Senior Editor · Editorial staff
Quentin Asare
Leads the publication's coverage of acne treatment and edits every story for accuracy and plain English.
13 stories by Quentin Asare
Explainer · 5 min · Quentin Asare
Why Benzoyl Peroxide Cancels Out Tretinoin but Not Adapalene
Two of the most effective acne ingredients can undermine each other depending on which retinoid you use. The difference comes down to molecular stability, and it changes how you should build a routine.
August 8, 2026
Explainer · 9 min · Quentin Asare
Acne scar laser treatment: which device suits which scar, and what has to be true first
A laser does not treat acne scars. It treats one geometry of acne scar, and the rest of your face comes along for the downtime. Here is a side-lit census you can run tonight to find out which geometry you actually have, plus the isotretinoin timing rule most clinics still quote that a 2017 consensus panel quietly overturned.
August 6, 2026
Explainer · 5 min · Quentin Asare
The Retinoid Purge: What Is Actually Happening in Your Skin, and When to Worry
Weeks two through six on a new retinoid can look worse than week zero. Here is the mechanism behind the flare, how to tell purging from irritation or a true breakout, and the timeline dermatology research actually supports.
August 4, 2026
Myth Check · 5 min · Quentin Asare
The Benzoyl Peroxide Percentage Myth: Why 2.5% Often Beats 10%
Higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide do not clear acne faster, but they do irritate skin more. Here is what the pharmacology actually says, and how to pick a strength that works.
August 3, 2026
Explainer · 5 min · Quentin Asare
The Retinoid Purge, Explained: What Is Really Happening in Weeks Two to Six
Many people quit topical retinoids right when the medication is starting to work. Here is how to tell a true purge from a bad reaction, and what the science says about riding it out.
July 28, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Sunscreen and Acne: How to Pick One That Does Not Make It Worse
Non comedogenic is not a regulated claim and the ratings behind it were generated on rabbit ears with single ingredients, which is why the only reliable test of a sunscreen on acne prone skin is a two week one you run on your own jaw.
July 26, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
How Long Acne Treatments Actually Take to Work
Almost no acne treatment shows results before six to eight weeks, which means the most common reason people fail is not the wrong product, it is quitting a working one at week three.
July 23, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis): why it does not respond to acne treatments
The uniform little bumps across your forehead, chest, and back may not be acne at all. Malassezia folliculitis is a yeast overgrowth that mimics breakouts, ignores every acne product you throw at it, and often gets worse on the antibiotics prescribed for the real thing. How to recognize it, why it resists acne treatment, and what actually clears it.
July 20, 2026
Explainer · 5 min · Quentin Asare
Niacinamide for acne: what it does and what it does not
Niacinamide is on nearly every serum and moisturizer marketed to acne-prone skin, and the hype has outrun the evidence in both directions. What this form of vitamin B3 actually does for oil, inflammation, and dark marks, where it quietly falls short, and how to use it without wasting a step in your routine.
July 17, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Azelaic acid: the quiet multitasker of acne care
It rarely gets shelf space next to retinoids and benzoyl peroxide, yet it treats clogged pores, inflammation, and the dark marks acne leaves behind, all at once. How azelaic acid compares to the heavyweights, and who it suits best.
July 7, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Does makeup cause acne? What acne cosmetica really is
Makeup gets blamed for a lot of breakouts it did not cause, and quietly drives some it never gets credit for. The specific, well-documented way cosmetics clog pores, why the non-comedogenic label promises less than you think, and how to wear makeup over acne-prone skin without feeding the cycle.
July 6, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Do pimple patches actually work?
Hydrocolloid patches have taken over the skincare aisle, and the honest answer is that they do one job well and several jobs not at all. What the dressing science supports, what the marketing adds, and how to use them without wasting money.
July 6, 2026
Explainer · 6 min · Quentin Asare
Salicylic acid: what it actually does inside a pore
The drugstore aisle's favorite acid is the only common one that dissolves into oil, which changes where it works and who it helps. How it compares to benzoyl peroxide and retinoids, and where it earns a place in a routine.
July 3, 2026