Speed Dial: Pimple Emergency Preparedness

everything you need in your zit-fighting toolkit

I don’t get a ton of breakouts but when I do, I never seem to have what I need to treat them. What would you suggest keeping on hand for pimples – a pimple emergency preparedness kit, if you will? 

Oh my god, will I ever!!!! What a great and fun question. 

First and foremost, you want to shift your mindset to one of barrier repair, support and healing versus attacking your pimple with every harsh, active product you have. The key to healthy, resilient skin – all skin, not just acne-prone – is a strong, supported skin barrier. At its core, remember that your skin is a barrier, designed to protect and prevent. When that barrier is compromised, outside pollutants, irritants, environmental stressors and more can enter, while moisture and water content is unable to be retained and your skin cannot heal itself. This leads to red, itchy, flaky, rough skin and contributes to inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne and eczema. So while you will likely be using active ingredients to combat this new pimple, it is crucial to take a more holistic approach and set your skin up for success by supplementing with hydrating, soothing, moisturizing and reparative products. Otherwise, the cycle will never end.

Counterintuitively, the main thing you want to do when you have a pimple is nothing, so you’re already off to a good start! With the exception of washing your face or applying products, you pretty much want to leave your pimple alone. The only things that can come from picking, poking and squeezing are scars, hyperpigmentation and even more pimples. 

But for the times that you do need to do something, here’s what to have on hand: