For many of us, acne is a part of life. Blemishes, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, acne, breakouts… Whatever you choose to call them, they’re a skincare issue that we all want to avoid. And acne isn’t just for teens; adult breakouts commonly occur thanks to hormonal changes, medication, diet, stress, and even genetics. Many articles talk about ways to fight acne and ensures it stays away, but that’s not always an option. Instead, let’s look at ways to heal acne when it arrives, for less scarring and a more blemish-free future.

DO ice that pimple

One of the most effective ways to get rid of acne fast is also the cheapest. If you’re dealing with a swollen spot on your face that’s causing pain, reach straight for the ice. Grab an ice pack, or a single cube if your fingers can take it, and apply it directly onto your pimple. Hold it this way for as long as you can stand, 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. Repeat throughout the day to relieve pain and temporarily reduce swelling.

DON’T touch a thing

It’s tempting, but picking and prodding a breakout tends to cause more harm than good. It can cause trauma to your skin, which in turn leads to inflammation, infection, and potentially a scar. Not only will it not get rid of spots fast, but it will also take them twice as long to disappear. What is okay? Drawing out a big pimple once the whitehead is poking through your skin. Use a very clean washcloth with hot — but not scalding — water to excavate the pus before applying your spot treatment of choice.

DO keep up hydration levels

This one is a bit harder for oily and acne-prone skin types to wrap their heads around, but hydration is a major factor when it comes to reducing and healing most breakouts. Your skin is constantly undergoing an osmosis process, with nutrients entering in, and ideally, toxins exiting out. Your skin’s cells need to be hydrated for metabolism to occur and if your cell walls are dry or dehydrated, there’s no process for elements to exit or enter that cell membrane and do their job. 

We’re not recommending you reach for the richest cream you can find, but rather a moisturising solution specially created with your skin type in mind. A great pick is Trilogy’s Mattifying Moisturising Lotion, which is a light, hydrating lotion that helps reduce shine and balances combination skin types. Certified natural and vegan-friendly, the clever formula balances water and oil to mattify the skin. 

DO try LED light therapy

Gentle and painless with zero downtime, light therapy has been used by beauty experts for years to treat everything from breakouts to rosacea and collagen breakdown. Most in-salon LED devices work with a sort of traffic light system depending on your particular skin goal: different colours elicit various benefits and can be combined for extra skincare clout. Regular LED light therapy can boost collagen, reduce acne bacteria and even prevent pigmentation before it happens. 

Blue LED light is ideal for acne and has been scientifically proven to kill the bacteria on the surface of the skin that’s most commonly responsible for breakouts. Once your skin starts to heal, speed up the process with Red LED light. Red light energy stimulates the mitochondria (the power generators) in cells so that they function optimally, boosting the production of collagen and elastin. Red light is also considered anti-inflammatory and it’s for this reason that many skincare experts and dermatologists follow up a more intensive treatment with a red light treatment to calm redness.

DO apply clean makeup

If your skin is healing from a breakout, always opt for makeup that won’t clog your pores. People who suffer from acne should avoid makeup that contains mineral oil or lanolin, as these ingredients are comedogenic. This means they have a high likelihood of clogging pores and triggering acne, which is a bit like taking one step forward and five back.

Our brand of choice with all of the above in mind is New Zealand’s own Aleph Beauty. Precisely created from powerful active, natural ingredients, Aleph products work in harmony with your skin at the cellular level. Plus, they look and feel amazing, which is often a rarity in the all-natural colour category. Aleph products have been formulated to protect against environmental toxins, regenerate cellular energy and work to increase collagen production, and are as skin-loving as it gets.

DON’T opt for a stronger cleanser

Swapping your usual face wash for something harsher when you have a breakout seems like an obvious fix. Not quite. Your cleanser needs to be gentle so topical products can penetrate your skin. It’s best to stick to your regular skincare routine with a hydrating cleanser like Aeos Gentle Cleansing Lotion Pink, which is light and non-greasy yet deeply cleansing.

Trilogy’s certified natural Balancing Gel Cleanser is another great option for all-round use, and comes in the form of a refreshing, clarifying soap-free face wash for oily and combination skins. Formulated with purifying witch hazel and willow bark extracts for gentle, effective botanical cleansing and pure plant oils to tone and hydrate, it is especially recommended for those with break out concerns.