Acne affects all ages and can be difficult to treat. While over-the-counter (OTC) products may help calm surface-level blemishes, lasting calm requires treatment that addresses deeper hormone and gut imbalances.
If you have a painful deep pimple, avoid trying to pop or squeeze it as this drives the sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells deeper into the skin and causes inflammation. Instead, try a warm compress.
1. Hot Water
The temperature of the water we use makes a bigger difference in our skin care routine than most people realize. Hot water strips the protective skin barrier, leaving it susceptible to irritation and premature aging. Lukewarm water, on the other hand, supports the skin barrier and provides a deep cleanse.
Using a washcloth soaked in warm (not hot) water helps slough away dead skin cells and soothe inflammation, making it a great treatment for inflammatory acne like papules and pustules. Soaking a compress in warm water also softens the contents of a blind pimple, which allows sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria to exit the skin’s surface.
Contrast hydrotherapy is a simple, effective way to reduce inflammation and promote blood flow and lymphatic drainage. To perform contrast hydrotherapy, expose the face or a designated body area to blasts of hot and cold water for several minutes in succession, always finishing with cool water.
2. Hot Bath
Do you ever notice that your skin looks oily after a hot bath or steamy shower? That’s because heat stresses the skin, increases redness and disrupts the skin barrier. This triggers your skin to go into emergency mode, producing oil as a protective shield rather than to actually nourish it. That’s why lukewarm showers and baths are much better for acne-prone skin.
Applying a warm compress to a blind pimple can help bring it to a head and release pus, which can speed up healing. To make a hot compress, soak a washcloth in water that is hot but not too hot to touch.
3. Hot Shower
A hot shower is a quick and convenient way to refresh skin, but it can also strip your natural oils, leading to dryness and sensitivity. Plus, it may exacerbate skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea in some people.
When you do shower, try to keep it short and apply a barrier-supporting moisturizer afterward, such as Truly’s hyaluronic acid-infused Birthday Sex Body Butter. Also, use a mild cleanser that’s non-comedogenic and fragrance-free to avoid irritating your skin.
When it comes to treating blemishes, warm compresses can help calm them and promote healing. Soak a washcloth in hot water (but not too hot) and hold it against the pimple for 10 to 15 minutes, 2-3 times daily. This helps bring the blind pimple to a head, which reduces redness and swelling, and allows the trapped sebum, cells, and bacteria to exit the pore and be naturally flushed from the skin. Avoid squeezing, popping, or picking at the blemish to avoid infection and scarring.
4. Hot Soap
Body acne develops over weeks as follicles become clogged, inflamed and infected. Regular cleansing prevents new clogs and helps existing lesions heal. Therapeutic cleansers contain clinically effective concentrations of active ingredients proven to alter follicle biology. The pH level of the product also impacts effectiveness.
Skin types vary, so it is important to determine your best body acne treatment with a skin care specialist. A free skin test allows you to find products that work for your unique acne patterns.
When selecting a soap for body acne, look for an encapsulated cleanser that delivers the ingredients directly to clogged pores. These pore-targeting agents prevent bacteria from releasing inflammatory byproducts that cause inflammation.
Use the bar in your shower by rubbing it over the affected area of the skin, working up a lather. Applying the lather and allowing it to remain on skin for 60 to 90 seconds before rinsing allows the acids to begin dissolving plugs, while antibacterial ingredients reduce bacterial counts. Avoid excessive scrubbing, as aggressive scrubbing triggers microtears and defensive oil production.
5. Hot Towel
You may have received a hot towel treatment at the spa or on a long haul flight, but you can easily do it yourself at home. A warm towel helps relax the facial muscles, increases circulation and softens skin. It also opens the pores to help loosen trapped oil and impurities. It is an effective treatment for pimples as it reduces redness, swelling and irritation. A cool compress (ice cube wrapped in a cloth) can be used in tandem to treat large, inflamed pimples, helping them heal faster. The combination is also effective for reducing puffiness and blemish marks, making them appear less noticeable.