What to Do When You Have a Pimple Emergency

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The artist SZA, who’s currently on a national concert tour with the rapper Kendrick Lamar, knows what it’s like to panic at the sight of an untimely pimple. “I used to attack my breakouts with [too many treatments], and it pissed my skin off,” she says. Now the singer — who recently launched the makeup brand Not Beauty — takes a gentler approach with what she calls her “holy grail products.” Here, SZA, the dermatologist David Kim and the aesthetician Tiara Willis share their go-to tools and techniques for safely dealing with a blemish in a pinch.

David Kim, 41, dermatologist

From left: Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray, $28, tower28beauty.com; Differin 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Daily Deep Cleanser, $13, walgreens.com; Dr. Althea Gentle Vitamin C Serum, $27, doctoraltheaglobal.com; Aestura Atobarrier365 Hydro Soothing Cream, $32, amazon.com; Visine Red Eye Comfort, $6, target.com.Credit…Kim: Emil Cohen; products: courtesy of the brands

• You’ll always regret popping a pimple. One of the best things about hydrocolloid patches is that, after you put one on, you can forget about it. An economical option is to buy adhesive patches from any drugstore and cut them to the size you need.

• A 5 percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser such as Differin’s Daily Deep Cleanser is gentle on the skin. Use that as a full face mask for 30 seconds to a minute before you wash it off. Do that consistently for two to three days and your blemish will become less red and swollen.

• During an acne flare-up, I usually recommend skipping a thick moisturizer, which could potentially clog your pores, and [opting for] lightweight serums. Dr. Althea’s Gentle Vitamin C Serum will hydrate and help brighten your skin. But if you need extra moisture, use a gel formula — Aestura’s Atobarrier365 Hydro Soothing Cream is great.

• Visine eyedrops are a good beauty hack: They constrict the blood vessels, making any redness [around the blemish] less obvious and swollen. Apply one to two drops directly on the pimple after cleansing. This won’t treat the underlying cause of the pimple, but it’ll give you temporary relief.

• Use a hypochlorous acid spray before working out or in the middle of the day. It has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. I recommend Tower 28’s SOS Daily Rescue Spray.

SZA, 35, singer and songwriter