How to treat fungal acne: tiny bumps on forehead

Have you ever wondered what the bumps on your face are? Or you have tried EVERY acne treatment and medication but those tiny bumps on your forehead just won’t go away!!

If you struggle with it, you’d pretty much know that any attempt to cover fungal acne with makeup just ends up making it look more prominent and not to mention, it looks worse in sunlight.

Personal Story: I’ve struggled with it for quite a few years and had very low confidence because of it. After going through multiple trials, errors, wrong diagnosis, and whatnot, I have finally figured out what works and what doesn’t work for fungal acne. This took a lot of time-consuming research and testing different things:(

Stay tuned and read the entire post to get a clear idea of fungal acne in dept and how to effectively treat it. Without further due, let’s get started!

What are the bumps on my face that aren’t pimples?

Well, the tiny bumps on our face which aren’t pimples are basically fungal acne. The scientific term for this is ‘Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis’ and in simple terms, it is the overgrowth of yeast.

They have an acne-like appearance but in reality, they are pus-filled bumps and erupt in those areas of your body which are more oily like the T-zone (forehead, chin, nose), back, chest and shoulders.

Furthermore, they appear as inflamed & itchy whiteheads and are oftentimes misdiagnosed as bacterial acne which is caused by bacteria.

This leads to wrong treatments like benzoyl peroxide which would not have any effect on fungal acne.

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What causes small bumps on the forehead?

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Now, are you wondering what triggered fungal acne in the first place, and why are you struggling with it?

Honestly, it’s completely fine and yeast grows on everyone’s skin. It only causes problems when it starts growing excessively or in an imbalanced way.

🔺 It flourishes in human sebum (skin oil) and this is why people in hot/humid countries (e.g near the equator, Philippines, etc) are more prone to it.

🔺 Patients with diabetes, HIV, Hodgkin’s disease, organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, or those with nutritional disorders, neurotransmitter abnormalities, and immunologic deficiencies are more susceptible to Malassezia folliculitis (harmful fungus).

🔺 Continuous use of broad-spectrum antibiotics escalates the growth of yeast in the body.

🔺 Similarly, birth control pills, pregnancy, steroids, immunosuppression, and stress can cause fungal acne.

🔺 Additionally, hot weather, sweating, high humidity, and some skin care products can make it look worse.

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How do I get rid of fungal acne on my face?

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Ah, so you made it this far and now want the exact solution for this problem.

As a matter of fact, there are many things you need to consider if you want to get rid of fungal acne because it is very stubborn. I’ve listed them below to make things a bit easier.

#1. Avoid processed food

Malassezia feeds on fatty acids and oils so try to avoid foods that contain lots of oil and fatty acids.

This includes processed foods like cheese, dairy products, and oily foods, etc.

#2. Skincare

Most skincare products available in the market can increase the growth of Malassezia as they contain fatty acids in some way.

Before buying any product, check its ingredients. You can simply do this by adding the list of all the ingredients in a product on sezia.co. It will tell you if it is safe to use for Malassezia.

#3. Makeup

Likewise, most makeup products like foundation, concealers, etc contain ingredients that can increase the growth of Malassezia.

So check the ingredients of every product on sezia.co before buying a new one or toss out the old ones which contain harmful ingredients.

#4. Oily face/ sweating

High sebum (oil) production increases the growth of Malassezia. If your face is always oily or you sweat excessively, use products that contain niacinamide as it controls sebum production.

I personally find this Niacinamide Serum pretty effective to control excessive oiliness.

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What kills Malassezia yeast on the face?

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As Malassezia is a fungus, you can kill it with anti-fungal products. By far the holiest grail ingredient which kills all types of fungus is ‘ketoconazole‘.

The Nizoral Anti-Dandruff shampoo contains the active ingredient ketoconazole and is the standard treatment for treating fungal acne.

🔺 Although it is a shampoo, you can still apply to your face. Apply it to affected areas evenly and leave for 5 minutes.

🔺 Then rinse it off with mild water and moisturize your skin as it might leave it dry.

🔺 Do it daily till your bumps are gone and then just do it once a week so it doesn’t come back.

It helped me clear my fungal acne in almost 30 days which was quite a shocker as I have tried multiple things which never seemed to work. However, it does leave your skin a bit dry so I’d recommend moisturizing your skin later so it doesn’t get flaky.

Other ingredients that significantly help in killing fungus include sulfur, urea, keratolytic agents, honey/propolis extract, salicylic acid retinoids like tretinoin, and anything anti-fungal.

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Products with anti-fungal ingredients:

These are a few products that I have tested and found effective in killing fungal acne (backed by science and research).

🔺 Stridex pads contain the active ingredient salicylic acid which has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It helps to kill fungal acne.

🔺 De la Cruz Sulfur Ointment contains the active ingredient ‘sulfur’ which has great anti-fungal properties. It helps to dry the bumps and significantly reduce their appearance.

🔺 Kala Health Facial MSM Gel also contains sulfur which is a great ingredient to clear tiny bumps.

🔺 Propolis extract contains many healing antifungal properties that are beneficial for treating fungal acne and soothing the problematic areas. Products with this ingredient which tremendously killed my fungal acne are COSRX Propolis Light Ampule, and BENTON Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel.

🔺 Urea is a  keratolytic and hydrating agent that kills fungus too. Hada Labo Gel Cream contains urea and other safe ingredients for Malassezia.

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Products which are safe for fungal acne

You can check if your current skincare and makeup products are safe to use for fungal acne on sezia. An important thing to keep in mind before purchasing any skincare products is to make sure that they are non-comdeogenic (this means that they won’t clog your pores).

However, if you’re having a hard time finding Malassezia-free products, I’ve made a list below of a few of the products you can use which are completely safe for Malassezia and won’t worsen it.

Moisturizers:

🔺 Avene Tolérance Extrême Emulsion.

🔺 BENTON Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel.

🔺 La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Fluide Protective Moisturizer.

Cleansers:

🔺 Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser.

🔺 La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser.

🔺 Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser.

Body Wash:

🔺 Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash.

🔺 Aveeno Baby Cleansing Moisturizing Wash.

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I deeply hope that these tips will help you to treat fungal acne safely at home!

Ps. If you are struggling with fungal acne too and would like some sort of extra advice or recommendation, feel free to ask in the comments below or email me here. I would love to help you as I know from personal struggle how hard and stubborn fungal acne can be.

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