Ever wake up and look in the mirror to find a hideous angry pimple has formed overnight? The scramble to find a fast solution can leave us frustrated. Pimples shouldn’t be popped because the debris inside can spread and leave behind more acne. Popping them also leads to scarring because the forceful pushing of the surrounding skin causes the skin to tear. The best thing to do is to dry out the pimple using a topical treatment and keep the area clean and clear. If the blemish needs to be covered however, follow these next few steps to conceal it.

Before trying to cover a red swollen pimple, it is best to prep the area. This can be done before prepping the rest of the skin. The main goal is get rid of the blemish. Use a cold compress to reduce the swelling and then use a topical treatment to work on drying it out. Once this and the rest of the face prep is finished go ahead and apply foundation. When the base is applied it is now time to work on covering the pimple. Use a green color corrector to cancel out the redness. It is best to use a very fine brush to avoid spreading the color corrector to unaffected areas. Try to concentrate the corrector over the pimple. Afterwards, cover with a skin toned concealer. Concentrate the concealer over the green corrector and feather out slightly to blend the area into the rest of the skin. Be sure to use a concealer that matches the skin rather than one that is too light. Using a light concealer will highlight the blemish rather than distract from it. Instead of setting the concealer using a translucent powder, set it with a skin toned powder foundation.

Large zits require a different technique to cover. A raised zit with a whitehead is going to require a thick, non-runny concealer. Prime the area with an eyeshadow primer. After applying foundation, use a small brush to cover the zit with the thick concealer. Gently pat the area to blend and flatten. If the zit is still not covered to satisfaction, apply another thin layer of foundation and then another thin layer of the thick concealer. Concentrate all efforts on the zit only and not the surrounding skin. Once the zit is covered use a skin toned powder foundation to set the work.

It is best not to pop pimples or zits. The skin needs to heal itself in those areas and popping them does not allow the skin to work out the debris on its own. No one is perfect however and sometimes blemishes end up getting popped. It is very important to clean and disinfect the area. It’s also definitely not a good idea to apply makeup over an open wound. Instead it would be better to apply a tinted moisturizer and avoid the wound. If there is no way to avoid putting makeup over the wound, apply a primer, then dab a green corrector to cancel out any redness. Apply a thin skin toned concealer over the area. Make sure to monitor the wound over the next few days to make sure it isn’t infected.

Blemishes can be extremely annoying and embarrassing. They can however be temporarily covered for the day in case of important events. When working with acne, pimples, or zits it is best to keep makeup brushes and actual makeup as free from bacteria as possible. Instead of dipping directly into makeup, squirt or pour what is needed onto a metal mixing palette. This way, bacteria isn’t getting directly into any products which can make acne worse. Separate the brushes used over acne, pimples, and zits from the remainder of the brushes so that they can be cleaned immediately. The same goes for beauty sponges. When working with blemishes make sure to keep hands and fingers clean as well to avoid making them worse. Pimples take time to go away, so instead of popping them, cover them.