Tips for getting rid of spots

Last modified on Thursday 29 December 2016

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The best tips and tricks for getting rid of spots and having clear, smooth skin.

80% of the time you should fill your body with nutrients, fruits, vegetables, non processed grains (so brown bread and brown rice) and vitamins. 20% of the time, you can afford to treat yourself, whether it is with a chocolate digestive or a slice of cake. By sticking to this rule, you significantly reduce the chance of suffering from a breakout - as 'sebum', the oil like substance created when we eat processed foods (which cause our blood sugar to rise), is only created if we need it, rather than to excess.

Make sure you remove all of your make-up before going to bed, as this helps to un-clog the pores and leave you feeling fresh. Rather than solely using a make-up wipe or remover, using cleansing and toning products regularly will also help to cleanse pores and leave your skin dirt free (resulting in far less, if any, spots!). For a time saving product which combines make-up removal, cleansing and toning, try Faith In Nature's 3-in-1 Facial Wipes which contain Aloe Vera to cleanse skin, Vitamin E to tone skin and a quilted wipe to remove make-up in one quick swipe.

If you find your breakouts are linked to hormonal changes (like pregnancy, or that time of the month), then it might be possible you have a zinc deficiency, as during periods of hormonal change, your zinc levels dip and you need to replace these by eating foods rich in the vitamin. Dark chocolate (so there is an excuse to stock up on chocolate), beans (baked, kidney or green), chicken and low fat yoghurts are strangely some of the best foods you can eat to prevent spots during low zinc periods. Try adding one of the above foods into your diet a little more and see if the breakouts return, or if they are less prominent.

woman holding glass of water and tablets

If you follow or stick to all of the above tips, yet still find yourself suffering from spots, it may be worth taking some skin, hair and nails supplements, which not only contain high levels of zinc, but many other vitamins and minerals which help to boost the balance and keep skin, hair and nails looking healthy.

woman with pink bag over her head on pink background

It just seems unfair that as we get older we not only have to deal with wrinkles and grey hairs appearing but there are days you also wake up to find a huge spot on your face!

Putting a bag over your head might not be the most pratical solution and would make the school run tricky so we have put together some tops tips to prevent spots and to deal with them when they break out.

We have put together tips from our beauty expert Sue Moxley as well as some top tips from our members.

toothpaste coming out of tube with black background

When a spot appears, our members swear that dabbing some toothpaste on and leaving it overnight helps dry and shrink it so it is less visible by morning.

Other top tips our members recommend include dabbing the spot with tea tree oil, TCP, honey or a paste mixed up from bicarbonate of soda and water.

One product our members swear by is good old Sudocrem.

Hailed as a 'miracle cream' by beauty editors and even celebs, this little pot of cream works wonders and has anti bacterial agents. Netmums members say it works a treat to zap zits!

woman holding cream tub with mirror next to her

If you want to try a lotion, cream or facial wash designed for treating spots, there are so many available that it is difficult to know which to buy. We asked our members what they found worked well and which products they would recommend.

They suggest Liz Earle Spot On, Origins Spot Remover, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream and Panoxyl Acne Gel as well and Avon Anew products.

Beauty experts would no doubt never recommend squeezing your spots as it can cause scarring and could actually drive bacteria back into the skin.

However if you have a huge spot with a big yellow head then it is almost impossible just to leave it and head out on the school run with it there for all to see!

If you do squeeze it, wash your hands first, use tissue round your finger and thumb and squeeze gently from the sides until the pus has gone and you are left with clear liquid. Then dab it with some tea tree oil. Never squeeze til it bleeds as it can scar.