My 7 Favorite At Home Treatments For Shrinking Pimples

Have you ever had a morning when you woke up, went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror and saw a pimple had started to erupt on your face? 

I have those mornings every now and again and it’s always on the days when I don’t have a lot of time to get ready and out of the house. Those are the days when I reach for an at-home or DIY pimple treatment.

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These types of treatments can be quick and easy to whip together. Sometimes the impact is immediately visible other times it’s not so visible but as the day goes on I realize that it did help.

Related: 10 Ways To Keep Pimples At Bay

There are several DIY pimple treatments that I’ve tried over the years due to having acne-prone skin. Here are my six favorite ones.

1. Baking soda

I’ve started using baking soda for lots of things, such as for cleaning the house and brushing my teeth. So when I realized that it could help to shrink pimples I had to try it.

I’ve found baking soda is great for shrinking my pimples because

• It’s a natural exfoliator
• It helps to remove dead skin cells from the pores
• It also helps to neutralize the skin’s pH levels

To apply the baking soda to my pimples I take a little bit of baking soda and mix it with enough water that it makes a paste. I then apply the paste directly on the pimples and leave it on for about 5-10 minutes. After that, I wash it off with room temperature water.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide

To use this I put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on a q-tip or cotton ball. Really just a drop or two and then apply the q-tip or cotton ball directly to the pimple. I’ve seen this shrink some pimples within a day.

3. Apple cider vinegar

This is a product that can be found in many kitchens. I use apple cider vinegar on my hair and scalp because it helps to kill bacteria. Because it’s a bacteria killer it’s helpful in shrinking pimples. Apple cider vinegar is also said to be helpful fading acne scars.

Apple cider vinegar is potent and shouldn’t be used by itself. So it’s best to dilute it with another ingredient such as water. I like to apply it to my face in via a toner that I make myself.

4. Lemon juice

I once tried using lemon juice to get rid of a pimple and didn’t get a good result. That’s because I didn’t do it properly. Lemon juice is a citric acid which kills the bacteria causing the breakout but the acid can also sting. That’s what I experienced.

To reduce or get rid of the sting it’s best to mix the lemon juice with something else like honey.

5. Tea tree oil

This is helpful for pimples because it has antibacterial properties that can fight the bacteria in pores that can cause breakouts.

While I’ve used several facial products that have tea tree oil in them, I’ve never specifically used it for the purpose of shrinking pimples.

Tea tree oil is pretty potent and shouldn’t be applied directly to the skin. So when I’ve used it, I mix it with my facial moisturizer, cleanser, or toner.

6. Toothpaste

I’ve been using this DIY treatment since high school. All I do it take a small amount of regular toothpaste and apply it directly on the pimple. I leave the toothpaste on for 10 minutes or overnight. It just depends on how big the pimple is and how long it had been around.

7. Ice

This is something new that I've discovered so I'm a little late to the party. Ice is helpful for shrinking pimples because it helps to reduce blood flow to it which in turn can help reduce swelling and thereby the size of the pimple. Using ice also helps to shrink pores which also assists in shrinking the pimple.

All I do is take a clean ice cube straight from the ice maker and rub it on my pimple for a couple of minutes or as long as I can stand. Another way to do this is to wrap the ice cube in a thin washcloth and place the washcloth on the pimple and leave it there for a few minutes.

What DIY treatments have you used to get rid of pimples/breakouts?