Pimples stopping your shine? Five effortless ways to get rid of them

While getting pimples is normal, considering it is an everyday skin condition that affects all of us at one time or another, having them is painful as well as embarrassing.

Pimples or acne are skin lesions/inflammations that occur when the sebaceous glands (oil glands) of the skin get infected with bacteria and swell up.

The sebaceous glands that are present throughout the skin, except in the palms and soles, secrete a waxy or oily substance called sebum.

The sebum helps to maintain the oil balance of the skin and makes it look healthy. When there is any abnormality in the sebaceous gland, pimples develop.

The good news is that you can get rid of pimples in no time.

1. Ice

For a pimple that has not yet resulted in a pus-filled eruption on the skin, ice can be used to reduce swelling and encourage the oil glands to constrict and push out the excess oil and bacteria from the irritated glands. To use ice to discourage the formation of pimples:

Wrap the ice in a piece of cloth and hold it on the affected skin area for a few seconds. Wait a few minutes and repeat the process.

Apply the ice multiple times throughout the day and the pimple should resolve in just a day or two.

2. Apply green tea to the skin

A lot of people drink green tea for its health benefits, but it can also be helpful when applied directly to the skin. Green tea contains flavonoids and tannins, which are known to help fight inflammation and bacteria that may cause pimples.

It is also high in the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which has been shown to fight inflammation, reduce sebum production and inhibit the growth of acne in people with acne-prone skin.

Multiple studies have shown that people with acne experience significantly less sebum production and pimples when they apply a 2–3% green tea extract to their skin.

3. Apply fresh unripe papaya Juice

Papaya has chymopapain and papain and both of two these compounds contain antibacterial, antiviral along with antifungal properties. They will help in exfoliating to unclog pores and provide your skin with essential proteins to fight against the acne formation.

4. Toothpaste remedy

Toothpaste dries out the pimples and reduces their healing time. Its antibacterial properties play a vital role in eliminating the bacteria that cause pimples. This can be used for pimples on the face and also on the body, like the legs and arms.

5. Lemon

Another great way to resolve pimples is to use fresh lemon juice.  The mild citric acid will operate as an antiseptic and kill the bacteria in the gland while working as an astringent to dry up excess oil.  There are a couple of ways to apply this remedy.

Using a clean, sterile cotton swab, apply the lemon juice to the affected areas prior to bedtime. For more stubborn pimples, create a paste of lemon juice and cinnamon powder and dab onto pimples for all night treatment.  This will help get rid of pimples quickly but is not recommended for people with sensitive skin.