Guides
Practical guides for people building a portfolio site from a template. Each one is written to be used, not just read.
Most advice about portfolios is either too general ("show your best work") or tied to one product. These guides sit in the middle. They assume you have picked, or are about to pick, a template, and they help you fill it well.
There are no affiliate links here and nothing to buy. The goal is a portfolio that does its job: it shows your work clearly and makes it easy for the right person to get in touch.
How many projects to include, how to order them and what to write next to each one. It covers the common mistakes too: too much work, no context and no clear way to get in touch.
Read this first if you have a pile of projects and don't know which ones belong on the site.
A step-by-step list for turning an empty template into a finished site: the order of work, what to replace first, and the checks to run before you share the link.
Read this when you have chosen a template and want to get it live without missing anything.
Tip: Set a reminder every three months to swap your weakest project for something newer. A portfolio is never finished, and that is fine.
Do I need a portfolio site if I have social profiles? Social profiles are useful, but you don't control them. The layout changes, posts get buried and the platform decides who sees what. A portfolio site is one address that stays yours, and it lets you choose the order of your work.
How long does setup take? With your projects and texts ready, a weekend is realistic for a simple portfolio. Most of the time goes into writing about the work, not into the template.
Should I hire someone instead? If you need a custom design or a complex site, yes. For a clear portfolio of your own work, a good template and a few focused days usually do the job.
We don't review individual template products or compare prices, and we don't recommend one platform over another. Those change too fast, and we would rather give advice that still holds next year.
If you run a small studio, most of this still applies, but the order of the site changes. The guide to agency website templates explains how services, process and case studies fit together.
If you are not sure where to start, begin with your project list. Everything else, from the layout to the setup, gets easier once you know which work you want to show.
Every guide here is written by the editors of this site. We update them when the advice changes, and we don't accept payment to feature any product.
These guides work because each one gives you a fixed order to follow. The same idea helps with acne: cleanse, treat, moisturize and protect, with the treatment step matched to your breakout type. For that step, this side-by-side guide to the best acne treatments compares over-the-counter and prescription options.
The best acne treatments are rarely the strongest: low-strength benzoyl peroxide works as well as the 10% tubes, and your breakout type matters more than the percent. Deep cysts and stubborn jawline flares are where prescriptions come in.
Over-the-counter adapalene (a retinoid), benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and azelaic acid are where the best acne treatments start for blackheads, red pimples and dark spots; cystic or hormonal acne that won't clear needs a prescription.
Last reviewed · Checked against the AAD, NIH sources and clinical trials
| Treatment | What it does | Best for | Strength | OTC or Rx | Time to results | Pregnancy | Example product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzoyl peroxide | Kills acne bacteria, clears excess oil and dead skin cells | Red pimples, mild to moderate acne | 2.5% to 10% | OTC | 2 to 3 months | Ask your doctor first | CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser (4%), PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash (10%) |
| Adapalene 0.1% | Retinoid that unclogs pores and stops new breakouts | Blackheads, whiteheads, some pimples | 0.1% | OTC | 2 to 3 months | Avoid (topical retinoid) | Differin Gel (adapalene 0.1%) |
| Salicylic acid | Opens clogged pores and exfoliates | Whiteheads and pimples | 0.5% to 2% | OTC | 2 to 3 months | Ask your doctor first | CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser (2%) |
| Azelaic acid | Keeps pores open, mildly antibacterial, fades dark spots | Acne that leaves dark spots | 10% OTC, 20% Rx | OTC or Rx | 2 to 3 months | Rx azelaic acid is an option | The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% |
| Tretinoin | Prescription retinoid that stops pores plugging | Blackheads, whiteheads, moderate acne | Set by your doctor | Rx cream or gel | 4 to 8 weeks | Avoid (topical retinoid) | |
| Clascoterone | Cream that treats the hormonal causes of acne | Moderate to severe acne, males and females 12+ | 1% cream | Rx cream | 4 to 8 weeks | Ask your doctor first | |
| Topical clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide | Antibiotic and benzoyl peroxide in one, with less risk of resistance | Mild to moderate red acne | 1% clindamycin + 5% BP, or 1.2% + 2.5% | Rx gel | 4 to 8 weeks | Ask your doctor first | |
| Oral antibiotics (doxycycline) | Pill that cuts bacteria and inflammation, for the shortest time | Moderate to severe pimples, not nodules | Set by your doctor | Rx pill | 4 to 8 weeks | No tetracyclines; ask about a macrolide | |
| Spironolactone | Blocks androgen hormones at the oil glands | Women with stubborn chin and jawline acne | Set by your doctor | Rx pill, women only | 4 to 8 weeks | Never: can cause severe birth defects | |
| Combined birth control pill | Estrogen and progestin pill; some are FDA-approved for acne | Women whose acne flares with their period | Set by your doctor | Rx pill, women only | A few months | Tell your doctor if pregnant or planning to be | |
| Isotretinoin | Oral retinoid that shrinks the oil glands | Severe nodular acne other treatments didn't clear | Set by your doctor | Rx pill, FDA risk program | 4 to 8 weeks | Never: severe birth defects |
Time to results: over-the-counter products 2 to 3 months of daily use; most prescription acne drugs 4 to 8 weeks; the pill 2 to 3 months (AAD). Pregnancy: AAD. Example products: ingredient and strength checked on each brand's own product page; not endorsements. Prescription doses are your doctor's call.
Choosing an acne treatment is matching an active ingredient to the kind of breakout you have. It means your acne type, not the brand, decides the pick, and our guide to acne types and how to treat each one shows how to tell them apart. The strength of the product matters less than you'd think: lower-strength benzoyl peroxide works as well as higher strengths.
Over-the-counter (OTC) acne treatments are products you can buy without a prescription. They mean mild to moderate acne can be treated at home, and a good acne treatment at home uses just one or two of the four below. The strength of each ingredient is printed on the label as a percentage.
Prescription acne treatment is medicine a doctor prescribes when over-the-counter products haven't worked after several weeks. It means stronger options for moderate to severe acne. The choice of prescription depends on your age, your acne type and its severity.
Ask your doctor about any of these. Online acne treatment is another way to get a prescription.
A pimple patch (hydrocolloid dressing) is a small sticky pad you put over a single spot. It means the spot is covered, so it's easier to leave alone. The limit of any spot treatment is that it reaches one pimple, not the pores around it.
Picking or squeezing raises the risk of infection and scarring. Retinoids are not spot treatments: they go on the whole area to stop new pimples forming.
General acne care is the daily routine that keeps even the best acne treatments working. It means gentle skin care while the active ingredient does its job. The success of treatment depends on sticking with it.
Thinking of adding zinc or fish oil? This look at acne supplements and their trials finds only zinc has a pooled analysis behind it, so treat a supplement as an add-on to skin care, not a swap.
Short, plain answers to what people ask most.
Honestly, there isn't one. The AAD says the best treatment for one person isn't necessarily the best for another. If you just want a starting point, benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, or both are the usual first picks.
It depends on the acne. For severe nodular acne that nothing else has cleared, dermatologists prescribe isotretinoin. It's strong stuff: it needs an FDA risk program and can't be taken in pregnancy. For most acne, combining medicines, like a retinoid with benzoyl peroxide, makes each one work better.
Look at the active ingredient, not the brand. Benzoyl peroxide and adapalene are the usual two to start with, and dermatologists often prescribe them together in one gel. Give whatever you pick 2 to 3 months.
Tea tree oil comes up a lot. In one trial, a 5% tea tree oil gel worked about as well as 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion, just slower, and some people get redness or irritation from it. Azelaic acid is natural too; it's found in grains like barley, wheat and rye.
Some studies link skim milk, whey protein and high-sugar diets to acne. Chocolate isn't directly linked. A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is the safe bet.
Last reviewed .
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. See a dermatologist if you have deep cysts or nodules, scarring, over-the-counter products haven't helped after 2 to 3 months, or you're pregnant and want treatment.
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