Blind Pimples Are The Absolute Worst. Here's A Cheat Code For Them.

1. Tea Tree Oil Is a Beast

When it comes to tea tree oil specifically, there are two reasons why I will gladly stand on any street and sing its praises. 1) it’s how good it is at removing dandruff (just pour a few drops into your shampoo, chile), and 2) it’s how quickly it can remove a pimple, including a blind pimple. When it comes to my latter shout-out, I get why, too. Due to tea tree oil’s extremely potent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, if you’re looking for something all-natural that will cleanse out your pores and remove acne-causing bacteria without drying out your skin at almost a record rate, tea tree oil is going to make that happen.

And since it can also help to heal wounds, get rid of nail fungus, and fight tooth decay — I don’t see why everyone doesn’t have at least one bottle of 100 percent pure tea tree oil somewhere in their house.

2. Raw Honey Is Your Friend

The fact that (when stored right) honey doesn’t expire is enough of a reason to give it all of the props in the world. Oh, but if you add to that the fact that it contains anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties that strengthen gut health, boost immunity, soothe a sore throat, reduce coughing, improve your quality of sleep, and even hydrate your skin and hair — yes, raw honey is something else that is an absolute must-have, across the board.

The reason why it makes the “blind pimple list” is because it’s something else that can swiftly and effectively kill the bacteria that causes blind pimples to form in the first place. So, if you’ve got one popping up, spot-treat it with a bit of honey. If you apply it before turning in at night, you could notice a difference in how your blind pimple feels by morning.

3. Apply Some Ice

There’s a very simple reason why applying ice can be a wise move if you’re trying to reduce the discomfort that comes from having a blind pimple. Since coldness can constrict your blood vessels, if you were to apply ice to your underneath-the-surface zit, it can reduce the swelling, which can help it to appear less visible (if you can see the blind pimple but it hasn’t yet come to a head) and feel a lot less painful as well.

4. Then Apply a Warm Compress

Speaking of temperature therapy, something else that you might want to try is applying a warm compress directly onto your blind pimple. The thought process here is that while coldness can reduce inflammation, warmth can help to drain the pus in the pore — and that could either cause the pimple to go away or rise to the surface at a quicker pace (especially if you apply one temperature after the other).

5. Try Some Salicylic Acid

Ever since I’ve been doing chemical peels at home (check out “I've Been Doing At-Home Chemical Peels. Here Are The Pros And Cons.”), my skin has improved greatly when it comes to its texture and the amount of period pimples that I receive (which is next to nothing at this point). I’d venture to say that a part of the reason is because some of my products contain salicylic acid, which is an ingredient that helps to exfoliate your skin by sloughing off dead skin cells. The reason why this can work well for blind pimples is, that the clearer the clogged pore of that kind of pimple is, the easier it will be for the zit to come to a head and drain itself.

Oh, and if you’re wondering if pimple patches containing salicylic acid are the ultimate blind pimple hack, I’ll be honest with you: products need to make money, so many will try to sell you on that. However, my personal experience has been that pimple patches are best at draining fluid from pimples that are actually at the surface; they do little, if anything, for blind pimples overall. #sorry

6. Don’t Forget About Benzoyl Peroxide

Out of all of the hacks listed in this article, the one that you may be the most familiar with is benzoyl peroxide. That’s because, when it comes to popular skincare brands that claim to get rid of pimples, in general, this is an ingredient that is in many of them. And with good reason. Benzoyl peroxide is a powerful antiseptic that cleanses bacteria from pimples, including blind pimples. Just make sure that if this is what you decide to use, you take the “less is more” approach. It’s not uncommon for people to overdo it when it comes to applying this product, and that can lead to redness, skin peeling, itchiness, and your skin becoming worse instead of better. Indeed, with benzoyl peroxide, a little bit goes a really long way.

7. Use a Blend of Grapeseed Oil and Jojoba Oil

Although, on the surface, it might sound odd that putting oil on a pimple can help it to go away, there is a reason why that is absolutely the case. See, the focus isn’t so much the oil but the ingredients that are in it. For instance, coconut oil is high in lauric acid, and, not only does that help to kill the bacteria that cause acne, but it can also reduce any scarring that may be left behind once the acne lesions start to heal. Two other oils that are awesome as a combo are grapeseed and jojoba oil. Grapeseed is dope because it contains vitamin E (which is loaded with antioxidants) along with strong antimicrobial properties that can help to heal pimples (including blind pimples), while jojoba is awesome because it contains anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agents that can reduce the appearance of blind pimples — especially if you apply a mixture of them directly onto your blind pimples every night.

8. Invest in a LED Device

If blind pimples and acne overall are something that you deal with on a fairly consistent basis, you might want to look into investing in an at-home red light therapy device. These are beneficial because light therapy helps not only kill bacteria but stimulate collagen production, too. These types of devices are gaining traction for removing the swelling of blind pimples quickly and effectively, so it couldn’t hurt to invest in one to see how it works for you personally.

9. Up the Omega-3 Foods

If you want to boost your brain health, strengthen your heart, reduce your chances of getting breast cancer, improve your vision, and even help to prevent and/or bring relief to certain autoimmune diseases, get more omega-3 fatty acids into your system. Since these acids are pretty good at also reducing inflammation, that’s why they can be helpful at speeding up the healing process of a blind pimple. Foods that can help you out in this department include walnuts, tuna, eggs, fortified orange juice, and flaxseed oil.

10. Reduce Your Dairy Intake

I still think it’s wild that humans are pretty much the only mammals who consume another mammal’s baby milk — and for me, that has become enough of a reason to be cool with staying in my oat milk alternative lane (for the most part); not to mention the fact that it’s made me feel better overall (you can read more about health risks that are associated with consuming dairy here, here and here).

And when it comes to your pimples and mine, even the American Academy of Dermatology Association had to go on record as saying that cow’s milk has been linked to breakouts, while other studies state that dairy overall can aggravate acne in people ages 30 and under due to the hormones that are typically in dairy products like milk and cheese.

So, if blind pimples seem to pop up out of nowhere whenever you and pizza or ice cream are bonding together — while I hate to rain on your parade, that’s probably not some random coincidence. #sorryagain

11. Drink Some Spearmint Tea

Articles I’ve written for the platform like “10 Teas That Are Great For The Fall Season — As Far As Hair Growth Is Concerned,” “10 'Uncommon' Teas You Should Add To Your Stash (& Why)” and “So, Here Are Some Teas That Will Make Your Sex Life So Much Better” prove that I’m a big time tea fan. In fact, when I finish penning this article, I’m gonna treat myself to some black tea and honey…and I can’t wait. Before closing this out, though, if you also like tea, make sure that you’ve got some spearmint in your tea collection.

Not only is it great when it comes to fighting bacterial infections and reducing stress, but it might also trip you out to know that it can help to balance out your hormones and — get this — even move unwanted facial hair. And why is it great for treating blind pimples? Well, the properties in it help to kill bacteria-causing acne and reduce the inflammation of zits. Yeah, definitely one of the best teas you can have in your possession is spearmint, for sure.

12. Leave the "White Stuff" Alone

Even though white foods like pasta, rice, and bread may taste really good, the reality is they don’t have many nutrients in them. Plus, they are simple carbohydrates that turn into sugar — and sugar is definitely a culprit for pimples. The main reason is because sugar can cause inflammation, and inflammation can increase sebum production. So, if you must do the white stuff, consume it in moderation. Your health will thank you. Your complexion, including when it comes to treating and preventing blind pimples, will too!

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