How To Get Rid Of a Zit Fast

So, you urgently need to get rid of a zit! And the good news is that you can actually get rid of acne or pimple overnight. Whether you have an important meeting tomorrow or you just don’t like to step out with a pimple on your face, you can get rid of these outbreaks overnight! It is possible in two ways. One, you can use over-the-counter acne removal products and two; you can go for certain home remedies for pimples that miraculously work fast. They are almost as effective as some commercially available acne products. So, first let’s know what you can get from that medical shop in your neighborhood that will help you get rid of a zit overnight!

How to get rid of a zit fast with over-the-counter-products?

Over-the-counter products are the first things that come to anyone’s mind when it’s about combating a zit. There are, however, innumerable products in that drugstore claiming to be the best for acne remedy. Which one to choose is, therefore, the most difficult question to answer. No worries, here we list such ingredients that can help you get rid of a zit almost overnight!

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is an organic compound which is safe to be used on your skin. It is, therefore, not like the other oxygenating compounds that might damage your already broken skin. Benzoyl peroxide is an antiseptic agent. When you apply it to your acne ridden skin, it induces oxygen into your pores. This kills the P. acnes or the bacteria behind your breakouts. These bacteria cannot survive in an oxygen rich environment. Not only does benzoyl peroxide kills the acne causing bacteria but it also effectively acts as an exfoliating agent by sloughing away the dead skin cells and increasing the skin turnover.

What to do?

• Get a spot treatment having benzoyl peroxide as its main ingredient.
• Apply it on your acne and pimples as well as small cysts, once or twice daily.
• Soon, you’ll see your zits disappear

While benzoyl peroxide is good for acne, pimples and small cysts, it might not be effective for cystic acne and other severe cases of acne.

Precaution: Don’t go out in sun after applying benzoyl peroxide to your skin. Some of you might develop allergy after using it, especially those having sensitive skin. If so, immediately wash it away and stop using it. See your dermatologist if required.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA). It naturally occurs in willow tree bark but now it is artificially made and is one of the most used ingredients in anti-acne products. It gives faster results and as such is apt for those situations when you want to get rid of a zit fast. Salicylic acid helps slough away dead skin cells. Because it is an oil soluble acid, it penetrates deep into the pores and open up these clogged pores to help you clear acne and pimples.

What to do?

• Get a spot treatment containing salicylic acid as its primary ingredient.
• There’s a stage when you feel that now a pimple is going to breakout. Apply this spot treatment with salicylic acid to your skin as soon as you have such a feeling.
• This will prevent acne breakout and you will actually get rid of a zit even before it shows up on your skin.

Salicylic acid is not only a good treatment for pimples and large pores but also for blackheads and whiteheads. If you have a sensitive skin, this acid is good for you as it is less irritating than other acids used to treat acne such as glycolic acid. If, however, you don’t like the term man-made acid, you can look for a product that contains willow bark extracts. This will work in the similar manner as man-made salicylic acid. The only advantage is that it is a natural product.

Sulfur

Sulfur is a chemical that has been now used for ages to treat acne. Being a chemical, anyone may take it as man-made ingredient but sulfur occurs naturally near hot springs and volcanic areas. It is mined from its pure mineral form to be used in many products including those meant for acne treatment. It absorbs excessive oil which is the main cause of acne and pimples. It has anti-bacterial properties that help clean the pores deeply by removing the dirt trapped beneath them. Sulfur also has peeling effects that make it a good exfoliating agent. It also reduces redness associated with zits.

What to do?

• Get a product that claims to have sulfur as its main ingredient.
• Apply this to your zits once or twice a day till you get rid of the ugly zits.
• It is particularly effective for treating inflammatory lesions, red spots and clogged pores along with razor bumps and rosacea.

Precaution- If you have an extremely dry and sensitive skin, you might like to avoid products with sulfur or you may get a product that uses lesser amounts of sulfur. Sulfur, however, has less drying effects than benzoyl peroxide.

Topical Retinol

Topical retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. If you want to know how to get rid of zit scars then this is the answer- with topical retinol. Yes, topical retinol is not an effective treatment for acne or pimples but it can fade their scars and also prevent blemishes. You can easily find retinol listed on labels of anti-aging products. It rejuvenates your skin by promoting the production of collagen. It also exfoliates the dead skin cells to open up your clogged pores. It is a good remedy to prevent scars and blemishes as well as fine lines and wrinkles.

What to do?

• Get topical retinol product only if you want to get rid of zit scars and not actual zits. For them, there are many other effective products as discussed before mentioning topical retinol.
• Apply this to your zit scars once or twice a day.
• This might irritate your skin. So start with applying only a little amount and while applying work your way up.

Precaution- Don’t step out in sun and if so, use sunscreen.

Aspirin

This popular anti-inflammatory drug can remove your zits overnight. Just as salicylic acid, aspirin is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA). It works to reduce the swelling and redness to give you a zits-free skin.

What to do?

• Take 1-2 aspirin tablets
• Crush them to get powder
• Add a drop or two of water to this powder.
• Mix well to make a paste
• Apply this to your zits and go to sleep
• The drug will work overnight and you will not find any zit on your face in the morning.
• If, however, it doesn’t work so well for your skin (after all, skins react differently), it will at least make your zits almost invisible.

Toothpaste

From specialized to generalized, we are fast moving towards general products like toothpastes! But many people have had a miraculous experience with toothpaste as an emergency zit removal treatment. You may be lucky if your skin type accepts toothpaste as a zit zapper! If not so lucky, you might end up with an irritating skin. So, use toothpaste sparingly as a rapid treatment for zits. How does a toothpaste works to remove zits? It is due to the baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and triclosen components that are there in toothpaste. They dry out your pimples, sometimes as fast as overnight.

What to do?

• Use white colored toothpaste. Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and triclosen are all there in the white portion of your toothpaste even if it has two colors at a time.
• Wash your face
• Take a small amount of toothpaste onto your finger tip
• Apply this directly to your pimple.
• Leave the toothpaste there overnight
• Wash it off in the morning and pat dry
• Do this every night
• You will see the size of pimples reduce in as little as 2-3 days.
• Do not, however, use toothpaste on your skin continuously for more than 4 days. If needed, give a break for 2-3 days and start applying toothpaste on your zits again for next four days.

Precautions- Avoid toothpaste with fluoride as it causes allergies. Also avoid whitening toothpastes as they contain bleaching agents that might burn your skin. Gel toothpastes have altogether different composition and as such may not be effective in treating zits. Therefore, it is better to avoid using them for removing zits.

How to get rid of a zit fast with natural remedies?

That was all about over-the-counter products and how to use them to remove zits and zit scars. No doubt, some of them are derived from natural sources but then they cannot be called wholly natural due to the processing they go through while making them suitable to include in the final anti-acne products. If that bothers you, go for all natural ways to get rid of a zit. Many natural remedies can help you cure zits faster than you expect. Here are some such home remedies for zits that will work faster to give you clean and clear skin.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil, or the melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil, is an essential oil obtained from the tea tree, a native Australian plant. Those who frequently suffer from acne and pimples are not unaware of this naturally anti-septic and anti-bacterial oil. Its natural antiseptic properties destroy the bacteria that cause acne. It works almost like benzoyl peroxide but yes it is not as faster as benzoyl peroxide is. However, it is also not too slow and works well for mild to moderate acne. The most important thing is that it doesn’t lead to allergies on sensitive skin like benzoyl peroxide. Just dilute it a little before applying to your sensitive skin. You can check more remedies to remove acne with tea tree oil.

What to do?

• Get tea tree oil, preferably the one with 5% concentrations
• Dilute few drops of tea tree oil with some water.
• Apply this to your zits, 2-3 times a day

Precaution- Don’t use undiluted tea tree oil on skin. It can lead to burns on your skin.

Turmeric

Turmeric is again a very effective spice herb that reduces inflammation quickly. It is due to the component called curcumin present in turmeric. While natural turmeric is good for you, many a times you may get fooled by the fake products in the market. So, use pH testing stripes to check the level of acidity in your turmeric which should be below 3. If it is so, you can safely use turmeric to cure zits fast.

What to do?

• Take some turmeric powder and mix it either with water or with some yogurt to get a smooth paste like consistency.
• Before going to bed, apply this paste on your zits and leave it overnight.
• Turmeric stains everything that comes in its contact. So to be on a safer side, you can wait for 40-50 minutes and then wash it off with water before going to sleep.
• Apply this every night until your zits disappear.

Steam treatment

Steaming is one of the best ways to open your clogged skin pores. Pores that get plugged due to dirt, oil etc. give rise to acne and pimples. Steaming can effectively open up your pores so that the bacteria, dirt, and oils trapped inside the pores can be removed easily and your skin breathes properly.

What to do?

• Take hot water in a bowl
• Lean towards the hot water bowl and cover your head with a towel so that the steam doesn’t escape.
• Your face should be in such a position that the steam coming out of the bowl touches your face. But don’t take your face too close to the bowl otherwise you’ll burn yourself.
• Let yourself be in this position for few seconds or minutes, for whatever time you can stand the heat.
• Remove the face from over the bowl, take a break for few moments and repeat.
• Do this 3-4 times.
• Now pat dry your face and apply oil-free moisturizer.
• Do this daily until your zits disappear.

Garlic

Remember sulfur that was mentioned in the section about over-the-counter treatments for zits! Garlic contains the same thing, sulfur. Therefore you can depend upon garlic for drying out the excessive oil inside your pores that is responsible for your zits. Garlic has anti-septic properties too and thus can kill the bad bacteria behind your acne pimples.

What to do?

• Take 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Peel and crush them to get the paste.
• Apply this paste to your zits
• Wait for about 10-15 minutes
• Wash off with cool water.
• Do this daily once or twice until you are able to remove your zits. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar is acidic, we all know, but when we use apple cider vinegar on our skin, its effects are alkaline as it balance out the pH level of our skin. Bacteria cannot survive in an alkaline environment and thus you succeed in getting rid of zits. This process is quite faster too.

What to do?

• Take one part of apple cider vinegar and three parts of water
• Mix them well
• Dip a cotton ball in this solution
• Now apply this to your zits.
• Wait for anywhere from 10 minutes to hours and even overnight
• Wash it off and apply moisturizer to prevent excessive dryness of skin
• Do this several times a day to get rid of a zit faster

All the above treatments, whether they are over-the-counter acne spot treatments or herbal home remedies for pimples, can help you get rid of a zit fast if your skin reacts to these treatments positively. Try one after other and find out which remedy is best for your skin type.