hero of skincare. A dermatologist’s best-kept secret, it’s only now starting to get the recognition it deserves. Made by the bacteria and yeast that live on your skin, azelaic acid is one of the most effective acne-treatments out there. Just to give you an idea, here’s how it compares to other common acne remedies:
- Accutane: Accutane is the most powerful acne treatment in the world. After 6 months, it completely clears up cystic acne, reduces whiteheads and papule by 97% and clogged pores by 83%. In comparison, 20% Azelaic Acid reduces whiteheads and papule by 88% and clogged pores by 70%. Plus it completely clears up cystic acne, too and is gentler on the skin.
- Benzoyl Peroxide: 15% Azelaic Acid is just as effective as 5% Benzoyl Peroxide. In a 2004 study, they both reduced acne by 70%. But Azelaic Acid didn’t leave skin a dry mess.
- Tretinoin: 20% Azelaic Acid cream is just as effective as 0.05% Tretinoin. But – again – Azelaic Acid is gentler on the skin.
What makes Azelaic Acid such a great acne-fighter? Let me count the ways:
- It has antibacterial properties that kill P. Acnes, the bacteria that gives you acne
- It has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce inflammation (acne is an inflammatory disease, remember?)
- It helps exfoliate skin so dead cells don’t get stuck in the pores
- It regulates the free fatty acid content (the food P. Acnes eats) on the skin – reduce them and you’re starving the acne bacteria.
The best part? Azelaic Acid works for all types of acne, including fungal.
Best Picks:
- Facetheory Blemicalm Azelaic Acid 15% Clarifying Serum (£26.00): Loaded with 15% Azelaic acid and colloidal oatmeal, it helps treat acne, soothe irritations, and lighten dark spots. Available at Facetheory
- Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster ($36.00): It includes a touch of Salicylic Acid to unclog pores too. Available at Cult Beauty, Paula’s Choice, and SpaceNK
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% ($12.20): A simple, no-frills formula that just works without breaking the bank. Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, The Ordinary, and Ulta
Little Known Anti-Acne Ingredient #3: Linoleic Acid
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 essential fatty acid. Essential means your skin can’t produce it. And that’s the problem. You see, healthy skin has a lot of linoleic acid. But when you have acne, its linoleic acid content plummets to the ground. It makes sense that adding linoleic acid back into the skin helps you fight acne. Here’s how:
- It promotes exfoliation: Linoleic acid plays a key role in the natural exfoliation process. When your skin doesn’t have enough, dead cells get stuck on your skin and into your pores. There, they mix with excess oil, get infected with bacteria and erupt in pimples.
- It regulates oil production: Sebum production gets out of control when the enzyme 5α-reductase turns testotesrone into α-dihydrotestosterone. Linoleic acid can inhibit the activity of 5α-reductase, keeping oil production under control.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties: Linoleic acid can soothe inflammation, the main cause of acne.
Like zinc, linoleic acid can’t single-handedly rid you of acne. But, together with azelaic acid (or another P. Acnes killer), it helps acne heal faster and keeps it from coming back. So where do you find linoleic acid? Oils. Here are the best ones for the job:
- Evening Primrose oil (75%)
- Grapeseed oil (72%)
- Hemp seed oil (55%)
- Rosehip oil (45%)
- Safflower oil (68%)
For the love of your skin, avoid oils high in oleic acid. If in doubt, stick to the list above. If it ain’t there, don’t try it!
Best Picks:
- The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rise Hip Seed Oil ($10.90): available at Asos, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, SpaceNK, The Ordinary and Ulta
- Good Morning Pure Cold-Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil ($10.00): available at Ulta
- Pai Skincare Rosehip Bioregenerate, Rosehip Seed and Fruit Universal Face Oil ($34.00): available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore and Sephora
Related: Why You Should Fight Your Acne With Oils
FAQs
How long does it take for zinc to work on acne?
Ugh, okay so don’t shoot the messenger, but you’re looking at like 8-12 weeks. I KNOW. It sucks waiting that long when you’ve got a face full of zits right now. But here’s the thing – zinc isn’t just covering up the problem, it’s actually fixing what’s broken. You might see your skin getting less greasy after a few weeks, which is cool. But for the breakouts to really calm down? Yeah, give it 2-3 months. The upside is once it works, it WORKS, because you’re not just treating symptoms anymore.
Can you use azelaic acid and salicylic acid together?
Hell yeah you can! But don’t be a hero and dump both on your face at once on day one. That’s a one-way ticket to Irritation City. Start slow – maybe salicylic in the morning, azelaic at night. Or do them on alternate days. After a week or two when your skin’s like “okay, I can handle this,” then you can layer them if you want. Just remember: thinnest consistency goes on first. And if your face starts screaming at you (red, flaky, angry), back off.
Which oils are worst for acne-prone skin?
Okay so coconut oil needs to get cancelled for acne-prone skin. I don’t care what your favorite influencer says – it’s pore-clogging garbage for us. Same with olive oil, avocado oil, and almond oil. They’re all loaded with oleic acid which basically rolls out the red carpet for clogged pores. Look, I get that they sound natural and nourishing but they’re a disaster. Stick with rosehip, grapeseed, or hemp seed oil instead – those are your actual friends.
Should you use niacinamide or azelaic acid for acne?
Honestly? Both if you can swing it. But if you’re making me choose: grab azelaic acid if you’ve got active pimples happening RIGHT NOW because it’ll actually murder the bacteria. Go for niacinamide if you’re more dealing with oiliness and redness. But real talk – they’re like the dream team together. Niacinamide builds up your skin’s defenses while azelaic acid goes to war with your acne. Just don’t dump them both on at once – introduce one, wait a week or two, then add the other.
Can linoleic acid make acne worse initially?
Nope, not really. It’s not like retinol where you go through that nightmare purging phase. If you start breaking out after adding a linoleic acid oil, either that specific oil hates you OR you’re going way too heavy-handed. Start with like 2-3 drops – seriously, that’s it. If you’re still getting zits after two weeks, that oil just isn’t the one for you. Not every oil works for everyone, even the “good” ones.
The Bottom Line
Fighting acne isn’t all about killing the bacteria P.Acnes. If you want to make the breakouts go away faster and keep them gone, you also need to regulate oil production, soothe inflammation and exfoliate skin regularly. These little known anti-acne ingredients will help you do just that.
Those Azelaic Acid studies used 15% and above. The maximum OTC that I have encountered so far is 10%, so will it actually give the same results?
Kaido, maybe not the exact same results, but you’ll definitely see an improvement. It just works more slowly.
Vitamin C is shown to work best at 15%, but there are studies that show it’s effective even at 3%. Obviously, it takes longer to see results with smaller concentrations, but that doesn’t make them useless!
Hi Gio! Can azelaic acid be used with salicylic acid? with vitamin c (i use timeless CE + ferulic acid)? I use both in the morning, before moisturizing/sunscreen. I’m intrigued by azelaic acid but don’t want to over exfoliate, and since I have fairly oily skin with blackheads/clogged pores/outbreaks of mild acne I don’t want to give up my SA! I use retinol at night so would want to incorporate azelaic in the morning, if at all (i think?) Thank you!
Lauren, it depends. I recommend introducing new actives when the old ones don’t give you the results you seek, not just to see what the hype is about. If you’re really curious though, why not alternate them and use them on different mornings?
Thank you for this helpful blog. I do need to say, I think it’s important to emphasize that extreme caution should be used by those with acne prone skin when adding rosehip seed oil to a regimen. Rosehip seed oil is at the middle of the comedogenic scale and it turns out that’s still kind of an important consideration that I neglected because I was so gung ho to put the linoleic acid to work for me.
With daily application of 4 drops, I created a mess of pores on my chin that are so clogged, I really can’t even explain how much worse I made the acne I was already desperate to clear. The clogs are so thick and so deep that for a couple of weeks, my chin swelled up like a balloon and the skin was stretched so tightly over the swelling that it had a hard surface texture and was completely numb to the touch.
After more than a month of taking Tylenol daily to get rid of the acute, constant throbbing, aching and itching that only comes from deep pore clogs, the results of using the oil are still with me. I’m going to have to double down on an AHA routine to fix this. And it’s my fault. I went to the web and not a doctor. But please help make sure this doesn’t happen to others.
Violet, thank you for leaving a comment and warning others. I’m so sorry this happened to you, it’s awful. There is some evidence that rosehip oil helps with acne but, as everything else in skincare, everyone can react to the same ingredient differently. For some it can be a miracle cure and for others a nightmare. You’re absolutely right we should exercise caution when using oils for acne.
And what about the derivative of Azelaic Acid – Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate? Does it have an exfoliating property like AzA?
Andrzey, it’s thought to have the same properties as Azelaic Acid. I’ve seen studies it has skin-lightening and moisturizing properties, but nothing specifically on exfoliation.
What about Mandelic Acid? I am currently trying Neostrata Clarifying Cleanser…
Iyanab, it can help if your skin can’t tolerate salicylic acid. But it won’t do much in a cleanser. Acids need to stay on the skin to work.