Then there are other ingredients that moisturize skin, but they're just too rich and cause breakouts or milia. Enter: squalane, an effective ingredient that will nourish skin and keep it hydrated without leaving behind any slimy residue to clog your pores.
Marchbein also adds that if you're someone who is prone to milia, you should try using a combination of oil-free, non-comedogenic products (looking at you, CeraVe and Cetaphil), along with a cream containing a retinoid. This one by Paula's Choice absorbs quickly and also goes to work on fine lines and dark spots.
For especially stubborn or numerous milia, prescription retinol creams (like Retin-A or generic tretinoin 0.025%–0.05% cream or gel) may be in order.
Regular exfoliation with an alpha hydroxy acid (like glycolic or lactic acids) will help clear out dead skin cells, and salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid) will help tone down your oil production. In combination, like in this peel from The Ordinary, they can help keep milia in check.
"The biggest side effect of using the wrong moisturizer is developing milia, little hard white bumps on the face in random areas," said Dr. Forney. "This is very common if [you're] using a body moisturizer on the face but can also happen with moisturizers which are too heavy."
Tips for Improving the Appearance of Delicate Eye Area Skin
You'll also want to look for a hydrating blend of moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba esters and niacinamide. Milia may be made more obvious by dark or puffy under eye circles.
If you typically have milia around your eyes, then that eye cream you're using might be too heavy for your skin type. Choose serums instead since they penetrate deep into the skin without blocking the pores. Or if you are bent on using cream, use products with Hyaluronic acid that is gentle on this delicate area.
"Finish by using a lightweight moisturizer, since moisturizing replenishes the skin and hydrates your skin cells." She also recommends looking for a moisturizer with that's gel-based or lightweight, preferably with hyaluronic acid.
When it comes to preventing milia, it's all about exfoliation, exfoliation, exfoliation! You want to maximise your cellular turnover, so things like chemical peels, topical retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), charcoal, mud masks, micro abrasion and vitamin C are amongst the recommended.
Give yourself an at-home steam facial.
Steam helps warm up the build up of keratin, making it easier to exfoliate. “The use of warm hydration can loosen up surface skin cells and help them slough away, opening up the milia,” says Dr. Gmyrek. All you need is a bowl of boiling water and a bath towel.
Consistent use of well-formulated BHA exfoliants (AHAs are not effective for milia, as they cannot reach the pore) should help prevent its recurrence, but in some instances your milia will return. If that happens, management with a dermatologist/skilled aestheticitian is often the best course of action.
Invest In A Retinol Night Treatment
A super-easy and very effective way to get rid of milia is to regularly apply a topical retinoid to the affected area.
Vitamin C is also effective in treating comedonal acne, specifically blackheads. By functioning as an antioxidant, vitamin C decreases the number of visible blackheads by reducing sebum oxidation (which causes the dark color of a blackhead).
Both vitamin C and niacinamide increase the natural production of ceramides in your skin which helps to strengthen your skin barrier, keep your skin hydrated, and reduce irritation. However, niacinamide is probably the better option for sensitive skin as it's usually gentler than vitamin C.
Check for ingredients that are named: liquid paraffin, liquid petroleum, paraffin oil, paraffinum liquidum, petrolatum liquid, petroleum oil. These are all types of mineral oil that may be causing your milia to grow. Lanolin is a type of oil extracted from wool-furred animals such as sheep.
“If you're an adult with milia, you might try an over-the-counter exfoliating treatment that contains salicylic acid, alpha hydroxyl acid or a retinoid such as adapalene,” Dr. Piliang says. “These can improve the skin's natural turnover by removing the dead cells, and may help the bumps go away faster.”
Garshick and Viscusi recommend Differin's retinoid. "This OTC retinoid works to help reduce acne breakouts and can also help in the prevention and treatment of milia," Garshick says.
This involves piercing the upper layer of the skin with a surgical blade or needle, and the milia are expressed out using a comedome extractor. Other treatment options for milia seed removal involves electrosurgery and laser surgery, but usually the least traumatic and simplest way is all you need.
Milia appear as 1–2 mm white-to-yellow, dome-shaped bumps that are not painful or itchy. The most common locations for primary milia include: Around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead in adults and infants.