Some physicians recommend patients use moisturizers as adjunctive treatment of acne, especially when either topical benzoyl peroxide or a retinoid is prescribed. Furthermore, some evidence shows that moisturizers can contribute independently to improve signs and symptoms of acne.
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.
Key takeaways: Using a moisturizer is an important part of your skin care routine, even if you have oily or acne-prone skin. Many acne medications dry out and irritate the skin, and using a moisturizer can reduce these side effects.
Gently cleanse the area with a mild cleanser and pat it dry with a clean towel. Applying an occlusive moisturizer or hydrocolloid over the clean blemish will ensure it stays sterile and contribute to faster healing.
Too much washing and scrubbing also can irritate the skin. Try over-the-counter acne products to dry excess oil and promote peeling. Look for products containing benzoyl peroxide and adapalene as the active ingredients. You might also try products containing salicylic acid, glycolic acid or alpha hydroxy acids.
You also want to avoid using astringents, rubbing alcohol, and anything else that can dry out your skin. Scrub your skin clean. To get rid of acne, you may be tempted to scrub your skin clean. Don't.
A small amount of moisturizer on the affected area, such as the temple, can help to soothe the skin and speed up the healing process.
Your body can gradually break down pus and reabsorb its components. That's why small accumulations of pus (like in a pimple) often don't need treatment.
While many moisturizers can help your acne, there are also ingredients in some moisturizers that can be detrimental to your acne-prone skin, including: Heavy oils, waxes, and petrolatum. These ingredients can be too heavy and plug your pores. Fragrance and perfume.
If you have a pimple, using benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or a pimple patch can help it go away faster. Your dermatologist can give you a cortisone injection to make a deep, painful, inflamed pimple heal quickly. Avoid picking or trying to pop your pimple — this can lead to more inflammation, redness, and scarring.
Additionally, some people believe that skipping moisturizer altogether will help clear acne, but this can actually lead to dryness and irritation, which may worsen breakouts.
Stress acne typically presents as an array of small, red or pink pimples that can be scattered across various areas of the face. These facial acne pimples often take the form of whiteheads or blackheads and can progress into pustules, which are red, pus-filled bumps, or papules, which are small, raised bumps.
If you don't naturally have acne-prone skin, these pimples will spontaneously disappear after a few weeks or months. As with the duration of your nicotine withdrawal, the time it takes for this symptom to appear varies depending on your consumption, years of smoking, and your age.
It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which might cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing also can lead to scabs and might leave you with permanent pits or scars.
Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Home remedies and over-the-counter creams may help treat pustules. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch.
Avoid picking or squeezing the popped breakout to let your skin heal naturally. If you notice any signs of potential infection like redness, increased pain, pus, or inflammation surrounding the blemish, contact a healthcare professional immediately.
Drying out your pimples can actually be a safer zit-busting strategy than popping them, as doing so with the help of anti-acne ingredients can help rid the pores of excess sebum and oil, which can trigger new breakouts.
The final stages of a pimple
While it can seem like forever, most pimples start to heal and shrink within a week. Sometimes, healing pimples cause skin issues like itching, peeling or flaking — all natural symptoms of the surrounding skin repairing itself.
Never pop your pimples. Staying away from skin products: Avoid applying makeup or lotion on the infected pimple while it's healing.
People cannot remove pimples overnight, but home care can lessen swelling and may improve the appearance of pimples. Keeping the area clean, using ice, and hot compresses can help. For persistent or recurring pimples, people may wish to try acne treatments.
Additionally, dermatologists often prescribe topical retinoids, such as tretinoin or adapalene, to stimulate skin cell turnover, unclog pores, and mitigate acne formation. Oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline or minocycline, may also be recommended for inflammatory acne to target bacterial overgrowth and inflammation.