"The most common way to address these issues is to use benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, tree oil or salicylic acid products before you go to bed," says Dr. Patel. Benzoyl peroxide is a bleaching agent that kills microbes and dries up oil in the follicle.
What should you do? The rumor mill might have you believing that dabbing some regular old toothpaste on your zit will help it clear up overnight. But, while it's true that several ingredients found in toothpaste are drying to skin and might help shrink your pimple, this home remedy for breakouts isn't worth the risk.
Benefits. While ice alone may not cure a pimple, it can decrease swelling and redness, making the pimple less noticeable. Ice also has a numbing effect, which can offer temporary pain relief for severely inflamed pimples.
Icing constricts the blood vessels is your face, which can lessen the appearance of pores and wrinkles and make you look lighter, brighter and more radiant overall.
"There are many benefits to applying ice water to the skin such as decreasing inflammation and reducing puffiness, also improving the appearance of the skin tone, minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores and improving superficial wrinkles."
Soak a clean washcloth in water that is hot, but not too hot to touch. Apply the warm compress. Hold the warm compress on the blind pimple for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat the application three to four times a day until the blind pimple comes to a head and releases the pus.
Before you apply toothpaste onto a pimple, you should wash your face with a gentle cleanser and warm water, then pat your skin dry. Then, apply a very small amount of toothpaste directly onto the pimple. Leave the toothpaste in place for at least 2 hours, or let the toothpaste stay on overnight for extra drying.
'While toothpaste might dry out your pimple overnight, it is not a safe long-term fix for your skin,' notes Dr Ward.
Some people leave the toothpaste on overnight, but if you have sensitive skin this prolonged exposure could cause irritation. Be conservative in order to minimise the risks of damaging your skin. When you wash it off, use warm water and a gentle circular motion.
Whiteheads
In white heads, the white seed blocks the top of the pimple and hence, they are also known as closed comedones. As they are sealed off from the rest of the skin, whiteheads are tougher to treat than other forms of acne.
If you're bleeding, she says to “gently blot the area with a clean tissue or cotton pad and clean the area with alcohol.” Once the blood has stopped, she advises applying a spot treatment containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as mentioned above.
Bacteria make the pore swell up and turn red. Pus, a thick, white substance made up of bacteria and white blood cells, sometimes fills the pimple.
Lukewarm water is advisable to wash your face with, but cold water has its benefits, too. Cold water tightens the appearance of your skin, so it may make you look renewed and refreshed. It also helps boost your circulation, which can help give your skin a healthier appearance, albeit temporarily.
Don't apply ice on your skin more than once a day. If you have sensitive skin, don't apply ice cubes directly to your face. A towel or a cold compress works better. Do not leave an ice pack or cube on a particular area of your face for more than a minute.
It can cause itching and redness on the skin. Don't use it directly on the skin, as its regular use can give frost bites, resulting in dead cells of the skin. It can cause herpes rashes on the face and lips. “Be careful with ice rubbing.
Rubbing ice cubes on your lips will make the blood vessels compressed and hence the lips will look red and plump. What you need to do is massage the ice cube on your lips for 2 minutes, not all the time during that time interval, but on and off continuously for 2 minutes and you will get instant results.
If you wear a lot of makeup every day, ice your skin in the morning before applying the makeup. If you are icing areas affected with problems like pimples or inflammation, try icing alternate nights before going to bed. Icing for such problems at night helps the skin to heal and regenerate.
Ice can soothe and soften your skin, and it has the same effect on chapped lips. It can control the inflammation and pain associated with chapped lips. Icing your lip, along with consuming adequate water, keeps your skin moisturized and soft.