We've all had that horrible experience of waking up in the morning with a big pimple staring back at us in the mirror. This tends to happen on an important day, since stress can easily cause a break out. Don't worry, we can get through this together. Let's go over some steps to get rid of this imperfection quickly and get back to a clear happy face.
1) The first thing you have to do when you have a pimple is keep it clean. Use a gentle cleanser that really cleans up your face including dirt, make up and oils. The Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser is gentle, yet very effective. I know when this happens you might want to go out and buy the strongest cleanser you can find but that may be too harsh for your skin.
2) Ice it. What happens when you get a bruise or have swelling? The advice is almost always to ice it. The same thing goes for pimples; the inflammation will go down a bit and make you feel and look better.
3) I recently had the lovely experience of a break out and searched high and low for a quick magic fix. I read somewhere that lemon helps but thought no way this will work. I cut up a lemon and just squeezed the juice onto a cotton ball. My pimple started fading within 24 hours. The acid in the lemon almost "whitens" your skin. This truly is an amazing home remedy. Makes me love lemons even more than I already do!
4) Speaking of lemons, drink lots of water. Whether you want to squeeze some lemon into it or just drink it plain, water will clean out the toxins, helping your face stay clear of any unwelcome flare ups!
5) Let's face it, this is an emergency of some sorts! The best time to work on fighting this pimple is at night. Chances are you may not want to leave the house, let alone wear makeup. But, if you must, wash it off as soon as you get home and apply a spot treatment. I like to go to sleep with the Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel-Lotion hoping to wake up to a clear complexion.
6) To pop or not to pop. If you haven't already, try to keep your hands off! Most pimples start off as nothing too noticeable until you infect them yourself. If you have already scared your skin and learned your lesson, help it heal with an antibiotic ointment.
Pimples are a harsh reminder of how important a healthy diet and skincare routine is, so make sure you eat right, sleep enough and apply the right skincare! At the end of the day, it's just a pimple and it will go away.
Aline Agopian
