Beauty
Got apple cider vinegar?
Sure, you could scroll through TikTok for pure entertainment, but the video sharing app has also become a go-to resource for thousands upon thousands of skin care tips. Beauty creators and experts alike have shared all sorts of brilliant acne-fighting hacks on TikTok that go way beyond spot treatments.
While there are products that address acne on a more holistic scale like, retinol and chemical exfoliants, sometimes you really just need a quick fix for a few pesky spots, which is where these TikTok hacks can come in handy. Many board-certified dermatologists and estheticians even turn to the app to show off their favorite tried-and-true beauty tricks, many of which you can try with items in your kitchen (or, at the very least, products you can grab at the nearest drugstore).
These pimple zappers range from the super simple, like applying an ice cube to your zit, to more out-of-the-box methods, like swabbing your breakout with a certain kind of vinegar. If you're pressed for time and short on resources (and patience), one of these nine genius TikTok pimple-fighting hacks could be just what you and your unwelcome bump need.
1
Slap On A Hydrocolloid Patch
People all over TikTok have been swapping traditional pimple patches for these more accessible Band-aids. Originally used in wound care, hydrocolloid patches pull out bacteria and pus from a pimple, leaving it smaller in a matter of days — sometimes even overnight.
2
Apply Ice To Reduce Inflammation
Esthetician Tiara Willis is all about icing zits to calm them down. In her TikTok, she explains that using ice wrapped in a towel over your pimple (for just one to two minutes in a continuous motion) can help reduce inflammation and the appearance of the breakout.
3
Use a Healing Ointment To Help A Popped Zit
To help prevent a post-breakout scar or dark spot, this TikToker recommends applying a healing ointment to the area and then sealing it with a bandage. Doing this, with a product like Vaseline, helps deliver the soothing ingredients to your zit without letting any outside bacteria get to the spot to make it worse. Look for healing ointments with antioxidants and peptides to replenish your skin in the healing process.
4
Try Apple Cider Vinegar Patches
For a makeshift pimple patch, TikTok creator Alexis Garza recommends turning to apple cider vinegar. Her tip is to cut up small pieces of a paper towel and soaking them in the ingredient, which is known to reduce harmful bacteria on the skin, before pressing them onto her pimple to speed up healing.
5
Alternate Between Hot & Cold Compresses
Another super easy zit-fighting tactic? Alternating between a hot and cold compress can help bring a blind pimple to a head quickly, speeding up the whole process of getting it off your face — a hot tip shared by Beauty Hacks on TikTok.
6
Use Pimple Patches On A Clean Face
Pimple patches are all the rage for quashing breakouts, but not everyone is using them the right way. Popular beauty TikTok creator GlowWithAva explains that the pimple area has to be clean before applying a patch or else you're just trapping the bacteria from the pimple... which could possibly make it worse.
7
Use A Green Tea Bag
When used as a pimple treatment, green tea bags can actually reduce inflammation and speed up the time it takes for a zit to disappear. Besides the antioxidants in tea (which nourish your skin), caffeine helps to soothe swelling. This TikToker recommends placing a tea bag in a cup of water, putting it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, then gently pressing it on your pimple for 20 minutes. Alternate holding it on and off for 5 minutes, then enjoy a calmer zit situation.
8
Apply Aspirin Paste
Turns out your aspirin can help with more than just headaches. BeautyHacks on TikTok recommends soaking one tablet in water to create a paste and applying it to your pimple overnight or for a few hours to reduce inflammation (aspirin and other anti-inflammatory over-the-counter drugs have been found to somewhat help with zits, but there's not much research behind it).
9
Make A DIY Mask
For this trick, simply open your fridge, grab a lemon, some curd (or yogurt), and mix them together with some honey. According to this TikTok user, the DIY face mask can help calm breakouts in a jiffy. That's because lemon is an astringent that can kill bacteria, yogurt contains lactic acid to exfoliate, and raw honey can draw out excess fluid and calm inflammation.
Studies referenced:
Addor, F. (2017). Antioxidants in dermatology. Official Publication of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5514576/
Herman, A. (2013). Caffeine's Mechanisms of Action and Its Cosmetic Use. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276945240_Caffeines_Mechanisms_of_Action_and_Its_Cosmetic_Use
Yagnik, D. (2018). Antimicrobial activity of apple cider vinegar against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans; downregulating cytokine and microbial protein expression. Scientific Reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/
This article was originally published on
