Ten questions, about two minutes. You'll get a suggested next step for your acne, why we suggest it, and what to do next. We ask nothing that identifies you.
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Your suggested next step
Your result
Why we suggest this
Also worth knowing
A simple 12-week starter routine
Morning: gentle cleanser, benzoyl peroxide 2.5%–5% (leave-on gel for the face, or a wash for the chest and back), moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Evening: gentle cleanser, then a thin layer of adapalene 0.1% gel over the whole area that breaks out, then moisturizer.
Weeks 1–4: start slowly. Use adapalene every other night for the first couple of weeks if your skin gets dry or stings. Some people see more breakouts early on.
Weeks 4–8: you should start to see some improvement. Keep going every day, even on good days.
Week 12: judge the result. If you've used it daily and it isn't enough, the next step is usually a prescription.
Prefer one product? Adapalene alone suits mostly blackheads and whiteheads; benzoyl peroxide
alone suits mostly red pimples. Salicylic acid is a milder option for clogged pores.
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links below, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change what we suggest. Details.
What to look for
Check the Drug Facts label for the active ingredient and strength. The store links below
are affiliate links to searches for each ingredient, not to a single product we endorse.
Using them doesn't change your result.
Adapalene 0.1% gel
OTC through an FDA-approved Rx-to-OTC switch (NDA), not the acne monograph
A retinoid that helps unclog pores and prevent new blackheads, whiteheads and pimples.
How to use: Once a day, usually at night, as a thin layer over the whole area that breaks out, not just on spots. Its label says results can take up to 3 months, and acne may look worse in the first weeks.
Dryness, redness and peeling are common at first. Start every other night and use a moisturizer.
Its label says to ask a doctor before use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Kills acne-causing bacteria and helps with red, inflamed pimples. Lower strengths tend to irritate less.
How to use: A leave-on gel once a day on the face, or a wash for the chest and back (leave it on for a minute or two, then rinse). Many people pair it with adapalene: one in the morning, one at night.
Bleaches towels, pillowcases and clothing.
Can dry and irritate the skin; start once a day.
Some products were recalled in 2025 after FDA benzene testing. Check yours in our benzene tracker and store it somewhere cool.
Prescription treatment is the usual next step. You can get it from your own doctor or a
dermatologist (often covered by insurance), or from an online service where a licensed
clinician reviews your photos and answers and can prescribe.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you buy or sign up through the
links below, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change what we suggest. Details.
Online acne care is for adults 18+
See an in-person dermatologist instead if you're under 18, pregnant, breastfeeding or trying
to conceive, or have deep, painful nodules or cysts or scarring.
Online acne services at a glance
Acne-focused services, listed alphabetically, not ranked. Compiled on September 23, 2026 from the providers' own pages as they appeared in search results; not yet re-confirmed against the live pages. Prices and rules change often, so confirm on the provider's site before you sign up.
Curology
A custom-formula acne service, with an oral option for some adult women with hormonal acne.
Cost: From $29.95/month, billed $59.90 every ~60 days
Based on your answers, the safest next step is to see a board-certified dermatologist or
your own doctor in person, rather than an online subscription service or products alone.
For teens: ask a parent or guardian to help you book with a pediatrician,
family doctor or dermatologist. They can prescribe treatments suited to your age.
Pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive: talk to your obstetric
clinician or a dermatologist before using any acne product. Retinoids (including
adapalene and tretinoin), isotretinoin, spironolactone and tetracycline antibiotics are
generally avoided; the American Academy of Dermatology says options such as azelaic acid
or limited benzoyl peroxide may be considered.
Deep, painful lumps: don't squeeze them. A dermatologist can treat a
large, painful cyst quickly, for example with a small steroid injection, and plan
treatment that lowers the risk of scars.
Severe acne: treatment often includes oral medicines that need
monitoring. Isotretinoin, for example, can only be prescribed through the FDA's iPLEDGE
safety program.
Scarring: getting active acne under control comes first. Scar treatments
such as microneedling or scar surgery are done in person, usually once breakouts are
controlled.
Bumps only on the buttocks, thighs, scalp, armpits or groin: these are
often folliculitis or another condition rather than acne. Point them out at the
appointment rather than treating them yourself with acne products.
Possible hormonal condition: mention your periods, hair changes and any
other symptoms. A doctor may check for conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Get care promptly if acne suddenly becomes severe and you also have a fever,
joint pain or feel unwell. This is rare, but needs urgent attention.
What you described may be a different condition. A dermatologist or your own doctor can
tell the difference, often just by looking, and treatments differ. Until then, avoid
starting strong acne products or steroid creams on your face.
Rosacea often starts with easy flushing. It can cause acne-like bumps, but without
blackheads or whiteheads, and skin may burn or sting with products. It is treated
differently from acne, and some acne products can irritate it.
Possible Malassezia (pityrosporum) folliculitis, or "fungal acne"
An overgrowth of yeast in hair follicles causes small, itchy bumps that look alike, often
on the upper back, chest and hairline, with no blackheads. It doesn't respond to usual
acne treatments and is treated with antifungal medicines, so it's worth confirming.
Possible hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)
Painful lumps or boils that keep coming back in the armpits, groin, buttocks or under the
breasts can be a sign of hidradenitis suppurativa, a long-term inflammatory skin disease
that is not acne and is treated differently. A dermatologist can diagnose it in person, so
book a visit rather than trying acne products on it.
Possible perioral dermatitis
A rash of tiny bumps around the mouth, nose or eyes. It often follows using a steroid
cream on the face. The American Academy of Dermatology says stopping all corticosteroids
on the skin (including hydrocortisone) is needed to clear it, even though the rash can
flare at first, so see a doctor for a plan.
This result is general information based on your answers, not a diagnosis. Your answers
stayed in this browser tab and are gone when you close or reload it.
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How the quiz decides
The quiz follows fixed rules, in this order, and uses the first one that
applies. There's no AI and no scoring you can't see. If JavaScript is off, you can use this
list directly.
You're under 18: see a pediatrician, family doctor or dermatologist, with a
parent or guardian. We never show teens a paid online service.
You're pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive: talk to your obstetric
clinician or a dermatologist before starting any acne product. Retinoids, including
over-the-counter adapalene, aren't recommended in pregnancy, and several prescription acne
medicines are unsafe.
Your acne is severe, you get deep painful lumps (nodules or cysts), or it's scarring:
see a dermatologist in person. These are the situations most likely to cause permanent scars.
You have signs that could point to a hormonal condition (irregular periods,
new coarse hair growth, thinning scalp hair, or acne that appeared suddenly as an adult with
other symptoms): see a doctor in person, who may check for conditions such as polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS).
It may not be acne (flushing and redness with no blackheads, itchy identical
bumps on the chest and back, a rash around the mouth, painful lumps that keep coming back in
the armpits, groin, buttocks or under the breasts, or bumps only on places such as
the buttocks, thighs, scalp or armpits): get it checked in person. Rosacea, Malassezia
folliculitis, perioral dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa and other kinds of folliculitis
need different treatment, so we show no product or online-service links for these.
You're an adult with moderate acne, or mild acne that hasn't improved after 8 to 12
weeks of daily over-the-counter treatment, or you've needed prescriptions before:
prescription treatment is the usual next step, from your own doctor, a dermatologist, or an
online service. See our comparison of online acne treatment services.
Otherwise (mild acne in an adult): start an over-the-counter routine and give
it about 12 weeks. See the routine below.
What mild, moderate and severe acne mean
There's no single grading scale that everyone uses for acne; research studies use many
different ones. We use lesion-count bands from a widely cited review of acne research (Lehmann
and colleagues, 2002), because you can roughly apply them by counting in a mirror:
Acne severity by approximate lesion count
Level
What it looks like
Mild
Fewer than about 20 blackheads or whiteheads, fewer than about 15 red or pus-filled pimples, and no deep, painful lumps.
Moderate
About 20 to 100 blackheads or whiteheads, or about 15 to 50 red or pus-filled pimples. No more than a few deep lumps.
Severe
More than about 50 red or pus-filled pimples, more than 100 blackheads or whiteheads, or 5 or more deep, painful lumps (nodules or cysts).
Counts are rough on purpose. If you're between two levels, or you have even a few deep,
painful lumps, it's safer to treat your acne as the more serious level.
The over-the-counter starter routine
For mild acne in adults, the evidence-based over-the-counter options are the acne actives the
FDA allows in its OTC acne monograph (M006), which include benzoyl peroxide 2.5% to 10%,
salicylic acid 0.5% to 2% and sulfur, plus adapalene 0.1% gel,
a retinoid the FDA moved from prescription to over-the-counter status through a separate
drug approval in 2016. The 2024 dermatology guidelines give strong recommendations for
benzoyl peroxide and topical retinoids.
Morning: gentle cleanser, benzoyl peroxide (a 2.5% to 5% leave-on gel for the face, or a wash for the chest and back), moisturizer and sunscreen.
Evening: gentle cleanser, a thin layer of adapalene 0.1% gel over the whole area that breaks out, then moisturizer.
Pace yourself: start adapalene every other night if your skin is sensitive, and add one product at a time.
Be patient: expect some improvement by about 4 to 6 weeks and judge the result at about 12 weeks.
Online acne services can work well for adults with mild to moderate acne, and a randomized trial
published in 2010 found online follow-up visits gave similar results to office visits for that
group. But they're not the right fit for everyone. They can't examine your skin in person, give a
steroid injection for a painful cyst, prescribe isotretinoin through the FDA's iPLEDGE program
the way an in-person dermatologist can, or treat scars. Some of the medicines they prescribe are
unsafe in pregnancy. That's why the quiz sends those situations to in-person care, with no paid
link, even though we would earn nothing there. Read more about
how online acne care works and who it suits.
What this quiz can't do
It can't see your skin. Two people can describe the same acne very differently.
It doesn't ask about acne that some medicines can trigger, or about skin conditions other than the look-alikes above.
It isn't a substitute for a clinician, and its rules have not yet been reviewed by one. The review status at the top of this page will change when that sign-off happens.
No. It sorts your answers into a suggested next step using published dermatology guidance: over-the-counter care, prescription care, or an in-person visit. Only a clinician who examines you can diagnose acne or a condition that looks like it. If you're unsure, see a dermatologist or your own doctor.
Do you store or see my answers?
No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are not sent to us or anyone else, not saved in cookies or local storage, and disappear when you close or reload the page. There are no advertising pixels on this page.
Why does the quiz send everyone under 18 to in-person care?
Online acne subscriptions are built for adults, and some accept teens only with a parent's consent. We think teens are better served by a pediatrician, family doctor or dermatologist who can see them in person with a parent or guardian, so the quiz never shows teens a paid online service.
How long should I try an over-the-counter acne treatment before moving on?
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should notice some improvement in about 4 to 6 weeks if a treatment is working, and clearing can take two to three months or longer. The adapalene 0.1% gel label says results can take up to 3 months. That is why the quiz asks whether you have used a product every day for 8 to 12 weeks.
Why do nodules, cysts or scarring always lead to a dermatologist?
Deep nodules and cysts are the type of acne most likely to scar, and scarring is permanent. Dermatologists can offer treatments that neither over-the-counter products nor online subscription services provide, such as steroid injections for painful cysts, isotretinoin through the FDA iPLEDGE program, and scar procedures.
Do you earn money from the quiz results?
We may. Some results include affiliate links to stores or online services, and we may earn a commission if you buy or sign up. The routing rules are fixed in advance and are the same whether or not a link earns anything. Results for teens, pregnancy, severe acne and possible look-alike conditions contain no paid links at all.
Medical review pending. This page was researched and written by the AcneRid
Editorial Team from the cited sources, but it has not yet been reviewed by a licensed
clinician. We update this notice when a review is complete. About our review process.
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Join the AcneRid list: we'll email you when our free 8-week acne routine course launches, plus heads-ups if a common acne product is recalled.
