This time of year sucks for a myriad of reasons, but lately I’ve discovered another: winter acne. It has a variety of causes–dry skin that clogs pores, overindulgence in cheesy fondues, and extra stresses brought on by living in a Vitamin D-less vortex of darkness for six months. Take your pick.

As a longtime sufferer of awful and incurable teenage acne (Accutane has like a 90-something percent success rate and it didn’t do a thing for me), I’m pretty skeptical of any product that promises to banish blemishes. Most of them just dry out your skin, bleach your clothes, and smell funky.

So it was with great hesitancy that I tried The Socializer’s Z.I.T. Zapper. The product contains “a healthy does of salicylic acid” that you apply via a flexible silicone tip and leave on for at least two hours, although I suggest keeping it on overnight. The treatment forms a fine plastic-y film over your trouble spots that you get to peel away in the morning. And, as someone with a healthy non-sexual peeling fetish, I totally think this is the best part. Seriously, who doesn’t love a good peel??

In my experience, small blemishes disappear completely overnight and larger, more obnoxious ones might take a couple days. The treatment always leaves skin nice and smooth without any gross flakiness… and did I mention the peeling? 

$22, ElizabethGrant.com 

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Sabrina Maddeaux is Toronto Standard’s managing editor. Follow her on Twitter at @sabrinamaddeaux.

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