Back-to-School Breakouts: The Best Way to Hide Pimples

Summer is slowly winding down and—ready or not—back-to-school season is officially upon us. Textbooks, calculators, notepads are a looming reality. The first day back to the hallways—or college campus—you haven’t seen for a few months is always a little stressful. You might be up late the night before wondering if you’ll remember old faces or make it to your classes on time. All that stress can throw your skin for a loop and lead to unwanted breakouts. First things first, don’t panic! Here’s what you should do to hide those pesky back-to-school breakouts.

HOW TO HIDE BACK-TO-SCHOOL BREAKOUTS

Alright, here’s the game plan. If your pimples start to rear their ugly heads less than 24 hours before your first day of school, chances are you won’t be able to make them disappear by morning. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Dermablend offers multiple products that can help reduce the appearance of the bumps and mask any redness when you’re on a time crunch. 

STEP ONE: TARGET BREAKOUTS ACCORDINGLY

“The best way to address and control acne is to use good products every day, even when the acne is seemingly under control,” says board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Ted Lain. Remember, not all blemishes are equal. You may not have a red juicy pimple, but you could have another blemish that falls under the acne umbrella, such as a blackhead or whitehead. “Clear skin to the naked eye does not necessarily translate to complete control of acne,” Dr. Lain says. “To control a flare, the best options are concentrated applications of acne-fighting ingredients, the so-called zit-zappers. Look for an alpha or beta hydroxy acid, or benzoyl peroxide.” You can find these ingredients in a handful of products, including cleansers, moisturizers, and masks. You may not notice an immediate improvement in the appearance of your acne, but it’s important to address the root problem in tandem with your camouflaging efforts.

STEP TWO: NEUTRALIZE REDNESS WITH A COLOR CORRECTOR

Now that you’ve prepped your skin, it’s time to break out a color corrector. If you are dealing with a red pimple, a green-hued color corrector can help neutralize its appearance. Just dab a little green color corrector onto your zit before following up with a foundation in your skin tone. Dermablend Quick Fix Color-Correcting Powder Pigments are no-fuss, powder-to-cream color correctors that neutralize discoloration while smoothing the appearance of your skin. As a bonus, they are available in four colors including green.

STEP THREE: APPLY FOUNDATION

After applying your color corrector, reach for Dermablend Blurring Mousse Camo Foundation, perfect for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin. The ultra-blendable, oil-free formula seamlessly camouflages skin concerns—think: acne, redness, and scars—and helps smooth the appearance of bumps, crevices, and enlarged pores. Plus, it boasts broad-spectrum SPF 25, which is never a bad thing.

STEP FOUR: APPLY CONCEALER

The foundation will make your skin tone look more even and matte, but it might still need some extra reinforcement on problem areas. That’s where concealer comes in. Dermablend Quick Fix Concealer—available in 10 natural-looking shades—provides flawless-looking coverage with a velvety-smooth finish that’s never cakey. What we love most is the easy-to-use stick applicator for precise coverage…not to mention seamless transporting. Stash it in your purse for on-the-go touch-ups in between class.

STEP FIVE: SET IT ALL IN PLACE

The last step is to lock all of your hard work in place! Dermablend Setting Powder is a no-brainer because it helps reinforce makeup wearability, and ensure long-lasting smudge and transfer resistance. Choose from three different shades that offer a translucent veil over your foundation and concealer.

Ta-da, fresh-faced perfection! What pimples? We don’t see any pimples here…