A SPOT, pimple, or zit is never a welcome addition, whether it pops up on your face or anywhere else on your skin.

But while it may be tempting to pop that spot straight away, that's not always the best course of action – here's what you should do instead.

How do I get rid of spots?

In most cases, if left well alone, a pesky pimple will fade by itself over the course of a few days – or up to a few weeks at most.

But if you don't have the patience to wait for this to happen, here's some steps you can take instead…

1. Ditch the dairy

Ditching dairy could help you clean up your acne in the long term. 

Some hormones found in cow's milk, including whey and casein, can release a hormone similar to insulin when ingested, which can trigger spot breakouts.

As well as that, lactose, a natural sugar found in cow’s milk can also cause acne.

In order to stop this happening, you could try some vegan milks.

There’s a huge variety of dairy-free milks if you know where to look – including oat milk and hazelnut milk for those with a sweet tooth.

2. Find yourself a miracle cream

One of the best ways to deal with pimples is an effective spot-cream.

It takes a while to find one that works for your skin because everyone is different.

Look for creams that are good for oily skin, such as La Roche-Posay Effaclar Breakout Corrector, which targets individual blemishes to help reduce their prominence on your skin.

Another great product is the vegan and cruelty-free carbon theory scrub from Beauty Bay.

This exfoliating scrub uses natural ingredients to exfoliate the skin, removing your spots and leaving your skin feeling silky smooth.

3. Keep that skin covered up

This may seem a bit obvious – but it's amazing what a bit of carefully-placed make-up can do.

While concealer won’t get rid of the spot, it will hide it from view, which will help you continue with your day without worrying about your puss-filled pimple.

MAC's Studio Finish SPF Concealer will do an amazing job at disguising your spots.

The creamy, lightweight formula is packed with antioxidants, which is great because it will be able to both hide your blemishes and heal your skin – a win-win situation.   

But remember, it’s absolutely essential to take your make-up off before bed – unless you want the same problem to happen again tomorrow.

This is because make-up can really clog up your pores and cause even more spots. 

4. Light it up

Light therapy has been proven to help tackle acne.

While some of the more intense light therapy devices can be really intimidating, LightStim is a user-friendly, handheld device perfect for tackling mild to moderate acne.  

The red light emitted reduces acne inflammation whilst the blue light attacks acne-causing bacteria.

The best part is that the treatment takes just three minutes and requires zero recovery time. You’ll have perfect skin in no time! 

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C serums are a perfect, safe and hydrating way to clear up acne.

Vitamin C fades pigmentation and smooths the skin’s surface to reduce dullness – giving your face a fresh youthful glow.  

Vitamin C also helps to reduce redness and heal the skin quickly. 

Apply a Vitamin C serum to your face at night, and your skin will be spotless in no time.

6. Spill the tea (tree)

Tea tree oil is known for its ability to fight acne-causing bacteria.

The oil has antimicrobial effects against Cutibacterium acnes, a type of bacteria that is found on everyone’s skin, but also causes acne.

Tea tree oil reduces acne, particularly inflamed red bumps. 

It also helps clear non-inflammatory blackheads and whiteheads. Tea tree oil stimulates white blood cells, which heal the skin. 

This particularly powerful treatment should never be applied directly to the skin.

Instead add a few drops into a hyaluronic acid facial moisturizer and then apply the mixture. 

It’s important to note that if you have sensitive or eczema-prone skin – avoid tea tree oil like the plague – it causes irritation and worsens eczema.

7. Medication

Sufferers of cystic acne should consider taking acne-busting medication.

Oral antibiotics, or hormonal medications such as contraceptives can help tackle particularly persistent acne.

It’s best to speak to a dermatologist or doctor to see if this route is for you.

8. Wash your face

Last but by no means least, bear in mind that spots are caused when your oil glands get clogged with dirt, make-up, or even sweat – so fitness gurus, beware.

Use a cleansing towelette and face wash to cleanse your pores and wash your face.

This will help to clean your oil glands and preemptively prevent blackheads or whiteheads from surfacing. 

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