Hero Cosmetics Rescue Balm: What is it for?

Which Rescue Balm do you mean?

Rescue Balm and Rescue Balm +Red Correct have different jobs, despite the names doing their best to look interchangeable.12

Both creams are listed at $12.99 on Hero's US shop, so the extra words in +Red Correct do not come with an extra charge.12

Where does Rescue Balm fit?

The original Rescue Balm belongs in the aftercare category. For application amount, frequency, morning or evening use, and layering, follow the directions on your exact tube rather than borrowing a routine for the other version. If you are dealing with a new active pimple, use an acne treatment rather than picking at it. General acne care and a product's aftercare role are different jobs.13

Will it get rid of acne marks or scars?

Do not make a scar removal decision based on the name Rescue Balm. A flat dark mark after acne usually is not a scar: it is often post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, meaning extra pigment left after inflammation. A depression or raised area is a change in skin structure. Color changes and true scars can also occur together, so the distinction is not always either one or the other.45

Red or dark color changes after acne often improve with time, but that can take months or longer. True acne scars rarely disappear completely on their own. Even when a scar's early red or brown color fades, its change in texture can remain. These are general expectations for skin recovering after acne, not a timetable for results from Rescue Balm.45

What if the mark is brown?

For darker skin tones, a spot a few shades darker than your usual skin color generally fades within 6 to 12 months once its cause has stopped. Deeper pigment can take years. Continuing to treat acne matters because new breakouts can leave new marks.6

For these dark marks, use a tinted sunscreen containing iron oxide, with SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum protection and water resistance. Iron oxide helps protect against visible light, which can contribute to dark spots. Apply sunscreen before going outside to exposed skin, and reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Choose a formula labeled noncomedogenic, meaning it will not clog pores, if your skin is oily.6

What should you avoid, and when should you get help?

Do not pick, pop, scratch or squeeze a blemish. Doing so increases inflammation and the risk of scarring, infection and discoloration. Popping can also spread bacteria and pus and lead to new breakouts. A recovery cream is not a reason to deliberately open a pimple.34

Stop using a skincare product if it burns or stings; irritation can cause dark spots, particularly in darker skin tones. See a dermatologist for deep, painful acne, persistent dark marks despite treatment, or indented or raised scars you want treated. Scar treatment depends on the scar's size, depth, type and location, and active acne should be treated before starting scar management.456