8 Easy Tricks to Get Rid of Pesky Pimples

They’re frighteningly big, maddeningly persistent, and they always find those most conspicuous areas on your nose, forehead, and chin. Pimples wreak havoc on facial tissue and our psyche. Although there are tons of strong, chemical filled solutions, these can also severely dry the face and introduce new harmful ingredients to your complexion.

Rest easy and start taming those pesky pimples with these cheap, easy, and all-natural solutions.

1. Quick Chill

It’s great in your lemonade and it’s great for your face. Ice can be a quick and easy remedy if you’re looking to reduce redness and inflammation of swollen pimples. The quick change of temperature helps to get blood moving and the coldness tightens the skin’s pores. It won’t do much to prevent future break outs, but if you need to deescalate a troublesome flareup, take a trip to your refrigerator.

How To: The trick with this remedy is not to give your inflammation too much of a shock. Grab a cold pack or simply throw a few ice cubes into a sandwich bag and cover with a light cloth. Hold this cold pack to your pimple for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat as needed.

2. Citrus Soak

Store bought, chemical treatments may have the power to wipe the paint off your walls, but lemon juice packs just a perfect punch for your pimples: powerful yet not industrial-grade. The vitamin C in lemon juice helps pimples dry up quickly, easily, and for a lot less money than what pharmaceuticals will charge you too.

How To: Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice. Use a clean cotton ball to distribute a dab of lemon juice on your face. Do this treatment at night before you hit the sack. Another option is to mix a little lemon juice with the power of cinnamon. A pinch of cinnamon powder makes for a more powerful solution, but this should be avoided if you have sensitive skin.

3. Tea Tree Treat

Tea tree oil is an effective and handy ingredient to have around the house. You can use it to treat a number of skin problems including acne and troublesome pimples. It’s an antibacterial which will promote skin health as well as soothe redness and inflammation.

How To: With a clean cotton ball, smear a tiny amount of tea tree essential oil on the infected area. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes, then do a thorough face wash and rinse. Tea tree oil is another powerful and effective remedy that you’ll want to be careful with if you have sensitive skin. Remember that a little goes a long way and make sure to start with a small amount to avoid adverse effects such as dry skin.

4. Toothpaste Dab

 

Get your pearly whites to shine and your atrocious, red zits to disappear with a quick and easy toothpaste hack. Toothpaste has a bevy of ingredients that will dry out inflamed problem areas. Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, menthol, alcohol, and other ingredients are active and effective for a quick pimple treatment. Since you can apply the paste to a pretty exact (and confined) area, this trick can be useful as an occasional hack to get a pimple to die down.

How To: Use as an overnight treatment on very specific areas of your skin. If a pimple needs to be dried out, use it directly on the problem area. Wash the paste off your face in the morning.

5. Baking Soda Mask

If you’d rather skip the potentially harsh alcohol and hydrogen peroxide in toothpaste, baking soda is an effective and gentle option. By exfoliating the skin, baking soda can help to prevent future pimples by removing excess oils, dead skin cells, and other problematic porecloggers. It is also a great topical solution for lingering pimples.

How To: Mix a teaspoon of baking soda and water or lemon juice. Add just enough liquid for the mixture to become thick and pasty. Give your face a wash and dab gently with a towel, not quite drying the face, but leaving some moisture. Rub the paste onto trouble spots and allow the mask to dry. Leave for only a 2 to 3 minutes and remember that baking soda can cause dryness, so don’t apply more than once a day. After these few minutes, wash your face with warm water, removing the mask completely.

6. Honey Solution

It’s delicious, it’s natural, and it will bust your pimples. Honey contains antibiotic which helps maintain skin health as well as bolsters the healing of infected pimples. And you probably have it in your kitchen right now. Sit back, try this how-to, and make your self some tea with honey while you let this mask do some magic.

How To: Simply take a clean cotton ball and dab a little honey onto the problem area or spread the goodness all around your face. Let it sit and after about half an hour, wash your face with lukewarm water. Since this is a gentle solution, go ahead and try up to twice a day or as needed.

*Pro Tip: Like the lemon juice remedy, you can add a pinch of cinnamon to some honey to give an added kick to your problem spots.

7. Soothing Cucumber

Cucumber is a great, cool treat for summer days as well as a quick buster for tricky pimples. Chockfull of water, potassium, and vitamen A, C, and E, cucumbers are nature’s remedy for overall health and skincare.

How To: Simply add a few cucumbers into your diet. Chop them up and put them in a salad, soak them in water for a refreshing drink, or go ahead and make a soothing cucumber mask with ground cucumber. Just add a little ground cucumber goodness to your face and let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

8. Banana Peel Heal

A handy and practical trick, banana peels can be put to use to treat your worst pimple nightmares. Rich in powerful antioxidants, banana peels reduce inflammation, busts swelling, and promotes overall skin health. After this short and simple treatment, pimples will be less red and less painful.

How To: Eat a banana. Then, take the peel and gently rub it on pimples and problem areas in a circular motion. Let everything sit for at least 30 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.