5 Ways to Make a Blemish Vanish

1.  Cover Up Choose concealer with a drier texture (it’ll adhere better), and apply directly onto the blemish with a small brush, patting lightly around the edges with your finger to blend, says Dallas makeup artist Robert Jones. The shade should match your skin tone, so don’t use under eye makeup—its lighter color will be conspicuous. For precise application, try E.L.F. Concealer Pencil & Brush ($3; eyeslipsface.com), which contains salicylic acid and tea tree oil to speed healing.

2.  Ice For emergency soothing, wrap an ice cube with a napkin and apply for 10 to 15 minutes to calm a red, swollen bump, says New York City dermatologist Diane Berson, MD.

3.  Spot Correct Use a topical treatment with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria in your pores. Avoid products with higher percentages of BP—studies show they’re no more effective and can be irritating, says New Orleans derm Mary Lupo, MD. Try Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Vanishing Cream Formula ($7; drugstores).

4.  Use Acne-Fighting Foundation Consider this your blanket insurance for breakouts. Besides covering the offending mark, a base with salicylic acid gently exfoliates pore-clogging cells. Try Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup ($25; clinique. com), which also contains redness-reducing caffeine.

5. Try a Compress and Swabs Try this pop-it right method from NYC derm Amy Wechsler, MD: Apply a warm washcloth for 5 minutes to loosen the pore’s plug. With swabs on either side, softly exert even, inward pressure. If nothing emerges, leave it be—forcing can make it worse.