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Neosporin for acne and zits

Submitted by napoleon

I've found that appyling neosporing to zits really helps clean them up quick. Just add a dab to wherever necessary. I suppose you could use as much as you'd like as you need/like.

I've never had any inflammatory reactions or anything from it. Usually I'll just squeeze a little in my hand and add 2x as much of mousterizer in my hand too, mix them together and apply to my face during the night.

Works good for me. Adding a little peroxide to the mixture makes it even better. Another tip I find works for some people is to stop washing your face period. This honestly works for me. I usually dont take showers on the weekends and so I never washed my face and I noticed that my face would always clear up on the weekends but would start up as soon as monday came around up. Any type of soap/cleaner makes me break out like crazy. I don't even the water from the shower head touch my face anymore. I just cup a bit of warm water with my hands and splash it on my face. In order to get rid of dead skin I use one of those spongy bath scrubs on my face every friday night before I go to bed. I use really hot water on my face and scrub it really hard to completely clean it up. Comes out really smooth feeling. Afterwards I apply the mousterizer and neosporin mix immediately to keep it from drying out. This method may help or may not. I've heard that not too many people's faces will clear up from not washing, but it was not an authoritative source. Also, I don't have large breakouts or anything, so I'm not sure how good any of this would help those kinda cases.

Visitors comments

Yeah! Comments By: anin on 2005-07-25

neosporin helped withmy acne i guess because it's an antibiotic and neosporin is supposed to prevent scarring like those ugly lil acne ones.

what's neosporin? Comments By: ... on 2005-10-19

just wondering if polysporin is the same as neosporin?

TipKing says: I have hunted around to see if I can find an answer for you but cannot. Best seek local medical advice.

Neosporin Comments By: TiaMaria on 2006-04-02

I'm not here to say whether it works or not (havent really tried it. Just wanted to say that yes Neosporin and Polysporin are the same.

yes! Comments By: alli on 2006-12-28

yes neosporin helps with my acne and i hear it works for wrinkles too! what great stuff! i thought it would break me out bc its kind of thick and looks like it would clog pores but it didnt for me!

Don't listen to napoleon!!!!!!!!!! Comments By: Anon on 2007-01-07

It is in eveyones best interest to NOT take napoleon advice!!! To stop washing your face is insane! This will cause more bacteria, and NEVER use hot water on your face. Using hot water will aggravate the skin. On a more pleasant note, neosporin worked well for me. Once I picked the pimple I applied neosporin,it reduces swelling and prevents scars. Good Luck!

It's not so insane Comments By: Heather on 2007-09-25

I'm an esthetician. Not washing your face is sometimes a good idea. Harsh cleansers strip your face of oil and healing protiens. When you strip away this stuff, your skin works twice as hard to replace it, so your skin will actually get oiler. Washing your face GENTLY with just plain water and a clean wash cloth is great (no hard scrubbing, this will irritate). For oily, acne prone skin, the best moisturizer is hazelnut oil. I know it sounds crazy, but hazelnut oil is astringent, so using it as your moisturizer with actually help balance your skins oil production. To get rid of deal skin, you can use baking soda as a scrub 1-2 a week. Just make a paste with water and work in circular motions, again, gently. Neosporin is good for SPOT TREATMENTS only, and then only occasionally if you have a really bad spot. Just like with any antiboidic, overuse will cause your skin to build up a resistance and you will break out more in the future.

not washing and never over use neosporin Comments By: Colleen on 2007-10-08

i break out more if i wash my face past it just getting wet when i take showers as well so for some that works i know if my friend did that though she'd die. i don't have much oil on my skin and i don't break out often, but product/scrubing screws up my skin like nothing else. also its important not to use neosporin often its a strong antibiotic and will kill the good bacteria with the bad and can cause bacterial resistance so it should really be a one time last resource for a special occation or a perticularly bad break out.

potentially serious side effects Comments By: zervell on 2007-12-17

While Neosporin may in fact be a very effective means to clear skin for some, it is wise to remember that this is a powerful antibiotic, with some potentially serious side effects for those who rely on its long-term use to treat acne. Neosporin may be the answer if you only need a temporary spot treatment, but choosing to use a serious antibiotic as your everyday acne solution is not a good idea. Neosporin kills a lot more than just the P. Acnes bacteria that is primarily responsible for the formation of acne pustules. It also eliminates many agents that normally help your skin resist harmful bacteria.

NEOSPORIN HELPS!!! Comments By: anon on 2008-05-26

While many say that using neosporin is bad because it strips your face or useful oils...i dont exactly agree...alot of soaps and regular face washes strip your face too which is why they ALWAYS come with a formulated lotion\moisterizer that comes with...neosporin really helped my face recover from break outs that i had from doing my long curly hair (moose and gel are not exactly help me out here)...but i have heard that using neosporin can be a bad choice because it builds resistance to antibacteria from long term use?? im not to sure about it but its something you should look into!

didn't try it yet Comments By: john d on 2008-10-29

but i am already taking an oral antibiotic.. Such a hassle

yep Comments By: Jessica on 2008-12-06

Yes, neosporin will help those sudden, or even stubborn breakouts. BUT...as with any antibiotic, your body will build up a tollerance to it. I guess my point is...You have to use your own judgement.

Polysporin and Neosporin are not the same in USA Comments By: Jane on 2008-12-31

Neosporin contains Neomycin sulfate-3.5mg, Bacitracin-400 units and Polymyxin B 5000 units. Of course it does contain cocoa butter, olive oil may prevent the formation of scars. A 1/2 oz tube costs $5.
Polysporin does not contain Neomycin and it has 10,000 units of Polymixin B and 500 units of Bacitracin [ higher dose than in Neosporin].

Don't use TOO often! Comments By: Rachele on 2009-04-22

Neosporin is great for occasional use, and in small amounts. But it shouldn't be used over your whole face, or too frequently. A side effect using too much too often, is that it can make you TOO resistant to antibiotics. You'd be more vulnerable if you happened to get a staph infection of the skin.

Neosporin KNOWS their product works good for acne, but they don't market it for that because they know that daily use of it would be bad.

Sure, for the occasional zit, but NOT on a regular basis, or over large areas of your skin!

http://searchwarp.com/swa66598.htm

Wash your face with water only Comments By: Adam Sandler on 2009-05-12

I learned this tip from the King of all media himself, and it honestly works very well. I will wash my face with a light soap if its feeling dirty but for daily use it's only water at night for me, and very few breakouts. As for the neosporin I have used just a very small amount under my eyes at night because I get bad dark circles and this seems to work better than anything else I have used.

Bad skin for 30 years and this works! Comments By: Mike on 2009-09-28

Here's what 30 years of trying different methods for different problems has taught me. I now use Neosporin which I discovered by accident after buying it thinking I was buying something else.

First DON'T use hot water. Use a mild liquid face wash for sensitive skin and rinse with plenty of water. The key is PLENTY of warm, not hot water. Once a week use a gentle scrub, I use apricot scrub and PLENTY OF WATER.
Dry by gently padding with a clean soft towel. NEVER rub hard with an abbraisive cloth. Then apply a small amount of Neosporin. It should soak in in a few minutes. If it stays greasy for too long then you have applied too much.
But as important as the above is 1) Drink plenty of water, 2)avoid greasy and spicey food, 3) leave them alone...NEVER pick, squeeze or hack away at your skin. Most of the reason your little invisible spots become huge volcanic craters is because of what YOU have done to them. You stress the skin, you introduce more bacteria and all kinds of horrible things happen to what would have been dealt with neatly and much less visibly by your skin on its own. If you really have to get involved with a zit or a blackhead then use clean hands, a clean tissue and be gentle. If it doesn't happen gently then LEAVE IT ALONE!

The skin completely replenishes in about 28 days so give this 28 days and then thank me for changing your life.

Finally remember that when you look in the mirror you see a bunch of zits with a person behind them. You see zits that you know are there and only you can see. People see a person and lot less zits than you think they do. Be happy, enjoy your life and your skin will clear up in no time.

help Comments By: veronica on 2009-11-30

hydrogen peroxide? what kind of peroxide?

THIS POST IS RUBBISH Comments By: MR. MAN on 2009-12-14

Hey everyone. DO NOT LISTIN TO THIS PERSONS POST. THEY"RE JUST TRYING TO HAVE YOU MAKE YOUR ACNE OR BLEMISHES WORSE BY FOLLOWING THE NO WASHING YOUR FACE AND SCRUBING IT REAL HARD. THAT WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE. I GUESS HE'S SAD HE CAN'T CONTROLL HIS ACNE SO HE WANTS TO MAKE EVERYONE ELSE WORSE.

i have it bad... you have no idea Comments By: anon on 2010-01-02

my acne is bad...bad....bad. any tips on how to clear it up? im already using accutane but i want something to put on my face that wont make it look terrible when i go to school and out and such... any suggestions?

use a LITTLE natural soap and drink LOTS of water... Comments By: some bloke on 2010-02-11

don't over lather your NATURAL soap, quickly once over your skin then rinse with warm water, skip all the lotions and chemical treatments. If your oily on the face, rub your dried out hands or forearms over them to remove the facial oils and relocate them onto your drier skin areas. there is no good result from any chemicals or drying agents applied to the face ... EVER!

OMG I have tried every OTC there is, still get zits! UGH. Comments By: ANON on 2010-03-08

I am 45, I still get bad breakouts on my chin and occassionally the T zone. I have tried sac acid, benz peroxide, calamine lotion, benadryl, sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, visine, toothpaste, natural soaps, no soap, lotions and potions out the gazoo and nothing works. My Dermatologist said that I have cystic acne caused from over active internal hormone production and rapid skin renewel process which he said causes blocked pores- even though I lightly exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week already. So I use those scrubby hand gloves and they help with every where except my chin. I have several pair and I use a fresh pair every day and when I wash them I use hot water and a little bit of bleach to kill all germs and always dry them in dryer. Still I get the blackhead and whiteheads on my chin. I can have one zit there at 8am and then 10 zits by noon, it just depends on during certain times of the month and not always during my menstral cycle. He said its stress and hormones and that nothing OTC -over the counter- is going to help but I wont take Accutane because I personally know 3 adults that took it as teens and they all got some sort of skin cancer later in life because it leaves your melanine (sp?) with low natural SPF resistance, but their dermatologists never told them that this was a side effect of Accutane. My dermatologist said that another side effect of Accutane is depression and Anxiety Panic disorder. I even tried a Birth Control pill that "claims" it helps with cystic acne but I wasnt on it long enough to see results though because the drug manufacturer pulled that pill off the market because the FDA got involved with its "false claims". ??? Doctors are quick to give out meds without telling you all the horrid side effects, they say its YOUR responsibility to ask as a Patient but I dont think thats fair either since a lot of people just dont know how to ask those questions or dont have the knowledge or time to spend with the Doctor. I have found that its best to just not pick at it UNLESS its visible that it wants to come out, like a whitehead or itchy. I use a sterilized zit press tool (you can buy them cheap at Sephora.com) and clean kleenex for each zit if I have to pop it and always use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol on it once I pop it. My dermatologist said to keep my hands off of it always but sometimes you just dont want to go around all day at work or socially with a huge zit feeling likes its throbbing and gonna burst and put someones eye out.
I guess its just something that I HAVE to live with or become a hermit and live in a black hole- which I will never do. No one has ever STARED at me or my zits like I was the Elephant man and no ones ever suggested "their acne cure" to me, so I am sure that they probably just dont care or maybe they dont even notice it because I do wear mineral powder makeup base at work because I have a professional job and it does help with a concealer. Its just I wish I could find something that would even just help a little bit because I know its there and sometimes its painful. Ive had it for so long that Ive gotten over the "stigma" problem it once gave me when I was in my 20's. I dont have any "noticable" scarring or pits but it is painful sometimes, itchy. Has anyone ever used cold sore meds on their zits? I havent yet, wondering if anyone has? Aren't OTC cold sore remedies basically homeopathic herbal medicines all put into pretty and conveinent packaging? Anyone?

Salt Soap, dead sea minerals Comments By: Kimberly on 2010-04-15

I am 45 year old mom. I have acne I didnt have it when I was a teen, it happened after I had my kids. I have tried lots of soaps. I beleive in natural and organic solutions so I have read extensivly on soaps. Try salt soap. it helped me. I found it in a health food store. It isnt a cure you have to wash makeup off with some thinge else. Then use the salt soap. it is made with dead sea minerals which have been shown to help with eczema.

The real cure for acne Comments By: CKAY on 2010-05-07

I too discovered that Neosporin is a good solution when I have a pimple that I can't get rid of. However, I try not to use it unless I have to. If you want to read about what causes acne and how you acn significantly improve your acne, read on.. I attend UCI and plan on being a dermatologist and have researched this issue for many years.

Acne is the result of pores clogging up with skin cells that line the hair follicle and oils produced by the sebaceous glands. When this happens, the cells become "sticky" and don't shed normally, which creates an anaerobic (oxygen free)envirionment. This is a place that P.acnes bacteria thrive and multiply.

Acne can be caused by many things, so let's begin with hormones. Hormonal fluctuations cause inflammation and an over-production of oil. These hormonal fluctuations occur before/during a menstrual cycle, during puberty, during pregnancy, and when blood sugar levels suddenly change.

The best way to combat acne from the inside out is to eat non-processed foods as these are stripped of natural, healthy vitamins/minerals etc. Also, eat food with LOW glycemic index or try to eat foods with lots of fiber (beans, nuts, whole grains, fruits, veggies) when consuming sugar (fiber absorbs sugar so not as much enters the bloodstream). This is important because eating foods with lots of sugar causes a swing in hormones which can aggravate acne. Also, beware of foods that aren't necessarily sugar but turn into sugar in your system, such as alcohol and refined grains. I suggest eating small meals throughout the day which will keep your blood sugar levels stable. Also, just TRY EATING NATURAL FOODS. You would not believe the gross stuff we are eating nowadays. When you are about to pick up something to eat, think about if that food is in the form nature intended it to be. Opt for healthier snacks such as carrots, fruits, and soybeans. They fill you up and make you feel so much better!

IMPORTANT: Krill oil is an excellent supplement that can be used to combat acne. It is great for your skin because it encourages cell turnover. It is also much more potent that regular fish oil and has many other benefits.

Drink lots of water. Your body cannot flush out toxins without enough water.

If you have oily skin, wash face with a soap containing salicylic acid. This ingredient will help you to shed the cells that can clog pores. If you don't have oily skin, opt for a cleanser that is more gentle. WARNING: avoid products that use laurel sulphate. This is known to irritate skin and make breakouts worse, but it is found in a lot of face washes.

Use an oil-free moisturizer every night unless your skin is really oily.

Benzol Peroxide is a good spot treatment because it kills bacteria. Use overnight (it makes your skin sensitive to sunlight). Try not to use too much because it can dry out the skin.

Keep your pillowcases clean! Keep phones off of your face when you talk! Do NOT touch your face if your hands are not clean. Do NOT PICK AT ACNE. Unless you have something with a head and cannot resist, picking will only push the bacteria deeper and make the pimple last longer and leave a huge scar. If you must pick, use a hot washcloth/compress first and do it with a clean tissue. If it does not come out easily, just STOP.

another IMPORTANT note.. milk and dairy products can really aggravate acne due to the hormones in them. This goes for organic milk as well. My acne cleared up when I eliminated milk from my diet and greatly reduced the amount of dairy products I consumed. If you love milk, try soymilk. Some of them taste gross, I know, but I found a delicious one. It's Kirkland's organic soymilk and it is better for you than regular milk.

Exercise is also great for helping acne. It increases your blood flow which gives your body a chance to heal itself better.

I know this seems like a LOT of changes that have to be made for our lifestyle but look at it this way...

we are SO used to acne because so many people have it. We don't consider it a disease. Now, it's not a disease per se but it is our body TELLING us that something is WRONG inside. Our body is an amazing thing.. it knows when something is wrong so TRUST IT. The changes that you makes to combat acne will be changes that benefit your overall health immensely. Trust me, I have seen results from the above advice and I recommend you give it a try.

Neosporin! Comments By: LaRoo on 2010-07-28

Oh my gosh. I've been dealing with acne since second grade. I got a benzoyl peroxide cream prescription from my doctor and had tried every acne wash/medication on the market. Nothing REALLY worked. The b.p. cream was okay, so I kept using that. I realized if I use a layer of that all over my face then put some Neosporin on a Band-Aid and put it on any inflamed acne areas overnight, they were practically gone by morning. Being a teen is hard, and after this, I was getting compliments on my clear skin! Thank the lord for the Neosporin :)!

healthy skins Comments By: red face for life on 2010-09-17

eat lots of fruit and veggies , no fast food grease plugs the pores, moister soap is good, not hot water i permanently fried my skin with hot water and hard scrubbing in 3 months. been tens years of seroid creams now and red irratable splotchy skin watch out.

Great acne spot treatment! Comments By: Beki on 2010-10-03

Okay, so yes neosporin is a powerful antibiotic so it is for spot treatments only! After steaming your pores open pop the zit that's in need of healing and apply a tiny dab on the lesion right before bed, in the morning it'll be barely noticeable! I use the maximum strength with pain relief works like a charm!

Hmmm... Comments By: Anon. on 2010-12-08

Maybe it might work ive never tryed it but it seems like it might make sense...But like that chick said if you use to much your skin will build up a reistance, So i dont know but likewhat type of mousterizer would i use? somone said Astringent and i have that but it never seems to do anything but get rid of oil-y-ness around my nose and chin...I've tried alot and so far everything works for as little as 2 week then my skin seems as if the stuff doestn even help it anymore...?//;

Don't use the "ointment" type of Neosporin Comments By: cliniquegirl on 2010-12-09

the ointment can possibly clog surronding pores, they have one called "Neosporin pain relief CREAM", I started out using the ointment, but after working for a well known skin care company and learning about how skin works, I switched to the cream and have loved it ever since. I only use it to clear the outbreak, not for prevention.

Im a skin pro take my advice. Comments By: SamyFoxx on 2010-12-27

I have perfect skin almost 98.9% of the time and when its not at its perfect state i make sure it gets back there again. My trick is eliminating whats under the skin first that means black heads, whiteheads, etc. Once you've done that your skins super clean so breaking out would be less effective at this point. Then wherever you see a zit moistorize that spot and then apply clearasil vanishing acne cream. This cream is amazing whenever i have a zit i put this cream on it and the next hour i check and the puss is at the surface. If you have sensitive skin moisterize and make sure to apply a very small amount. Neosporin does work but only for my dark acne spots that are left behind. I personally wouldnt recommend this for a growing zit. i hope this helped.

i agree Comments By: your mom on 2011-01-09

Wow I was surprised 2 see how many people have actually tried putting neosporin on their acne,I thought I was the only one! I don't have bad acne,I only get a few here and there and when I do,and want them 2 disappear fast,I just dab a tiny bit just to cover up the spot then leave it on until its absorbed into my skin then simply wash my face. I wouldn't use it all the time as a acne solution but if u have a few u want to disappear quick..use a lil bit just on the zit tho.

never used it before-let's see Comments By: Anon on 2011-03-18

I just thought about usage Neosporin because I'm totally desperate. I'm 37, and always had some acne, usually small and some blackheads. It's not like cystic or rosacea, but it is persistent and some get inflamed. It gets worse with my periods and depending on weather and stress. The only thing that ever really helped apart to some extent birth control pills, which I don't want to use, was Accutane. I absolutely loved it. It even dried my hair, which is so oily it becomes weak in roots and falls out a lot. However, the doctor didn't tell me that if I took birth control with Accutane, I can't quit BC, because it throws hormones off balance. I quit, and acne returned. Now I made another appointment in about a month from now, but this is killing me. My skin is so bad that I don't want to go anywhere, and my scalp hurts. I feel like sleeping away the whole time. The skin without acne is dry. I'm talking peeling off dry, and then oily and shiny around the acne. I did pick them, but I just can't help it. It feels dirty and embarrassing. For heaven's sake, I am a grown woman, not a teenager any more, and people do look at me differently when I have acne. I know it, because I'm actually pretty and have a nice body. I get far less respect in superficial communication (work, school, people I don't know) when my skin is bad. But it was not until I took Accutane that I understood how lucky people with normal skin are. It's unbelievable. Since I was 10, I had to take extra time to prepare before going out because of my skin. And I was always shy and impacted emotionally by it. Acne, I hate you. I do hope Neosporin helps because I have another month before I can see my dermatologist again. And my skin hurts. Sorry about wenting here.

ABout not washing your skin, that's just not true. For people with relatively normal skin it is. But for us with mixed, oily and acne prone skin, mild cleanser is the best.
Benzoid Peroxide is evil. :) It will damage pigment, and leave uneven color. Actually, it even made spots on my towels. Imagine what it did with my skin. I had sun spots because of it. It whitened out some parts of my skin, which then got exposed to sunlight differently from the rest. And it over-dries the rest of your skin and does not help very much anyway.
Salicilic Acid is OK, but very mild.
Oral antibiotics help to some extent (depending on dosage and how problematic skin is), but you can't use antibiotics forever. Like everyone else said before me, we develop resistance to it.

Good luck to my acne sufferer mates. You are not alone. But it sure feels lonely.

Acne treatment for 30+ women... Comments By: Anon on 2011-03-30

I am 39 and have suffered from acne my entire life. I found accutane about 4 years ago and was treated with a very low dose over about a year...and it worked wonderfully. (low dose meaning 1 pill every 2 days...vs 3-4 pills per day...that kind of thing).

However, when I moved to a different state, my new dermatologist refused to prescribe accutane in such a fashion.

Instead, he said that a pill called "Spironolactone" was a good remedy for adult women with acne and very oily skin. I started taking it, and after about 4 weeks noticed a remarkable improvement.

I've been on it for approximately a year now and I constantly get compliments on my skin. I have virtually NO oiliness, and breakouts are incredibly rare.

I used to suffer acne on my chest, arms and back. All are completely clear...I NEVER have any pimples on these locations any more.

My skin is incredibly smooth and soft, and it is a wonderful experience after so many years of acne.

Spironolactone is a diuretic used to treat a number of symptoms.

Exerpt from PubMed Health:

Spironolactone is used to treat certain patients with hyperaldosteronism (the body produces too much aldosterone, a naturally occurring hormone); low potassium levels; and in patients with edema (fluid retention) caused by various conditions, including heart, liver, or kidney disease. Spironolactone is also used alone or with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Spironolactone is in a class of medications called aldosterone receptor antagonists. It causes the kidneys to eliminate unneeded water and sodium from the body into the urine, but reduces the loss of potassium from the body.

As my doctor explained to me, acne in women is often caused by an abundance of male hormones. This medicine reduces those levels.

You have to have your potassium levels checked fairly frequently, and you must be sure to drink plenty of water. I have had a few side effects including vaginal dryness, spotty periods (going on the pill cleared that up) and I'm easily dehydrated if I don't stay up on fluid intake.

The results, however, are more than worth those inconveniences. I have beautiful skin...and I love it.

I encourage you to check with a dermatologist. It's been wonderful for me.

Best of luck.

Bacterial resistance Comments By: VIkkiB on 2011-04-05

Just to clarify - YOU don't develop resistance to antibiotics, the bacteria develop the resistance. The amount of active agents in these preparations is enough to kill the bacteria and A DEAD BACTERIUM DOES NOT generate resistance. Use face wash products with oatmeal in them, you'll see a real difference.