CosBeauty Magazine #76

Skin
6.
Pimples
You have a big event coming up
and a massive pimple has decided
to be your plus one. So not cool.
However, thanks to the beauty gods
there are a some excellent blemishspecific
products out there to help
us mere mortals tackle those tricky
pimple problems.
Out, damned
spot!
Acne-fighting salicylic acid-based
products pack a real punch when it
comes to pimple-zapping goodness.
Bacteria-fighting benzoyl peroxide is
another hero ingredient to look out
for in a good spot treatment.
Apply during the day to help clear
up your skin and keep it that way.
At night, dry that bad boy out
and apply a sulfur-containing spot
treatment, which will dry out the
offending spot.
In the words of “Dr Pimple
Popper” (aka dermatologist and
Instagram sensation Dr Sandra Lee),
know when you pop and know
when you stop. With more than
two million followers on Instagram,
Dr Pimple Popper is the woman
behind those gross but fascinating
pimple-popping videos.
Dr Lee recommends not popping
your pimples in order to prevent
redness and scarring, but since
we all know we’re going to do it
anyway, she says that if you have to
pop, use a tool or a sterilised pen.
She uses a comedone extractor,
a stainless steel tool to remove
blackheads and reduce swollen
blemishes with less trauma (not to
mention by germy fingers).
Once you’ve popped your pimple,
it is essential to keep the area clean.
“I usually try to dry it up a little bit
with a topical acne spot treatment
with a little benzoyl peroxide or an
antibiotic in it,” says Dr Lee. “You
want something that’s antibacterial
and anti-inflammatory, so it helps to
decrease redness.”
And then you leave it alone! The
less you touch it, the more it will calm
down and be less likely to spread to
other areas of the face.
42 www.cosbeauty.com.au