Beauty Skincare

How to Fight Pesky Pimples like a Pro

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Pimples, aka your worst nightmare. I don’t know about you but whenever I get a pimple it drives me nuts all day. Speaking of which I have a pimple at this very moment. So today I thought I would share with you how to get rid of pimples. I will be going through methods that I have tried and what really works for me.

How to Get Rid of Pimples

  • Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment: So this product I have used the complete product till it ran out and I absolutely love this one it’s like a lifesaver for pimples. It does sting a little bit when you put it on but that doesn’t matter, because THIS WORKS! I usually apply it multiple times throughout the day and it has salicylic acid in it. The product comes in a gel-like formula. Please do note that this product contains fragrance in its ingredients. So if you’re someone who doesn’t like fragrance in their skincare products then check out the third bullet in this topic. Else if you’re just looking for a budget-friendly product that delivers results then you can go ahead with this one.
  • Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel: This stuff uses benzoyl peroxide. However, this product is super drying on the skin! You don’t want to apply this too often as you will face dry skin but it does get rid of the pimples. On the bright side, this will not sting like salicylic acid. Not sure why it’s called acne spot gel but the product looks like a lotion.
  • First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma BHA Acne Spot Treatment with 2% Salicylic Acid: This product is expensive in comparison to the other two I mentioned earlier. However, this product does not sting when you use it or cause dryness. This looks like a gel formula similar to the Clean and Clear.
  • Pimple Stickers: These are actually called pimple patches but I like to call them pimple stickers. These work by applying the sticker to your pimple and they help treat the pimple and also draw out all the puss from your whitehead. I love COSRX acne pimple master patch, Mighty Patch Hero Cosmetics, and Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots. DO NOT buy the Nexcare ones! They barely even work!
  • Azelaic Acid 10%: This was prescribed to me by my dermatologist and from what I remember it was slow but I think it did work. I used all of the cream that was in the tube so it was definitely helping just not as quickly and effectively as I would like. But this cream had no stinging and no dryness unlike the salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. I mentioned so it was the most comfortable to use. The specific product I used was Aziderm 10% Cream. This product was purchased in India. (living there at the time) The best alternative to this in the U.S seems to be The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%.I used this product and I do find it is helpful. I like to apply a thin layer all over my face with this.
  • FOREO Espada: I only recommend purchasing this if you get frequent pimples as it is pricier. This is a blue light treatment that works to help with pimples. It’s completely pain free and is easy to use. For best results use a spot treatment along with this.
  • The Inkey List Succinic Acid Treatment: This product is one my favorites because it’s under $10 and from one of my favorite brands! It does have a bit of sulfur smell to it but you won’t notice it overtime. It’s a green color treatment that doesn’t sting and won’t dry out your skin. I have noticed my pimples improve after a few days of usage.

If you have a pimple that is under the skin and not on the surface yet, then you have a blind pimple and that needs to be treated differently. Here’s my blog post on treating blind pimples.

Pimples Removal Methods that have not worked for me

So some of these methods may have helped fix my pimples but honestly especially when it comes to those at home natural remedies I feel like they were just a distraction for my pimples to allow time to pass and let them heal on their own. Please do note that just because these methods have not worked for me doesn’t mean they can’t work for you! This is just my opinion with these products.

  • Boscia Clear Complexion Willow Bark Spot Treatment: I remember being so excited to buy this product and this was one of the first things I bought at Sephora and I loved using it however it took me a while to realize that this product was just making my pimples worse! Clearly my skin was not a fan of the ingredients in this but this was sad because it was a natural product.
  • Ice, Honey, Turmeric, Lemon, brown sugar, Toothpaste, Listerine, Green Tea Bags: Those are all the homemade natural versions of getting rid of pimples that I have tried and have done nothing for my skin. If anything I would say the turmeric has helped but it also leaves an awful yellow stain on my skin which I absolutely hate! Ice does help with the inflammation if your pimples are red.
  • Vicco Turmeric: This is a famous skin care cream in India and people literally swear by this stuff but it just wasn’t for me. I never liked the smell of this cream and it just wasn’t a pimple treatment helper.

How to Prevent Pimples

  • Follow a good skincare routine daily: It’s not about just treating the pimples and forgetting about them. You need to make sure you have a daily skincare routine. Now my skincare routine is quite extensive (like 10 steps extensive which you can read about here). But you don’t have to be as extensive as me. Make sure you include a facial cleanser and moisturizer for the bare minimum and sunscreen in the morning. Skipping your skincare routine is not a good idea! I find that when I skip skincare one day I am more likely to skip it the next day. Then before you know it it’s pimple ahoy!
  • Watch your skin: Some products may be causing irritation your skin. That’s why be careful when adding new products to your routine. I know it can be tempting to try them all ASAP but beware. I also take pictures of my skin using the app Cloe. This helps me monitor the changes of my skin and I can list down what products I used for each skin picture.
  • Be stress free: Easier said then done but stress is a major cause of pimples.
  • Clean your makeup brushes! Cleaning those brushes doesn’t have to be boring in fact it should be fun! Makeup brushes can harbor up with bacteria quickly. To clean my makeup brushes I use a brush soap and a brush cleansing pad. Check out my YouTube video here on how I clean my makeup brushes.
  • Keep track of your period: Pimples can flare up before your period due to hormonal changes. There’s not much you can do about it unless you consult a doctor but just be extra mindful of your skincare routine. To track my period I use Apple’s Health App on my iPhone and I get an alert when my period is approaching.

Good Products for Acne and Preventing Pimples

These are products that I use to manage my acne. I don’t have severe acne but I do get occasional pimples so these products help with preventing acne and pimples. I use the facial wash and toner daily. The treatment pads from First Aid Beauty I use occasionally as they are pricey.

For Post-Pimple Recovery

My favorite is Hero Cosmetics Rescue Balm! This stuff is the perfect price range for me personally and it’s pretty versatile with the types of products you can combine this with. It also does not sting or dry out your skin. I find this helpful for when I have bumps under the skin.

I hope you guys liked this post and let me know in the comments what is your best way to get rid of pimples!

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