ACNE WOES. How Giving Your Skin Some TLC Will Get Rid Of Pimples Fast.
I’ve had some pretty traumatic experiences with acne-fighting medication so up until this point, I’ve been either reluctant to use anything other than my trusty zit zapper, aka, the Foreo Espada Blue Light Acne Treatment. Allow me to elaborate.
A few of years ago I broke out in random acne all over my jawline. This was before having the Foreo came into my life, during a time when I was exclusively using natural skincare. I went to The Body Shop picked up a small bottle of tea tree oil, took it back home, and slathered it all over the area in hopes of being proactive (pun intended) against future breakouts.
For those not familiar with tea tree oil as an acne-fighting treatment, let me catch you up to speed. Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is widely recognized and used for its bacterial killing abilities. It’s a natural way of getting rid of pesky pimples and has other uses, such as getting rid of toenail fungus and athletes foot. It’s also highly potent when not diluted and can cause skin irritation and burning.
Truth be told I hadn’t done my homework on how to use tea tree oil responsibly and what happened next was crazy.
My skin was red and irritated and I was left with a raw bumpy patch where I had applied the oil. After a few days, the redness went down, but from there, it slowly turned into what resembled a burn mark. It stayed that way for a couple of months before my skin eventually healed. That was the last time I touched tea tree oil or any acne treatments.
While I had terrible acne in my teens, my skin has calmed down considerably in my 30’s. It’s combination-oily and I’ll get the occasional spots here and there, but even more so when the seasons change. That’s when my skin usually breaks out.
Just recently I was experiencing a massive breakout episode on my forehead of all places, when I happened to attend an Estée Lauder event who happened to be launching their new Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate. I learned that the serum resets troubled skin when used at night.
Okay, it sounded promising.
I took it home and used it after the OG Advanced Night Repair serum and before moisturizing. Then I zapped my spots with my Foreo ESPADA and treated them further with Kiehl’s pimple cream, which I just so happened to receive in PR. It’s like the universe was lending me a helping hand in the journey for clear skin.
I kid you not, as I started this routine, the swelling and redness of my spots had gone down drastically and in a couple more days, everything was pretty much back to normal.
This time I hadn't aggressively combatted my acne and instead gave my skin the TLC that it needed to repair itself. I also strongly believe that using the two Estée Lauder serums helped in preventing dryness that my skin might have otherwise experienced from the Kiehl’s spot cream. (Because you know, acne medications can dry out the skin and leave us with crusty dry flakes. Gross.)
Of course, every product reacts differently on each individual, but I want your biggest takeaway from my experience to be that you should give your skin the care it needs when it’s stressed out.
I fought severe acne in my teenage years and none of the medicated soaps and creams I used back then did me any good. (Mind you, hormonal acne is a different beast.) It’s only now, as I near the end of my 30’s that I realize that giving my skin proper care is at the root of keeping away pimples.
So, the next time those pimples rear their ugly heads, I’ll be ready with my arsenal of serums, zit zappers, and pimple creams.
Keep reading for my full step-by-step guide on getting rid of acne.
HOW TO GET RID OF PIMPLES FAST
ONE & TWO //
I start by giving the skin some TLC. After washing with a gentle cleanser, take a clean towel and pat dry. At night, Follow with the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II. This powerful serum targets dryness, dullness, and uneven texture in addition to fine lines and wrinkles.
Afterward, apply the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset Concentrate. This overnight treatment soothes the look of irritation and immerses the skin in 24-hour hydration. It targets pores, dullness, uneven texture, and redness.
Don’t worry, both serums are dermatologist-tested and non-acnegenic, meaning they won’t clog pores. They’re meant to be used together to soothe the skin when it needs TLC most - when we travel, when the seasons change, and when we get random acne flare-ups.
Follow with your favorite moisturizer for night.
THREE //
Now that your skin is cleansed, nourished, and hydrated, It’s time to zap those zits.
The Foreo ESPADA Blue Light Acne Treatment essentially shoots out a bacteria-killing laser beam that will get rid of your spots in a matter of days. According to Sephora’s product description, “It uses the dual power of laser-focused blue LED light and T-Sonic pulsations to address acne-causing bacteria, painlessly, in as little as 30 seconds.”
In case you’ve been intrigued by this little gadget and you’re not sure if it’s worth the hype, I can tell you that it 100% is. It cuts down the life span of my pimples by almost half and it never leaves me with scaring or burning.
FOUR //
The final step in getting rid of pimples fast is to treat them with the Kiehl’s Breakout Control Targeted Acne Spot Treatment. It contains salicylic acid to refine skin texture and possesses anti-bacterial properties to suppress acne-causing bacteria.
I’ve tried others from Mario Badescu to natural remedies such as tea tree oil, but the one from Kiehl’s truly works wonders. Also, because you’ve taken the time to nourish and hydrate your skin first, chances are you’ll experience minimal dryness using this product.
My pimples were gone in a couple of days once I started this routine and before that, they had been thriving on my face for weeks. It seems like I finally got a good acne-fighting routine that works!
Vanity Photos by Nathalie Martin.
Girl in bed photo sourced by Pinterest.