10 steps to radically reduce pimples overnight
Dealing with spots can be frustrating. Just as you think you’ve beaten those blemishes, along pops up more! Well, it is possible to radically reduce their appearance overnight, you just need to follow these 10 simple steps, according to the experts at BC.
Use a warm compress then pop ice on your pimple
Apply a warm compress to the problem area or steam your face to bring your blemish to the surface. Then use a cold compress or ice, as this will help to decrease inflammation, reducing redness, size and visibility of the spot.
Don’t pick that pimple
As tempting as it can be, and I’m sure we’ve all been there, you should never, ever pick at your pimple as this will only do damage to your skin. Why? Because it can spread the area of bacteria, creating more blemishes and trauma to your skin, which in turn leads to inflammation, infection, and potentially even scarring. Picking your pimple can also result in it taking much longer than usual for it to disappear, rather than overnight like you are wanting!
Watch what you eat
Sadly, there are particular foods that can exacerbate blemishes so if you want your spots to do one, make sure you eliminate them from your diet! Avoid cow’s milk and whey protein as they can be known to aggravate acne and try to stick to a low sugar diet as yes sadly that chocolate bar or delicious cupcake can be a cause of a sudden breakout.
Make sure your skincare features the following blemish fighting ingredients
While there are 3 key ingredients to look out for when searching for that overnight miracle product;
- Benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria.
- Salicylic acid to help exfoliate and unclog pores
- Retinol to help boost cell turnover, prompting cells to shed and preventing them from clogging.
If you are prone to blemishes and you want to keep them under control, you really need to be armed with skincare featuring 6 key ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, Retinol, Charcoal/Clay and Hyaluronic Acid. For more information on the benefits and effects of these ingredients and the best products to use click here.
And use a good spot treatment for those pop-up pimples!
While there is no way to get rid of a pimple in 5 minutes you can see huge improvements in a matter of hours by immediately treating it with a topical spot treatment rich in Salicylic Acid. Salicylic acid is very potent when it comes to getting rid of blemishes. By applying this spot attacking ingredient directly to the problem area, immediately removes excess oil and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, meaning it effectively unclogs pores while simultaneously reducing any infection, swelling and redness.
The team at BC can’t recommend the following skin saviours enough.
This potent professional-grade targeted treatment diminishes follicular build-up, controls bacteria, and reduces inflammation with noticeable improvement in skin healing. It infuses skin with high performing ingredients including; Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid Mucor Meihei, Phytic Acid, and Sea Whip to effectively control, combat, and clear blemishes and acne lesions. What’s more it effectively decreases the risk of scarring and prevents post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
“This product is fantastic – have used this on random spots which appear and they always go away after using this product for a couple of days in a row. Highly recommended!” Natasha M
Phytomer Oligopur Blemish Target Gel
This blemish treatment gel dries and corrects, targeting blemishes with precision. It rapidly improves the skin’s appearance, significantly reducing spots overnight.
“This is an amazing blemish gel! I’m 37 and still get a few monthly breakouts. The Phytomer Blemish Gel works almost overnight, or over the course of the day as you can apply it over make up without worrying that it will show or mess up your foundation or powder. It doesn’t dry you out and absorbs quickly.” Leanne
Pevonia SpaTeen Blemish-B-Gone
Combining both organic Benzoyl Peroxide with organic Salicylic Acid, this spot treatment radically heals blemishes while counteracting bacteria, as well as preventing future breakouts. Phew.
“This is the BEST spot treatment that I have ever tried. I use it once at night and once in the morning. It totally took care of my breakouts. I can carry it in my bag with no problems, and it is easy to use. I’m hooked!” Ella W
Tie your hair back
Keep your hair off your face as the natural oil from your hair can touch your face and worsen the pimple.
Make sure you remove your makeup at the end of the day!
Whether you’re prone to the odd spot or suffer from all out acne, you’ll soon see that sleeping with a face full of makeup can result in a bigger breakout of blemishes. Eek! Makeup, unfortunately, clogs pores, and when your pores are blocked, your skin can’t breathe, and therefore it can’t regenerate. The oil in your pores builds-up and transform itself into spots. Fact. So make sure you always remove your makeup before bed with a good makeup remover!
We love Vie Collection’s Micellar Water. It literally purifies, conditions and cleanses your complexion in one easy step thoroughly removing makeup from your lips, eyes and face.
“All makeup removal products I have purchased, has always broke me out. So this is just what I was looking for. This product does leave your facial area’s feeling well hydrated, nourished, and well cleansed” Sophia
For more information on sleeping in makeup and what it really does to our skin, click here.
And do use a blemish busting cleanser before bed
Don’t ignore the power of a good cleanser formulated with some of the 6 key ingredients. Using your cleanser religiously will not only treat the pimples you do have, but prevent future emergencies. We highly recommend thoroughly cleansing your skin with one of these blemish busting cleansers, before zapping that zit with your spot treatment.
Pevonia Clarigel Exfoliating Cleanser
Exfoliating cleansers are perfect for blemish prone skin, as they help reduce breakouts by removing excess dead skin cells and unclogging pores. Pevonia’s Clarigel Exfoliating Cleanser combines Salicylic Acid and Citric Acid with Jojoba, Soapwort, Triclosan and Grapefruit Oil, to gently exfoliate skin’s surface as well as deeply penetrate the pores, decreasing microbe growth and calming inflammation.
“I bought this product after being “prescribed” it by my beauty therapist for my mild adult acne. Firstly, the scent is light and non-intrusive, which is a huge plus. I also like that it contains both manual (small grains) chemical (citric acid) exfoliating properties. It helps to make my skin feel clean, smooth and prepared for moisturising. After a week or so I noticed a HUGE improvement in my breakouts.” Leah
In general, foaming cleansers are also great for oily and acne-prone skin, specifically because of their pore penetrating capabilities. If you want to get rid of blemishes or excess oil/sebum fast, you need a cleanser that can go deep in your pores and get rid of the debris without too much effort. We LOVE Medicalia’s Clarifying Cleanser. Specifically created for those with breakout prone and sensitive/oily skin, it’s formulated with both Salicylic and Lactic acids (so we know that’s a good thing!) Its potent foaming suds work very quickly to eliminate surface bacteria, toxins, impurities and makeup while combatting inflammation too!
“I have used this cleanser for over 15 years now and it is just awesome! I used to suffer from acne and this cleanser helped no end and without drying my skin out!” Bec
Change your pillowcase
I know we all change our pillowcases but do we do it frequently enough? Keeping your pillowcase clean and we are talking about changing it every 3-4 days, is a top beauty secret! This is because they have a build-up of oils, dirt, and sweat from daily use (yuck) which means they can harbor bacteria and in turn become a breeding ground for blemishes, as well as exacerbating them!
Go to bed in a relaxed state and get your 8-9 hours of beauty sleep!
I’ve said this many a time and for good reason. Stress and lack of sleep induce the hormone cortisol, which triggers our skin to produce more sebum or oil. This increase of oil can then clog pores and in turn not only exacerbate the blemish you are wanting gone by morning but can also lead to even more breakouts.
And yes, we know what we are saying isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially when many of us are dealing with work, kids, home-schooling, and lockdown, but from personal experience, I do highly recommend having a relaxing mineral bath before bed. Little instantly reduces stress quite like it. I LOVE Phytomer’s Oligomer Well Being Sensation Essential Minerals Relaxing Bath. It’s a lightly foaming, ultra-relaxing fragranced bath enriched with Oligomer – a partially sodium reduced seawater concentrate that contains all of the remineralizing properties of seawater – to strengthen and restore the skin while releasing all pent-up tension in the body. Amazing stuff right?
Then either meditating for a few minutes, I love the Calm app, OR playing soothing sounds. This can have a profound effect on your mental state, significantly reducing stress and leading to blissful slumber.
