Skincare 112: Get rid of pimples – Home Remedies

What’s worst than this gigantic yellow zit on any part of your face?

A gigantic “unripe” red mountain that REFUSES to fester or go away. (Yes, I deliberately put that picture up there to turn you off and make you wanna pop that pimple!)

I’m sure most of you reading cannot resist murdering unwanted spots, especially if you have a hot date/important meeting/photograph session. I know I do. And I even have different barbaric methods for destroying different stages of pimples. That being said, it’s a really bad idea to squeeze zits. (I’m muttering what I’m typing under my breath and the BF misheard me and said, “It’s a really bad idea to squeeze tits? OH NO IT’S NOT”.

I digressed. (But I mutter cos I write out my blog posts on paper then type it in. So I was reading it to myself.)

Okay, okay. Back to the real topic. It’s bad to pop your pimples because #1 germs, #2 inflammation. You have no idea how much bacteria you are inviting into your skin to when you forcibly bust it open. Plus, if you really do manage to break the skin, the pus is going to come into contact with the surrounding area and potentially grow you a new pimple forest. So you’re either going to get a new zits family or will have to deal with scabs for the next week or so when your hands get itchy. Don’t forget about scarring, pigmentation and enlarged pores too. Those could potentially happen and are kinda permanent.

I’m gonna be honest (and gross here) and tell you how I deal with my different… categories of pimples the right and wrong ways. Do not ingest anything from here on, and don’t blame me if you puke. Squeamish people to the left please. You’ve been warned.

You know the ones that ache way before they appear? They’re called pustules. If you’re lucky, nothing more than a little swelling happens. More often than not, you get a glorious Mt. Everest that has no head. You try to wait it out, to see if the tip of your ouch-berg will turn white/yellow and get your revenge on it. Chances are, you’ll lose the battle and start poking and pressing at it with your grimy fingers and become the new traffic light on the block. These bastards natural habitats seem to be on the nose.

I deal with them in many different ways. Usually desperately and one after another. You’ll be surprised at some of the tricks I have in store. I’ll start with the cheap home remedies for today.

(1) My trusted SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Yes yes.. I overuse this. But all I have to do is soak a cotton pad with this miracle water and slap it onto the affected area. The swelling is usually reduced or gone by the next day.

(2) Toothpaste
This works by drying out your pimple so it can go both ways. It’s supposed to bring down the swell but it also can bring your zit to a boil. Apply a thin layer to the affected area and wash off after 30 mins. Why did I bold those words? If you go too heavy on application and leave the toothpaste on for too long, you will definitely end up burning your skin and have an unsightly brown patch. This is the important part 2 of using toothpaste as a spot remover that most websites leave out. I find that white paste (NOT GEL) works the best. I’m partial to Sensodyne.

(3) Garlic
Other than keeping vampires away, garlic is an extremely effective product that contains antibiotic properties that are proven safe and effective in treating pimples as well as acne.

2 ways to go about this – get a clove of garlic, skin it and cut in half and slide it over your acne zones or mash it up and apply to your pimple. Leave both on for 10 – 15 minutes. WASH THOROUGHLY. Avoid any areas with open wounds cos it’s gonna hurt like a mother. If you, like me, like vampires… I suggest you stop praying to meet Lestat for a little while (or Edward, if you’re in that age range). Recommended treatment for days when you know you’re staying in cos the stink will be around for a couple of hours.

(4) Extractor

Now we’re in forbidden land. It’s called an extractor but I really only use the pointy end for pulsatingly ripe pimples. The looped bit is great for hard-to-get black heads though. In Singapore, this is available at most Guardian, Watson or SaSa stores for under SGD$10.00.

First, I steam my face to open up my pores. The towel over your head and a steaming bowl of hot water does fine. Then I dip my pimple killer into witch hazel (an astringent to help with inflammation) and gently pierce it’s head, then apply the slightest pressure 2mm away from the circumference to squeeze the impurities out. If your force is too near your pimple, you might push all the bacteria deeper into your skin. STOP IF YOU SEE BLOOD. Generally, I call it a job well done when the hard white bit comes out.

(5) Milia Seeds
I don’t have enough bandwidth to describe how much I hate these tiny little fuckers. I’m really really not going to take responsibility for anything that happens to you if you try my ways but here goes. Oh, and here’s a picture incase you don’t know what it is:

Pile on the toothpaste and let the seed burn. What happens when skin burns? You start growing scabs. Pick your self inflicted scab off after about 4 days and pray that the seed is stuck to the underside of it. Works 90% of the time for me. Alternatively, you can use the sharp end of the extractor to wound the milia seed or scratch at it with your nail to create the same surface abrasion that will result in a scab. Remember to use clean tools/nails though. I have spent quite a number of Friday nights mutilating spots on my face so that I’m ready to look presentable on Mondays.

With all of the above methods, exercise a little common sense and caution if any of your spots are near your eye area. If garlic in the eye sounds bad, just wait till you accidentally poke your eyeball.

For some strange reason, I’m now raring to write a post on the different types of pimples and how to destroy them, for some strange reason. My common sense is telling me no, but the sick and sadistic side of me is waving neon green flags. I’m going to sleep on this idea for a new blogpost – weigh the pros and cons and disgustingness of it all.

I am still going to write part 2 of how to get rid of pimples using store bought products. I’m just not too sure if a guide to pimples will come before that!

Read more of the Skincare 101 Series: