How to get rid of spots: effective tips

Everyone suffers from spots at some point in their lives and they don’t just affect how you look, but can really zap your confidence. Fortunately, you just have to understand what causes breakouts to know how to get rid of pimples.

What you can expect:

Types of spots

Yes teenagers battle breakouts, but spots can happen at any stage of life – and adult acne is on the rise. If you suffer from blemish-prone skin, it is important to use mild skincare formulas that are formulated for your skin type. There are different types of spots and knowing what kind you have makes it easier to treat them effectively:

• Papules: these are subcutaneous papules with a pink or red glow, they can feel painful and do not have a whitehead
• Pustules: these are small, superficial spots filled with pus (a mixture of dead skin cells and bacteria)
• Nodular acne: these are inflammations deep under the skin, they’re not small and red but large and painful – if you suffer from nodular acne, then a dermatologist can offer professional treatments such as special peels

There is one main ingredient that helps prevent breakouts and significantly improves blemish-prone skin: BHA (salicylic acid). BHA helps reduce symptoms such as spots, redness and clogged pores.

Spot treatment & how to prevent spots

Some skincare products can cause more breakouts, despite the promises on the packaging. It’s also important to look at what you’re feeding your skin on the inside too and eat a healthy diet.

Here are 10 tips to help prevent spots:

1. Avoid thick creams or lotions if you suffer from oily skin as ingredients in these products can clog pores and form the perfect environment for spots to grow
2. Look for gel or lightweight liquid lotions
3. Be careful with oil-based products, by adding more oils to greasy skin you could end up with more spots
4. Avoid irritating ingredients such as alcohol, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus and citrus extracts, natural or synthetic fragrances can also irritate the skin and make it dry, red and scaly
5. Avoid harsh abrasive scrubs and hard cleansing brushes, these will only damage the skin and reduce the skin's ability to protect itself
6. Avoid home remedies like toothpaste for spot treatments, they only irritate and cause redness
7. Be sure to remove your make-up from your face every night to prevent clogged pores and make your skincare products work better
8. Try cutting out foods with dairy and gluten for a short time to see if it makes a difference to your skin
9. Consume sugar and processed food in moderation, instead fill up on lots of fresh fruit and vegetables
10. Use a well-formulated, broad spectrum SPF in your daily skincare routine to prevent sun damage and premature ageing, look for lightweight & non-greasy textures like our Clear Ultra-Light Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 30

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• What is acne?
• Skin purging vs breakouts: what does skin purging look like?
• Red spots and red acne scars: how to get rid of them