Sulfur

Sulfur has been in dermatology for over 2,000 years. It shows up in Dead Sea muds, 19th-century apothecary recipes, and modern prescription creams — because it works on three fronts at once: it kills C. acnes, dissolves the dead-cell plugs in pores, and reduces sebum output. Clinical studies from the 1950s onward (and refreshed in the 2010s) consistently show 5% sulfur reducing inflammatory acne lesions within 4-6 weeks. The catch: it smells, mildly, like struck matches, and it's drying enough that layering it with retinoids or benzoyl peroxide is asking for a barrier meltdown. The smart play is to use it as a spot treatment on cystic pimples (overnight, rinse off) or as a once-a-week mask. Sulfur is also the quiet MVP behind treatments for rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis — the same antimicrobial action that cuts acne calms the yeast-driven inflammation behind those conditions. Dermatologists who recommend sulfur products almost always recommend Kate Somerville EradiKate, De La Cruz 10% Sulfur, or Sumalan cream (prescription) for good reason: the evidence is old, unglamorous, and rock solid.