Women's Health June 3, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Secret Dermatologists Don’t Want You to Know: 4 Killer Hacks to Banish Milia for Good!

Ever notice those tiny little white bumps popping up around your eyes, nose, and cheeks? They look a lot like whiteheads, right? But here’s the kicker—they’re stubborn as heck, refusing to be squeezed or zapped by your usual acne go-tos like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid . So what in the world are these persistent little pearls, and why do they just won’t quit? Meet milia—those cheeky keratin-filled cysts masquerading as breakouts but playing by a completely different set of rules. As someone who’s helped countless people navigate the labyrinth of skincare, I can tell you milia may seem minor, but understanding and tackling them can save you from endless frustration and those dreaded scars. Ready to demystify these pesky bumps and finally show them the door? Let’s dive in. LEARN MORE

7 min read

If you’re prone to breakouts, you probably already know how to quickly identify different types and address them using a targeted at-home skincare routine. There are whiteheads, the zits with a visible white tip; blackheads, the acne that forms when gunk clogs your pores and darkens after exposure to air; and, of course, cystic acne—the most severe form of pimples often characterized by large and painful, inflamed, red lumps.

But there’s another type of complexion imperfection that tends to crop up in the form of tiny, white cysts that cluster around the eyes, nose, and cheeks. They look awfully similar to whiteheads, but they can’t be popped, explains Marnie Nussbaum, MD, a clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. The worst part about them? They’re resistant to common acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.

Meet the experts: Marnie Nussbaum, MD is a clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Renée Rouleau is a celebrity esthetician based in Austin and founder of Renee Rouleau skincare.

In reality, those stubborn bumps, often referred to as “milk spots,” aren’t considered a form of acne at all. Instead, they’re usually a distinct skin condition called milia, Dr. Nussbaum says. Here’s the good news: While they may be aesthetically unappealing, milia is considered a harmless skin condition that typically resolves on its own. In fact, you might notice them go away in as little as a few weeks, according to the Cleveland Clinic, though it can also take months or years to fully go away.

But if you’re looking to get rid of them stat, or prevent them from cropping up in the first place—over-the-counter skincare products can certainly help. So here’s everything experts want you to know about milia, including what they are, and how, exactly, to treat them so that your skin can look its very best.

First, what exactly are milia?

It’s easy to confuse milia with whiteheads due to their similar appearance, but the underlying causes of each condition are different. Whiteheads occur when your pores get clogged with a mixture of your skin’s natural oil—called sebum—and dead skin cells.

When it comes to milia, however, the primary culprit is a buildup of keratin, the naturally-occurring protein that serves as the building block of our hair, nails, and skin cells. “Milia are tiny keratin-filled cysts on the surface of the skin,” says Dr. Nussbaum. “These bumps are filled with hard balls of keratin, as opposed to liquid sebum and bacteria. And they cannot be extracted easily.” Because of their round shape and white color, they are sometimes described as tiny pearls, says Renée Rouleau, a celebrity esthetician and founder of Renée Rouleau Professional Skincare.

The buildup of keratin is more likely to happen when your skin struggles to properly shed away dead skin cells. This allows the keratin in the skin to get trapped under new skin cells and eventually harden into the cysts you notice on your face. Other than the fact that they’re not pop-able, you’ll be able to identify milia bumps from their placement—they are most often found around the eyes, nose, and on cheeks. Plus, “they are not associated with surrounding redness or inflammation like acne,” says Dr. Nussbaum.

There are several underlying causes that can prevent your skin from properly shedding and lead to milia: One of the most ones is improper facial cleansing, experts say. “It is essential to properly cleanse the skin twice daily to remove dead skin cells, extra sebum, and product,” says Dr. Nussbaum. Excessive use of heavy, rich face creams can also lead to clogged pores, prevent your skin cells from properly shedding and exacerbate milia. If you suspect that’s the reason you’re dealing with the condition, Dr. Nussbaum recommends switching to a lightweight water-based moisturizer. If you have dry skin and prefer something heftier, then try to ensure your eye cream is oil-free, she adds.

And as if you needed another reason to avoid the habit, smoking cigarettes has surprisingly been linked to the exacerbation of these tiny bumps as well. “In my experience, a lot of smokers seem to have milia around the eye area,” says Rouleau. “It could be that smoke is blown upwards into the eye area, causing keratinization of the skin.”

How do I get rid of milia?

Perhaps the most important step you can take to address your milia is avoiding popping them at home. As tempting as it may be, squeezing milia is dangerous because they have a thin layer of skin covering the buildup of keratin—they’re not open comedones. This means attempting to pop milia runs the risk of breaking the skin, damaging it, and leaving a permanent scar in its place, says Dr. Nussbaum.

Luckily, that doesn’t mean you have to just cross your fingers and hope the bumps disappear with time. Here’s what to try:

Use a gentle cleanser.

Pretty much anything that allows dead skin cells to accumulate on your face will increase the likelihood of milia. One easy way to get ahead of it and prevent those bumps from forming in the first place is removing makeup you’re wearing and using a gentle cleanser before you go to sleep every night. It can be easy to accidentally fall asleep while wearing makeup, but this bad habit can lead to not only milia, but also clogged pores and irritation, Women’s Health previously reported. You can also inadvertently transfer product residue onto your pillowcase, leading to other skin problems such as contact dermatitis—or skin inflammation that causes an itchy, red rash.

Regularly cleansing the face clears the surface of your complexion so that it can renew itself more efficiently. Clean skin is also less likely to trap keratin under a layer of dead skin, oil and product residue. And sticking to a gentle cleanser is also important to avoid stripping the skin’s barrier or triggering irritation, which can also disrupt the natural skin shedding process.

TL;DR? You can think of gentle cleansing as the most crucial preventative measure you can take when it comes to milia.

Exfoliate regularly.

For the uninitiated, exfoliation is a skincare technique whereby you remove dead cells from the top layer of your skin. By getting rid of this layer, the process helps smooth your complexion and allow your skincare products to penetrate deeper into your skin, making them more effective, Women’s Health previously reported. Exfoliating using alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic or lactic acid is particularly useful because they help clear out dead skin cells by dissolving the bonds between them, helping dead skin fall away more easily and, in turn, preventing the kind of buildup that leads to milia.

It might seem weird to exfoliate around your eyes, especially considering the fact that skin in that area is a lot thinner and more sensitive, but Rouleau says it’s crucial to manage milia without visiting a professional such as a dermatologist or licensed esthetician. But as long as you don’t get too hasty, you should be able to sidestep irritation: “Start with a low potency product once or twice weekly, then you can titrate up to more frequently or a higher potency product as tolerated,” says Dr. Nussbaum.

Start using retinol.

Retinol, a popular skincare ingredient derived from vitamin A—and one of the only skincare ingredients proven to effectively address concerns like acne and signs of aging—is the star of the show for milia management. “Retinols are extremely helpful as they increase skin-cell turnover and therefore help bring cells to the surface to prevent their formation,” says Dr. Nussbaum.

However, you should generally skip using retinol on your upper eyelids, which can cause irritation. And if you’re also using an alpha-hydroxy acid to slough away dead skin cells, you’ll need to be strategic about when you use each ingredient to avoid compromising your skin barrier or experiencing unnecessary irritation.

If you’ve never used either an alpha hydroxy acid or a retinol product before, start by using your retinol first just two or three times per week, Women’s Health previously reported. During this time, pay close attention to how your skin reacts: If after two weeks it becomes clear your skin can handle the ingredient, feel free to use it daily. And after about six to eight weeks of using retinol with minimal irritation or side effects, you can then consider supplementing your routine with an alpha hydroxy acid.

The best way to go about this is to use the ingredients on separate nights. That might mean scaling back your retinol usage to only four or five nights a week instead of all seven, and using the alpha hydroxy acid on the nights that you don’t use your retinol.

When you’re eager to get rid of imperfections on your face, we know how crucial it is to drown out the noise and stick to products that actually work. Here are a few that Women’s Health editors recommend:

The Best Products to Get Rid of Milia

Best Cleanser

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser

This gentle cleanser removes makeup and impurities while helping retain hydration within your skin barrier. It doesn’t strip your skin, and it contains nourishing ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin.

Best Exfoliating Serum

Murad Heartleaf Gentle Resurfacing Serum

Glycolic acid is one of the most effective alpha hydroxy acids for sloughing off dead skin cells and improving radiance. This serum includes this acid while still prioritizing sensitive skin, making it a gentle but effective option for all skin types.

Best Retinol Serum

CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Facial Serum

Now 15% Off

Milia is best addressed using ingredients that stimulate skin cell turnover. This serum does exactly that thanks to its inclusion of retinol. But it also manages to keep skin hydrated thanks to its inclusion of three essential ceramides.

Make an appointment for professional extraction.

In more severe cases where the keratin buildup is too deeply lodged to be removed topically, a good skincare routine just won’t cut it—even when you’re consistently using the right products. Topical skincare also isn’t the best solution when the skin with milia (such as the skin around the eyes) simply can’t tolerate the more potent ingredients required to get rid of the bumps. Don’t fret: It doesn’t mean you’re out of options—a professional can extract the bumps for you.

Here’s how it works: The professional will use a needle to poke that top layer of skin and create a pathway for the tough keratin and sebum to get out. “Once that pathway is created, a comedone extractor can be placed on top of the lesion to create pressure for the ball of keratin to be expressed. Deeper cysts may require an incision and drainage,” explains Dr. Nussbaum.

The bottom line is this: Milia may be stubborn, but they’re not unbeatable. Once you understand what you’re actually dealing with, the path to clearer skin becomes a whole lot more straightforward. With the right combination of consistent cleansing, regular exfoliation, and a retinol you love, you can keep new bumps from forming.

Maddie Aberman is the beauty editor at Women’s Health and has been covering skincare, makeup, hair, and wellness for more than five years. When she’s not thinking about beauty, she’s dreaming of getting a puppy (all dog mom advice is welcome).

Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.