Out, damned spot! out, I say!
spot treatments theoretically, practically, emotionally, mentally and theatrically
Hello hello!
I’m glad so many of you loved last week’s issue–I hope those SPF recs are coming in extra handy and you’re staying cool this weekend. If you’re craving more sunscreen intel, check out my posts on sun protection for babies + kids, SPF makeup, or tips for sunny offices.
As a follow-up to last week’s honeymoon skincare packing list, a few of you reached out requesting a dedicated issue on skincare while traveling and on planes. Your wish is my command! I’ll be working on that this week while I am once again traveling (this time to CA for a friend’s wedding) If you have specific questions, please:
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a swag bag from my bachelorette! Congratulations to Gillian! Check your email and give me your shipping address.
Finally, I’m so beyond excited by the enthusiasm for Hotline Skin guest posts. If you submitted a pitch, you should have heard from me by now. If you haven’t, send me another email. I can’t wait for you guys to read them in a couple of months.
Theoretically I get the idea of spot treatments, but practically I’m a little lost. Can you explain what/how/when/why to use them?
I love a good spot treatment. Like you said, they sound pretty self-explanatory–you use them on certain spots–but I get why that practice introduces a new layer of complication within a routine, so let’s get into it.
WHAT & WHY:
The idea is to localize treatment to target specific concerns, rather than using something on your whole face. Spot treatments are generally associated with treating pimples, which naturally lend themselves to having spots to treat, but they can be used for any problem areas, from pimples to dark spots to dry patches. Spot treatments tend to be concentrated and more intense, so you wouldn’t want to use them in an area that doesn’t need it. I’m sure you’ve seen the instruction: “apply only to affected areas.”
There are dedicated spot treatment products–usually for blemishes and hyperpigmentation–that are formulated with high concentrations of active ingredients that tend to be drying, run a greater risk of irritation, or wouldn’t be beneficial for all-over use (i.e. lifting pigment).
Sometimes, these products are also advertised as masks, implying that you can use them on individual spots, or on larger swaths as a mask, which you might do if you have a cluster of breakouts.
While some spot treatments can be left on for hours or overnight, some of them utilize short-contact therapy, a technique that lessens the risk of irritation by rinsing the product off. The actives in the product have fast-acting delivery systems, depositing the ingredients quickly so that you can rinse it off and still get benefits. This is how treatment cleansers work!
WHEN:
Because these formulas tend to be more aggressive, they aren’t always meant for long-term use and you generally use them as needed, not proactively. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Spot treatments might be used daily or even twice daily, while the issue persists, then less frequently to prevent an issue from recurring.
Some spot treatments are clear and able to be worn during the day, even under makeup. Others are more of a paste and are best reserved for nighttime use (or work from home afternoons).
One important note is that spot treatments shouldn’t be your primary acne-fighting tool. If you find yourself consistently reaching for spot treatments or using them long-term, playing whack-a-mole with breakouts, you’ll never reach clarity since you aren’t addressing the underlying cause. If this sounds like you, it’s time to find an esthetician to come up with a plan.
HOW:
You want spot treatments to hit the spot directly, so they’re best used on clean, dry skin. I have a suspicion that this is where the “practically” part of this question comes in. Let’s go through 4 scenarios:
Scenario 1: You’re using a spot treatment or mask that you intend to wash off
Wash your face
Apply the treatment to the affected areas & wait the appropriate amount of time
Rinse off and proceed with the rest of your skincare routine
Scenario 2: You’re using a spot treatment that you want to leave-on overnight
Do your entire skincare routine
Take a q-tip or cotton pad with some micellar water to cleanse the affected area, let dry
Apply your spot treatment
Scenario 3: You’re using a spot treatment that you want to leave-on during the day
Do your skincare routine up to sunscreen
Take a q-tip or cotton pad with some micellar water to cleanse the affected area, let dry
Apply spot treatment and allow to dry completely
Apply your sunscreen as usual, followed by makeup
Scenario 4: You’re using a pimple patch
Do your entire skincare routine up to sunscreen, if during the day
Take a q-tip or cotton pad with some micellar water to cleanse the affected area, let dry
Apply your pimple patch. Make sure the skin is fully clean and dry underneath so it fully adheres
If necessary, apply sunscreen or makeup on top
Troubleshooting & Useful Tips
Moisturizer + spot treatments: This one is a little divisive. Since spot treatments tend to be drying, you want to make sure you are still moisturizing the area (dehydration is the enemy!) Some experts say to layer your spot treatments on top of moisturizer (buffering) or to apply moisturizer on top. Unless your skin is extremely sensitive, I feel like buffering kind of defeats the purpose of a spot treatment, especially if you’re washing it off. Re: applying moisturizer on top, nothing wrong with doing so, but I usually don’t, as I don’t want to risk disturbing the spot treatment (especially if it’s a thick paste, it’s kind of hard to rub anything on top). One exception is makeup, which is helped by having a moisturized base, but I still usually rely on my sunscreen for that. As long as you are otherwise keeping the area hydrated and not overusing your spot treatment, you’ll be okay with whatever you choose.
Wearing makeup over a pimple patch: If you’ve been here for a bit, you know I am a pimple patch evangelist. They’re easy and mess-free to apply, don’t really have any downsides or long-term use risks (unless you’re allergic to the material) and though they won’t help blackheads or cystic acne, they can still help to protect the skin from dirt, pollution, irritation or picking.
The most important thing with pimple patches is that you want them to fully adhere to dry skin, so that they form an invisible seal. I find pimple patches themselves to be kind of blurring, so I usually don’t apply makeup on top, but you certainly can, as long as it’s fully adhered. Use a thin pimple patch and be very sparing and gentle in your makeup application–applying too much can make it sit strangely and be more noticeable, and being aggressive can make it fall off. You can dust translucent powder and spritz with setting spray prior to makeup application if necessary.Can you apply a spot treatment after cleansing, before the rest of your products? You totally can, but the reason I recommend doing so towards the end is to minimize disturbing the spot treatment once it sets. I find it much easier to not have to think about avoiding the area.
Can you use retinoids as a spot treatment? No. This is a post for another day, but the way retinoids work is not conducive to spot treating.
What about other types of spot treatments besides for acne/dark spots? There are spot treatments for dry/irritated/chapped/healing skin, though it’s not as common to see them called “spot treatments,” presumably because there’s such a strong association with spot treatments & pimples. These types of treatments tend to be thicker, reparative balms or things that form an occlusive seal, providing extra protection and support to compromised skin. They contain potent skin soothers, skin protectants and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Can I use any mask or treatment product as a spot treatment? Theoretically yes, pretty much anything can be a spot treatment if you want it to be! All you have to do is use a product in certain areas and ta-da, you have a spot treatment. That being said, if a product is formulated for all-over use, using just a little bit may not have a high enough concentration of the active ingredient to make a difference.
Product Recommendations
For acne/breakouts:
Activist Manuka Honey Mask (can use for acne or irritated, dry skin)
Sofie Pavitt Benzoyl Peroxide Mask (can use 2-3x weekly in breakout areas)
Clearstem Sulfur Spot & Mask (stronger than Naturium’s and I like it better)
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (has salicylic acid & benzoyl peroxide)
For dark spots:
Dr. Idriss Major Fade Hyper Serum (can use all over or on spots)
Hydroquinone (prescription only)
For dry/irritated/red/post-procedure or healing skin:
Hero Cosmetics Rescue Balm (the LOML. I find it also helps to blur redness and I use it very liberally, all over my body. I prefer the OG to the red correct.)
Prequel Skin Utility Gel, Utility Ointment or Utility Balm (each has different consistency and key ingredient)
Other:
Rael Pimple Patches (the pimple patch GOAT)
Violette FR Liquid Bandage (I haven’t used, but the idea is like a liquid pimple patch to be used under makeup)
Bonus Rec from our community:
Sometimes I send paid subscribers and founding members products to review for us. Last year, Lauren R. compared the Hero Cosmetics Lightning Wand vs. Versed Dark Spot Gel and I’m not sure if I ever published her review (I’m SO sorry and thank you, Lauren!!!) In the time since, Versed discontinued this product. More thoughts in Three Other Things below, but for now, here’s Lauren’s review. Luckily, she didn’t fall hard for the Versed gel. She has sensitive, fair skin with lots of redness and applied at night for 1 week, then twice a day, after cleansing, before other serums.
Initial Thoughts on Lightning Wand: comes in a roller ball, which was incredibly easy to use. Squeeze the sides of the travel size tube, uncap and roll onto face for a smooth application. The serum was odorless, cool to the touch, and absorbed quickly in less than 30 seconds without any tightness.
Initial Thoughts on Versed: comes in a squeeze tube, which is self-explanatory. I would squeeze the gel onto a finger and gently swipe over the area of interest. The gel takes time to dry down - you are supposed to wait 2-3 minutes before the next step in your skincare routine. My skin did feel tight while the gel was still tacky and there was a noticeable odor to the product.
After 2 Weeks: switching to the recommended twice daily use, both products did decrease the intensity of acne spots. Some days I felt that the Lightning Wand was just a cool roller ball vs an effective treatment. The Dark Spot gel, on the other hand, did cause dryness and a bit of flaking.
After Extended Use: both products continued to decrease the intensity of acne spots, and I saw an overall increase in brightness. The Dark Spot gel did seem to dry my skin out more. There is a warning for increased sun sensitivity, but I didn’t notice any sensitivity with my normal moisturizer + makeup + sunscreen routine. Both products were easy to take on vacation! I eased back to once a day as I was traveling to a drier climate.
Final Thoughts: My preference between the two would be the Hero Cosmetics Wand, if only to avoid skin tightness and odor. BUT if you love to know your product is working and have a bit of patience, the Dark Spot Gel could be for you.
Three Other Things
I’ve been raving about this new lip balm from Eadem on Instagram. I’m stunned by the color longevity, the formula is so juicy and it’s also a treatment product. I have Fig, but I would like to collect them all.
As I mentioned above, Versed discontinued their dark spot gel. In writing this post, I discovered that Naturium has seemingly discontinued much of their acne line, including their sulfur spot treatment and salicylic acid moisturizer. I wonder why these affordable, fan-favorite, Target-stocked brands are discontinuing these types of products. I recently started using the Clearstem sulfur product I linked above in lieu of Naturium’s and I actually like it more and find it more effective, with a much more impressive ingredient profile. Perhaps these mass-market brands aren’t able to compete with smaller, acne-focused brands whose product development is more informed and strictly for acne-prone skin. I want to hear your theories in the comments.
Simultaneously proving and not proving my point above, The Ordinary (recently fully acquired by Estée Lauder, congrats!) just released their new Balancing & Clarifying Serum (featuring 7 unique skin-clearing ingredient technologies). The brand sent this to me and since I wouldn’t be trying it before my wedding (nothing new before the wedding!!!) I'd love to send it to one of you to review for the community. Email me hi@joldef.com if you think you’re a good candidate.
Office Hours Reminder
Join us for Office Hours on Sunday! This exclusive weekly opportunity is available to paying subscribers.
Every Sunday at 5pm EST, I’ll begin a new thread for the week in Substack Chat, where you can ask me anything. Every Monday from 5-6pm EST, I’ll be in that chat live, answering questions for the hour. That way, if you can’t make it, you can submit any time after 5pm Sunday and still get an answer. If you can make it live, join in! You can ask questions in real time and (hopefully) interact with others in class ;)
Discount Codes
Dermstore: JOLIE for 15% off (La Roche-Posay, Hero Cosmetics)
Dr. Idriss: Freeshippingsw for free shipping
Sofie Pavitt Face: JOLIE10 for 10% off
you can find all of my discount codes here
Have a great week!
xx,
Jolie