How to Get Rid of Acne Overnight?
There's a reason the question of how to get rid of acne overnight generates a lot of interest in cosmetic circles - pimples and zits are quite annoying. And, that is actually an understatement considering that most people are usually ready to pay top dollar to remove acne overnight especially if the breakout occurs on the eve of an important day for them. It is understandable, though. At the end of the day nobody wishes to turn up to a potentially memorable day with a giant zit or an itchy red pimple smack in the middle of their faces hogging all the attention and ruining their photo op. Simply put, pimples can hamper even the best laid plans.
Pros and Cons of Overnight Acne Treatment
Believe it or not, there is actually a price to pay for overnight acne treatment and, no, it's not monetary. You see, if you want to cure acne overnight you will have to make a few trade offs and take a few shortcuts. And, these are trade-offs that you would normally not even consider if you had the luxury of time and opportunity to try out different anti-breakout treatment regimens to see what works. Therefore, depending on your individual skin type or severity of the breakout itself, you may have to saddle several risks that could aggravate your skin situation even further in the long run.
That being said, this does not mean that there are no long-term dermatological benefits of overnight acne spot treatment, apart from the usual - making your zits or pimples look less noticeable in less than 24 hours. Here's a quick premise to that.
Pros of Overnight Acne Treatments
- Fast and requires little if any time commitment - You see, best overnight acne spot treatment approaches are founded on the assumption that you don't have a lot of time in your hands to effect the changes in your diet, lifestyle or grooming regimen needed for a clear complexion. The best thing about that is that you will not have to wait ages to tone down the appearance of the pimples.
- Killing two birds with one stone - Overnight acne treatments capitalize on utilizing the time your skin uses to repair and rejuvenate itself to effect treatment and lessen the severity of breakouts. Research shows that your skin looks better after a goodnight's sleep and what's a better way to do it by implementing an acne treatment regimen as you repair the damage sustained during the day?
- Less expensive - In direct comparison to comprehensive zits management regimens from dermatologists that take weeks to work, overnight acne treatments are cheaper and quite inexpensive. What's more, it becomes even more affordable if you can do it yourself at the privacy of your dressing table!
- Fast-acting - These treatment models are designed to clear blemishes and acne within the least timeframe possible with little regard to the long-term repercussions of doing so. It might not be ideal for the outlook of your skin health but it is certainly not slow.
Cons of overnight acne spot treatments
- Could aggravate your symptoms - Most commercially-produced overnight and fast acting acne treatment methods rely on application of harsh reagents to reduce the appearance of zits and acnes. There is a real risk of damaging your skin and exacerbating your symptoms while at it.
- Temporary and nothing to build on - Be advised that these are temporary solutions tailored only to help see you through the following day. You will still need a comprehensive, holistic and all-inclusive remedy for your complexion woes.
- No guarantee of future results - Just because the method that you use today to get rid of pimples overnight will work does not necessarily mean that you will see the same stellar results when you try it a year from today.
- Results can and will vary significantly - Unfortunately, there is no sure fire way to predict how exactly the pimples or zits will look until the next day when it is too late to do anything.
Best Home remedy for Acne Overnight
Having said that, there are several home remedies for acne overnight that you can rely on to get rid of pimples in a few hours.
1. Aloe Vera Leaf Gel
Aloe vera packs an array of antibacterial and natural anti-inflammatory properties that come to your rescue if you are looking for a reliable overnight acne treatment diy method. You only have to break off or slice up the leaf and squeeze the gel into a cup/spoon. Dab this fluid onto each acne spot individually or apply it as a mask on the entire face before going to bed. The following morning should see the acne or pimples reduced dramatically or if you are lucky, gone completely.
2. Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser - Spot Application Only
Almost all acne remedies overnight solutions you can find in the drug store near you will use benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient for temporary relief from painful zits and pimples. And it is not hard to see why. Apparently, this reagent has a way of temporarily drawing excess sebum and accumulated fluid from bulbous pimples thereby making them significantly less noticeable the next day to the extent that a casual glance will not pick them up.
3. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil alongside ginger is a well-known home DIY acne treatment for zits and pimples thanks to its antibacterial action against s. epidermidis and p.acnes. To use it, you first have to dilute the oil wih another carrier then use a soft cotton ball to dab the resultant formula on problematic acne spots before going to bed.
4. Lemon Juice
Using lemon for acne overnight treatment has been around for several generations now, and so it's not a surprise that it has made it to this list too. The idea behind this solution is that the Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) plays a critical role in drying up the problematic pimples making them less noticeable.
Dab freshly-squeezed lemon juice thoroughly on the pimples before retiring to bed to give it at least a few hours headstart before the next day.
5. Baking Soda Paste
Another common and fairly effective technique is using baking soda for acne scars overnight clearance. This method entails making a baking powder(or soda) paste by mixing 2 tablespoons of it with a cup of water. Apply the resultant paste on the problematic acne bumps and let it sit for a few hours. Avoid applying the paste on areas with no breakouts as it could irritate the skin needlessly and cause new breakouts in the future.
Just like when using lemon juice for acne scars overnight, ensure that you thoroughly rinse off the baking soda crust in the morning before applying a suitable moisturizer of your choice. Baking soda, being a highly alkaline solvent, is likely to cause some minimal dryness as part of its working strategy. Moisturizing afterwards, nonetheless, ought to take care of this.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has acetic, lactic, succinic and citric acid - all of which are proven to kill and inhibit the activity of p.acnes. This is actually what makes the apple cider vinegar acne treatment overnight approach a relatively reliable remedy.
What's more, application of apple cider vinegar can help stimulate 'chemical peeling' which is instrumental in triggering skin regeneration to heal the acne scars left behind after a bad breakout episode. When you combine this with the above enumerated benefits, you end up with an overnight solution that offers consistent results and a promising future outlook.
7. Honey and Cinnamon
A simple online search will reveal to you that honey and cinnamon for acne overnight treatment is quite a popular option among most skin care specialists and beauty bloggers.
You will need at least three tablespoons of raw and unprocessed honey combined with a teaspoon of cinnamon for this method to work. Mix the two main ingredients together thoroughly before microwaving the paste for at least 30 seconds in a shatter-proof glass beaker. The mixture, however, should not be too hot to avoid running the risk of accidentally scalding yourself.
Apply the resultant mask evenly on your face while you are massaging the problematic areas in the process. Let the mask sit for at least 20 minutes undisturbed before rinsing it off.
Cosmetic specialists believe that the reason this combination works effectively as a short-term solution for debilitating acne episodes stems from the healing properties of honey and anti-microbial ability of cinnamon. Raw honey, in particular, has been used to accelerate the healing of bedsores, ulcers, burns and the likes for centuries. Hence, there's no reason to suggest that it should not be effective in closing up the wounds caused by a zits breakout. On top of that, honey's medicinal value reduces overall inflammation and gives your skin a moist micro-climate conducive for fast healing.
Cinnamon, on the other side of the spectrum, has a host of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory , anti-parasitic and antimicrobial properties that have the potential of improving one's acne symptoms in the long run.
8. Crushed Aspirin
Sounds unusual but using aspirin for acne overnight treatment is actually a proven remedy. You see, numerous OTC (over the counter) products contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are considered potent anti-zits ingredients. Topical aspirin, being one of the most common pain relievers known to man, contains acetylsalicylic acid. However, as much as this active component is related to the more common salicylic acid, it is not exactly the same thing. It is actually a milder version of the two and that's why it works wonders for people with very sensitive skin who may not fancy using the harsher benzoyl peroxide to dry out their pimples.
Using it is equally as straightforward as it sounds. Simply a few aspirin tablets and mix it with warm water to make a paste. Speaking of which, use tablets and not soft gels for this. After this, apply the resultant paste on your face concentrating more on the more problematic areas and those that are heavily inflamed by the zits.
Leave the mask to stay on for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it off with plenty of warm water. Follow up the overnight acne treatment with your usual moisturizer before retiring to bed. Repeat the procedure until the acne clears.
9. Ice Dapping
This is one of the ways to get rid of acne overnight when you have run out of any other commonly available ingredients discussed above. Observations show that it is possible to lessen pimple swellings or redness thereby make acne spots almost invisible by dabbing ice on them. Ice or icy cold water is known to tighten skin pores and improve blood circulation beneath the epidermis both of which contribute immensely to the improvement of your symptoms.
For this approach; wet your washcloth and use it to wrap a fresh ice cube. Now, dab the pimple with the wrapped cloth holding it down for several seconds at a time. Repeat for all pimples until the ice cube has melted, after which you should reapply a new ice cube. Pay close attention on the most inflamed zits for best results.
10. Neem Oil
It is no news that neem oil has an array of antibacterial properties up its sleeve but it is against p.acnes that it excels greatly. Make it a habit of rinsing your face with plenty of warm water before applying neem oil on your acne spots using a cotton bud - the same buds that you use to clean out your ears can work too.
Leaving the neem oil overnight enhances its chances of seeping into skin thereby destroying almost all bacteria responsible for the accelerating breakout in a naturally controlled fashion.
11. Tomatoes Paste
Most people do not know this but this succulent vegetable/fruit is also a gateway to get rid of acne overnight. Apparently, tomato juice provides not just relief from inflamed pimples but also lightens one's skin lightly to even out that characteristic patchiness associated with a bad acne breakout.
Precautions to Bear in Mind When Exploring the Above Ways to get Rid of Acne Overnight
At the end of the day, it is imperative not to forget that these methods work best as emergency solutions to an unprecedented acne breakout. They should NOT be used to treat or manage a recurrent breakout problem that has been afflicting you for months, weeks or years. Getting and keeping a healthy-looking, pimple-free and attractive complexion is not something that you want to gamble with using quick fixes that could predispose you to even more serious skin problems.
This is also the reason you should get in touch with a dermatologist for a comprehensive and thorough diagnosis of your skin problem. Upon which, he or she will prescribe acne remedies such as AENO Severe Acne Treatment & Scar Remover to help you get things under control for good.