There’s nothing worse than an acne spot that appears out of nowhere—just before an important event—or in today’s scenario, before a virtual wedding or important meeting. To stop you from frantically picking at it or layering too many actives, we we put together a cheat sheet to banishing the bumps—whether you have an hour, a day or a week on hand.
Understand your acne first
Unfortunately, acne has more causes than we can count on our fingers. From a mild hormonal imbalance to PCOS, pollution and humidity, excessively oily skin or mask-induced zits, there’s a surplus of reasons that contribute to acne. “Apart from the internal causes, certain external habits or reasons that could cause acne are breakouts due to excessive usage of makeup, acne being caused due to a particular product that doesn’t suit you, wearing a mask that irritates your skin, or even your diet,” says Dr Harshna Bijlani, skin expert and medical head of The AgeLess Clinic. When the cause of acne isn’t a long-standing concern, it’s easier to tackle in a short duration. Here’s your bookmark-worthy guide.