Acne vulgaris is, without any shred of doubt, one of the most common skin conditions known to man. It is typically characterized by three main types of lesions. And this includes;
- The pimple or pustule
- The blackhead or comedone
- The Inflammatory papule
And while it is not exactly easy to get rid of acne, it does not mean that it is an entirely impossible feat. To that effect, here are some of the things that you have put into consideration when it comes down to clearing up acne.
Table of Contents:
1. Don’t Touch Your Face
Touching your face unnecessarily and needlessly is an avoidable way of transferring bacteria, germs and viruses from your hands to the inflamed lesions. This makes it very likely for the pustules to get infected, not to mention heighten the temptation to burst the pimples or pick the blackheads. It is definitely not the best for acne and neither does it do anything for your complexion.
Speaking of which, picking the lesions (contrary to the common misconception) only drives the infection deeper into the dermis making it more probable for unsightly scarring to occur in the aftermath of the breakout episode.
2. Be Careful With Home “Remedies”
As much as some home remedies have proven to be quite effective in imparting acne relief, most of the so-called ‘kitchen solutions’ are nothing but gimmicks with potentially harmful side effects. Not to mention that a good number of these ‘remedies’ utilize harsh household chemicals that can dry out the skin or irritate the already-inflamed epidermis.
Here’s the thing; there is a very thin line between overnight acne cure and aggravating your pimples further. Most of the home remedies that are littered online are not based on any solid dermatological or clinical principles. They are products of guesswork, half-truths and skincare myths with no real scientific backing. The truth is that you would be better placed if you relied on proven, laboratory-tested and universally approved skincare solutions to cure acne naturally.
3. Apply a Warm Compress or Ice Cube
Applying a cold compress or ice has been shown to relieve symptoms of most types of pimples (though not all). Ice is also quite easy to use, available anywhere and very versatile in its application. Besides, the purported skincare upsides of ice circle around minimizing the size of pores to banishing eye bags. But just how effective is it when you want to get rid of acne fast?
Apparently, ice appears to be instrumental in reducing swelling, redness and itching in inflammatory pimples such as whiteheads and blackheads. But there is a catch – you have to use warm treatments first. The heat will aid in the removal of debris that are trapped in the skin pores thereby making it easier for the ice cubes to impart their pore-reducing magic.
After compressing the problematic skin for 5 to 10 minutes with a warm cloth, follow it up with an ice wrap for about one minute to close the pores, reduce swelling and decrease inflammation.
4. A Quick Way to Get rid of Acne – Acne Spot Treatment
Acne spot treatment ranks as one of the best way to get rid of acne papules before they have had a chance to proliferate all over your face. It also lessens the likelihood of scarring or hyperpigmentation if done correctly. Nonetheless, the acne relief that you choose to use for the pimples is just as important (if not more) than the approach itself. Here are some recommended ways of implementing this skincare regimen.
Using Patches – AENO’s Acne Patches with Salicylic Acid
These hydrocolloid and completely hypoallergenic patches are a unique approach to zapping pimples and zits within a very short timeframe. If not for anything else, they are an excellent alternative to letting a breakout run its course when pimples start pushing their way out of the skin surface. Like any other acne spot treatment method worth its weight in gold, these patches work best on pus-filled pimples and open pustules. In fact, they are a must-have additive to comprehensive skincare for acne-prone skin.
That aside, these humble patches from AENO are ideal for sucking out the gunk from inflamed lesions and healing scratched-at-skin. In other words, they are your friend if you are always touching your face needlessly or accidentally burst a pimple while exfoliating your skin. The protective covering, in particular, lessens the chances of transferring bacteria while keeping other potential contaminants to guarantee fast healing of the broken skin. It is actually one of the solid ways to get rid of acne overnight when you need a quick fix by the next morning.
Using Creams – AENO’s Acne Treatment Natural Cream
There’s a good reason this cream ranks among the best skin care for acne listed in most online forums – it works (and quite fast at it)! The cream is adapted to dry up blackheads and whiteheads while reducing the conspicuousness of unsightly pesky breakouts almost overnight. A dab of the formulation – laced with a heavy-hitting combo of tea tree oil, vitamin E and salicylic acid – onto the inflamed spots just before hitting the hay is sure to significantly lessen their prominence by the following morning.
Although it works pretty well as an overnight acne cure, the formula is critical in stopping the development of more pimples and calming the ones that may have already popped up. Either way, it is a credible approach to reducing redness and bringing down swelling when inflamed and angry pimples accost you when you least expect it.
5. Use Less Makeup
Going easy on the makeup when your face is ridden with pimples is a recommended way of keeping the flare-ups in check. And although avoiding using makeup is not exactly a quick way to get rid of acne, it is imperative to remember that some cosmetics will often predispose you unnecessarily to pimples. If anything, dermatologists have even coined a description for it – acne cosmetica.
Besides, acne-prone skin is conventionally more sensitive than a normal skin profile. As such, women who have a tendency of developing breakouts may find that the application of makeup products such as concealers and foundations trigger new breakouts or at least worsen existing ones. In a way, using less makeup (or going for the non-comedogenic variety) can go a long way in helping clear the blemishes.
Nonetheless, if you are a big fan of makeup, you may find this pointer a bit of a bummer. Not to worry though, the best way to clear up acne and still wear makeup is by adhering to the following simple rules.
- Choosing your makeup: Avoid using makeup and cosmetic products that are likely to clog up your skin pores and, consequently, trigger a breakout. Your best bet as far as this goes is halting the use of comedogenic creams, powders or serums on your face.
- Wash your face at least twice a day or after a sweaty activity: Skincare experts recommend washing your face at least twice a day – after waking up and just before going to bed. You will want to use a cleanser that is non-comedogenic for this i.e does not clog pores and is completely oil free
- Never sleep in your makeup: Remove your makeup using a suitable oil-free makeup remover before rinsing your face with a suitable gentle cleanser before hitting the sack. Also, avoid scrubbing your face when removing the makeup.
- Makeup should always be applied gently: Your strokes should be feather light as you wouldn’t want to irritate your skin.
- Avoid sharing makeup brushes: Sharing makeup brushes is one way of promoting cross-contamination from other people to your sensitive skin. And even though acne is hardly contagious, dead skin cells, acne-triggering bacteria and sebum from other people’s skin can precipitate a new breakout if you don’t get into a habit of cleaning your brushes regularly.
6. Washing Your Face
The importance of skin hygiene when it comes to clearing acne fast cannot really be overstated. Regular, correct and consistent cleansing gets rid of dead skin cells, impurities and balances sebum production on your skin’s surface. Use warm (not scaldingly hot) water and a mild, non-comedogenic cleanser to keep pimples at arm’s length. Having said that, avoid washing your face more than twice a day as this aggravates your skin and worsens your breakout. Most importantly, stay away from harsh cleansers and soaps that contain alcohol in their ingredient list to avoid drying out your sensitive skin.
7. Try a Product with Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is one of best ingredients for acne courtesy of its pore-unclogging abilities. It breaks down the bonds that form between dead skin cells thereby making it easier for you to extract the debris nestled in hair follicles. It also breaks down sebum while regulating its production, something that overall leads to fewer and less severe breakouts. Here are some of the recommended skincare products that contain salicylic acid to try out today
AENO Acne Treatment Natural Cream
Apart from containing salicylic acid in its formulation, the cream has unmatched skin-soothing and exfoliating capabilities that come in handy in reducing the consciousness of existing pimples whilst stopping new ones from surfacing. Even hormonal acne appears to disappear faster when using this salve to get rid of the blemishes.
AENO Acne Patches with Salicylic Acid
They are the perfect on-the-go solution for acne emergencies. The presence of salicylic acid in these hypoallergenic patches is just a bonus as they contain an array of other acne-combating ingredients that have proven to be instrumental in calming swelling and shrinking off pimples almost overnight. What’s more, the size of the patches plus their easy application make them a valuable companion if you are always on the move. However, it is their potent anti-microbial properties derived from the astringent building blocks of the patches that are the real winner here. Definitely a must-have if you are looking to fade angry bumps overnight.
8. Change your Diet
The best skin care for acne starts in the kitchen. You’d be surprised by how much what you eat contributes to the general state of your skin. Certain foods, for instance, are likely to raise your blood sugar more than others. A rise in your blood sugar translates to the release of sugar-controlling hormones such as insulin that could stimulate your sebum-producing glands to secrete more oil than usual. This raises your risks of developing acne by heightening the chances of suffering clogged pores at the end of the day.
These insulin-raising foods are collectively known as high-glycemic load foods and include the likes of
- White bread
- Pasta
- Sugar
- Refined carbohydrates of any nature or form including white rice
Chocolate is also believed to worsen pimples in some people while excessive consumption of dairy goods and saturated fats is likely to result in awful skin for a huge swathe of the population.
Instead of an inflammation-laden diet, try adding low-glycemic foods that are made primarily of complex carbohydrates to lessen your risk of flare-ups. Complex carbs, in this regard, can be found in
- legumes
- whole grains
- Unprocessed vegetables and fruits
In addition to these, the best natural way to get rid of acne is prioritizing food that contains the following ingredients. These are actually the best ingredients for acne as they significantly reduce inflammation on a cellular level.
- Zinc
- Vitamin E and A
- Antioxidants
Excellent examples are food choices such as spinach, tomatoes, blueberries, turkey, quinoa, salmon, mackerel, nuts, beans, lentils, peas, blueberries, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots and whole wheat bread.
9. Medicate if it’s Necessary
The best way to get rid of acne is taking prompt action as soon as the pustules and papules rear their ugly head. And this will involve proper and effective medication when push comes to shove. Here are some of the top-tier OTC ways to reduce acne in this regard.
You can try this product from Amazon.
Employing some of the best ingredients for acne, these pills attempt an inside-out approach of lessening redness, exfoliating dead skin and flushing out toxins from your skin. It’s literally an orally administered pimple-bursting pill designed to clear breakouts with minimal scarring left behind.
Unlike topical treatments, using pills made for combating acne internally keeps you from aggravating or irritating inflamed skin inadvertently in the course of treatment. And thanks to the unique formulation employed in the development of these pills, the capsules are quite effective in opening up close comedones, clearing whiteheads/blackheads, pacifying redness and balancing extremely oily skin.
Wellabs Zinc Drops
Improving your skin’s natural healing ability is an excellent way to get rid of acne fast. Here’s where zinc often comes in. You see, zinc has revered wound-healing capabilities that prove to be critical when you want to heal acne lesions within a couple of days or a week at most. Secondly, by supporting rapid healing of the skin, it makes residual scarring less likely to form after a nasty breakout episode. Besides, zinc’s incredible anti-inflammatory properties aid the body in reducing the redness and swelling of inflamed or problematic skin. These Wellabs Zinc drops stand out from the crowd mainly because they are crafted from 100% natural ingredients, are vegan-friendly and do not contain fillers or GMOs in their concentrate. They are an excellent supplementation avenue to up your levels of this highly essential mineral, especially if you suspect that they are deficient in it. The presence of enough levels of zinc in the skin has also been shown to be key in impeding the proliferation of acne-causing bacteria, which further adds to its relevance in your skincare regimen.
In Closing – The Takeaway
The best way to clear up acne is by combining potent topical treatments with systemic medications to fill in the gaps in your skincare regimen. Add basic skin hygiene to this mix plus a properly balanced diet and you can keep problematic skin at bay for a long time. Of course, you will still have to pay the price of keeping flawless skin through exfoliating your face weekly and moisturizing it regularly.