Apply a layer of moisturizer to the affected area to help dry out the pimple and speed up the healing process. The moisturizer will also help keep the skin around the pimple hydrated, preventing irritation and inflammation. Just be sure to choose an oil-free option, as oil can make acne worse.
Drying out a pimple can be a safer course of action to explore, as when done correctly, it allows the pimple to dry out instead of spreading its pus to other pores. To dry out pimples safely, it's best to stick with over-the-counter products that contain acne-fighting ingredients.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
Firstly, with bacterial acne, water helps to remove toxins and bacteria on the skin, reducing the potential for pore-clogging in the process. Secondly, keeping the skin moisturised allows the skin to maintain healthy skin cell rejuvenation and collagen production.
Benzoyl peroxide is a bleaching agent that kills microbes and dries up oil in the follicle. Similar to benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil and sulfur also work by drying up the pimple. “Using these products can make the pimple look smaller in the morning,” explains Dr. Patel.
When your skin is dehydrated, it can feel tight and dry – and this may lead you to think that you are suffering from dry skin. Your skin is likely to compensate for this by producing more oil and thus create conditions more typically associated with oily skin – this includes blemishes and acne breakouts.
Skin with acne is oily, so it can be tempting to apply astringent and acne treatments until your face feels dry. Don't. Dry skin is irritated skin. Anytime you irritate your skin, you risk getting more acne.
Acne isn't caused by neglecting to wash your face. Other factors, like bacteria or changing hormones, cause this skin condition. Yet regular cleansing is a key step in your acne treatment routine.
Benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a high-grade defense against acne, and is often found in cleansers and creams for severely acne-prone individuals. (It's a topical cream that will be most effective for an overnight miracle.) Benzoyl kills the bacteria inside pores, in addition to drying out the oil excess.
The zit and the skin surrounding it becomes red, flaky, itchy and inflamed. Often it looks worse than if you had done nothing at all. The best way to treat a pimple that has become dried out and red is by gently dabbing on a fragrance-free moisturizer that contains a humectant, such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin.
Tracy Evans, a board-certified dermatologist and medical director of Pacific Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology, recommended “cleansing your skin with a wash that contains salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acid at least a couple of times a week and moisturizing with an oil-free moisturizer that's gentle on the skin.” Weiss ...
Stress pimples will usually pop up in the oiliest areas of the face, like the forehead, nose and chin. Your T-zone might look greasier and more congested too. Doctors say that if you're getting clusters of pimples all at once, stress can be a factor—hormonal pimples happen one at a time.
Kappel recommends looking for a hydrating cleanser with a pH of 5.5 or below to avoid stripping your skin.) While some may experience hydrated, less irritated skin after skipping a morning cleanse, others could experience clogged pores and breakouts.
Type of lesion: Bacterial acne is more likely to present as inflamed pimples, pustules, and cysts that are frequently red and tender to the touch, whereas hormonal acne is more likely to manifest as deep, painful cysts.
Secondly, dehydrated skin contributes to the vast majority of skin problems and is a major trigger of acne and the major cause of congestion and blackheads so it's incredibly important to master for balanced, healthy skin.
Signs You May be Over-Moisturizing Your Skin
Over-moisturizing causes a thin layer of oil and bacteria to build up on the surface of the skin, causing clogged pores. Clogged pores are the main cause of acne, whiteheads, and blackheads.
"A blind pimple is an inflamed cyst that forms deep beneath the skin, never making an appearance on the surface of the skin like a blackhead or a whitehead (hence the name)," explains board-certified dermatologist Corey L.
Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch. In many cases, the skin around the pustules is red or inflamed.