How to make your pimples go away overnight

We’ve all been there: You wake up one morning and all of a sudden, out of the blue, a big zit has taken up residence on your forehead. Or maybe a pesky pimple pops up right before an important first date, a party—maybe even prom. Because pimples, annoying as they are, wait for nobody.

Whatever the situation, it’s time to act fast. But before you go searching for DIY pimple-shrinking hacks online, back up—because we’ve got you covered. While natural alternatives like good-ol’ toothpaste have a time and a place, sometimes you need something stronger. Enter: Clear Start. Here, we’re walking you through exactly what to do to get rid of a pimple ASAP, whether you’ve got days or merely hours to spare. Whether a zit pops up on your nose, cheeks, chin or forehead, follow this step-by-step guide and never let a pimple get in the way of your schedule ever again.

In a pinch to downplay a zit right before school or an event? Start here:

1: put it on ice

Yes, you read that right. Since time is of the essence here, the very first thing you should to is head straight to your freezer. Grab an ice pack, or a single ice cube if your fingers can bare it, and apply it directly onto your pimple. Hold it this way for as long as you can stand it, then take a break for a few seconds, and repeat at least twice more. The freezing cold temperature will immediately help to calm the inflamed skin surrounding the pimple, thereby soothing any splotchy redness. Just like ice helps reduce swelling when you sprain your ankle, it will also work similarly to shrink the swelling and size of a pimple. 

2: color correct 

Here’s a tip: When a pimple pops up right before you’ve got to head out the door, don’t apply any spot treatment underneath your makeup. Spot treatments, while they do work to shrink and heal pimples, also cause drying of the skin—AKA, your pimple will be a flaky, concealed mess in no time. Instead, forgo spot treatment until you have ample time (as below). Instead, reach for a color correcting concealer or primer; Green typically works best to camouflage red, inflamed blemishes.

3: conceal

After you’ve color-corrected, it’s time to apply your regular concealer, as usual. Bonus step: Spritz on a setting spray to ensure that your blemish-camouflaging makeup stays put.

If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands to tackle a zit before a big event, or maybe school the following day, follow these steps.

1: cleanse the area

Before you apply a leave-on pimple-fighting potion, you’ll want to make sure the area is completely clean. Reach for your face wash (may we suggest the Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash), and suds up using lukewarm water. After toweling off, move to the next, and perhaps most important, step. 

2: apply a targeted leave-on treatment

If you’re following these steps overnight, lucky you! If you’re trying to tame your pimple last-minute, even on your way out the door, don’t panic. The key is to look for a targeted spot-treatment that is both powerful and can be worn underneath your moisturizer. In other words, you don’t want to be walking around with a noticeable glob of pimple cream on your face all day, do you? Didn’t think so. You also don’t want to use a spot treatment that will have your skin flaking off by lunchtime.

We’ve all heard the rumor that applying toothpaste can get rid of a pimple fast, but for those who need something more acute, there’s Clear Start. In other words, if you’re in a bind and toothpaste is the only thing you have on hand, apply a small dollop onto the blemish and let it dry overnight. But with toothpaste, there’s no real guarantee—which is why, before school or a first date, you’ll want to use something stronger that’s specifically formulated to tackle pimples fast. 

Your best bet is to reach for a salicylic acid-based treatment that’s also moisturizing, so as to stop your pimple in its tracks without leaving any residue, or flaking skin, behind. Try Clear Start’s Breakout Clearing Booster, which is formulated with salicylic acid plus soothing niacinamide. Apply the booster directly onto your blemish, then let it dry before layering your moisturizer on top. 

So it's the night before a big event, and look who's decide to show up uninvited and crash the party: a big ol' red pimple. We've all be there before, right? I'll never know why my good skin days never seem to align with major events in my life, but what I do know, having gone through it, is how to get rid of a pimple in an hour (or, fine, as quickly as possible). And because I've spent more than enough of my life Googling all the possible ways to get rid of acne, I'll now be sharing those tips, below, so you can stress less and focus on your upcoming event.

And though, sure, there's no magical way to zap a pimple off of your face in under a minute (dreams), there are products and tricks that help fight inflammation and speed up the healing process to make your zit much less noticeable. So stop stressing (cortisol will just make matters worse), and follow these dermatologist-approved tips for how to get rid of red pimples and swollen zits fast.

Meet the experts

See? we really did speak to all of the experts to find out every single trick, hack, and product that'll help you get rid of a pimple as fast as possible. And to save you from trying some of the more-risky DIY advice you'll find on the interwebs, let's start with a question you've probably already Googled today:

Can toothpaste get rid of pimples?

No, toothpaste cannot get rid of your pimples, and shouldn't be your first (or even fifth) defense against breakouts. While yes, toothpaste contains skin-drying ingredients like alcohol, it's not a great option for quickly getting rid of a pimple—or for helping your skin at all.

As dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, has previously told Cosmo, “toothpaste can be an extreme irritant. Most formulas are filled with ingredients like alcohol, menthol, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide—all things that, yes, can maybe dry out a zit, but at the risk of hardcore irritating your skin barrier at the same time.” And, FYI, a compromised skin barrier is already a major factor in breakouts.

Why? Because when you dry out your skin, it'll try to overcorrect the problem and produce extra oil, which can lead to clogged pores, blackheads, and more. So what do you do when you wake up to a big, angry pimple and need to get rid of it fast? You skip the toothpaste tube and try the following dermatologist-approved remedies instead.

How do you get rid of a pimple in an hour?

If a small, red pimple (aka a papule) has just popped up before a big event and you need it gone in an hour...or, fine, right TF now, your best bet is to help minimize some of the swelling with some ice. Wrap the ice cube in a towel and hold it to the pimple for a few minutes, removing for 15-second breaks to “help bring down inflammation and reduce its size,” says board-certified dermatologist Neal Schultz, MD.

How do you make a pimple less noticeable?

Heavy foundation and cakey concealer can draw attention to your zits, as you’ve probably already figured out. Not only that, but Dr. Mehr also stresses the importance of using a water-based foundation (also water-based moisturizer and sunscreen, for that matter) rather than a silicone- or oil-based foundation that are more likely to clog the pores.

Cover the bump with your lightweight acne-clearing foundation or soothing BB cream and let the concealer do the work. Pinpoint the area with a tiny makeup brush or clean lip brush, dab concealer in the center of the pimple, let it sit for a full 5 to 10 minutes (seriously, don’t touch it while it dries), then gently blend and tap the edges to melt the concealer into your skin without wiping it all away.

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How To Cover Up Spots Without Covering Your Face & Some Self Love | Linda Hallberg Tutorials

How do you make a pimple less swollen?

According to Dr. Schultz, gently holding a warm washcloth on top of the zit every hour for three minutes at a time can bring blood to the area and help the bump come to a head. “Warm compresses can reduce swelling and bring bacteria to the surface of the skin,” says Dr. Schultz. After each compress, treat the zit with a dab of salicylic acid, which helps break down the oil and dead skin cells that cause clogged pores. Follow it with a dab of 1 percent hydrocortisone cream (not ointment, which can also clog pores) to target inflammation.

Need that zit gone in under 24-72 hours? See a dermatologist for a cortisone shot, which involves injecting a dose of the anti-inflammatory steroid into your zit, says board-certified dermatologist Eric Schweiger, MD. If you have a blind pimple below the surface or are dealing with cystic acne, a cortisone injection will be your best option. Usually, insurance covers cortisone injections, but if not, you’re looking at about $100 for the shot.

How do you reduce the redness of a pimple?

If you're in a serious pinch and need to make a pimple less red, break out the Visine. Yep, the same way eye drops help take the redness out of your eyes, they also help take the redness out of pimples by constricting the blood vessels on the surface of your skin. Squeeze the drops onto a cotton round, then gently press it over your pimple. To further cancel out the redness of a pimple, color-correct the area with a thin layer of green concealer before applying your foundation.

The 4-step guide to reducing your zit's redness

Make Up For Ever Watertone Skin-Perfecting Tint Foundation

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Acne Spot Treatment

But if you actually want to treat the pimple to get rid of it for real, you'll want to use products actually designed to shrink a pimple, so keep reading.

How do you make a pimple smaller overnight?

Good news! Skin is especially receptive to active ingredients at night “because this is when the skin repairs itself,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon. Although it might not be possible to totally get rid of a pimple overnight, take advantage of this time by treating your pimple while you sleep.

Dr. Mehr says the reason why the pimple is red is because there's bacteria in there, and the reason it's big is because it has no exit. Products that'll address both those things are good places to start:

How do you get clear skin?

A week may be enough time to eradicate a single breakout if you use a multilayered system. Buuuut if you know there’s no way you’re sticking to an extensive routine on your own, try a streamlined acne routine instead (my faves: Curology and Renée Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Kit) and stay consistent with it. A few products, all in one place, are manageable for most people, and consistently applying something is half the battle, says Rebecca Kazin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist.

Still, if you’re dealing with more, um, persistent acne that refuses to GTFO, don’t try to treat it on your own. Just make a dermatologist appointment and get legit help from someone who devotes their entire freakin’ life to helping people get clear skin. K? K.

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