I'm sure this happened to you. Your complexion is clear until out of the blue what feels like a boulder size pimple pops up to spoil your face. To make matters worse, don't you notice that they show up when you need to look your extra best for something important--like a big interview, date, or party, etc.?
In my case, I always could predict when I might be called in for an important interview just by my nose. A few days before I would get that call, I would find a huge zit on the tip of my nose like a beacon to show the way.
Sure, I tried to dry it up with acne products and even the home remedy of dabbing toothpaste with hopes that it would be gone in time. Unfortunately, my efforts just caused more irritation and redness until my only solution was masking it the best I could with concealer and cosmetics, if I wanted to make the interview.
However, you don't have to suffer and go through what I did. Here's what one dermatologist recommended that I later tried that works much better to stop that sudden pimple in its tracks.
Wash your face in warm water with a gentle soap. Don't think the more times you wash, the better your chances to dry that pimple up. Instead, too frequent cleansing increases the oil and can only make your problem worse.
Next, try treating that new pimple with a dab of hydrocortisone cream first before you put on any other acne product. This product will help reduce the redness.
Make sure to leave that hydrocortisone cream dry for at least 10 minutes before following up with an acne treatment that has salicylic acid and sulfur. Unlike a plain salicylic acid-based formula, both ingredients together won't dry the skin as badly.
I hope this advice helps your complexion as much as it did for mine because this adjustment to your routine does seem to work better--and faster to clear skin!