Wedding stress causing breakouts? 8 acne-fighting skin saviours that’ll help

We all hate zits, but when they pop up just as your wedding’s approaching? U.G.H. Whether from the stress of wedding planning, or from every day pollution, you’ll want to grab these to eradicate those pesky breakouts ASAP.

Image: Dmitriy Shironosov/123rf.com

As its name implies, it targets blemish-prone skin in three phases, before, during and after a breakout. It can be added to your day or night cream as well as foundation, or used as a spot treatment straight on to your skin. Key ingredients include: 

• -Colloidal sulphur that helps reduce inflammation and combats acne-causing bacteria
• Willow bark extract that heals and refines.Those reddish post-acne marks were noticeably lightened after a few days of use! 
• Hyaluronic acid to prevent over-drying

Available at Robinsons. 

Overnight treatments are great for busy brides. Up for a blemish treatment that’s also nourishes and hydrates your skin as you snooze? You’ll want to get your hands on this overnight mask. What it’s got: A potent blend of acids to combat blemishes, speed up cell turnover, and unclogging pores, nourishing rosehip oil for moisturising, fading acne scars as well as manuka honey to heal and reduce redness. 

At $159 a tube, it might be a tad pricey to have on as a nightly treatment (though we’d definitely love to for that glorious morning glow), but it’s great for when you need to give inflamed skin a little TLC.

Available at ww.alliesofskin.com and Sephora. 

The first step to healthy skin is a good cleansing routine. If you’re not a fan of cleansing oils or creams, then micellar water is your best friend. With tiny micelles (tiny spheres of cleansing oil molecules) that pull oil and dirt from the skin. Bifesta’s newly reformulated range now has smaller micelles, and promise 12 times the cleansing power, without drying out the skin! Bonus points for anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to keep dreaded pimples at bay.

Available at all leading supermarkets, personal care stores, selected pharmacies and department stores.

We love our multi-taskers and this moisturiser, targetted specifically at folks with acne-prone skin and cystic acne, contains Fluidactiv™, a patented complex that regulates sebum quality, preventing pores from becoming clogged as well as the anti-inflammatory agent, zinc gluconate. It might seem a little heavy, so you’d want to consider using this only at night.

Available at major Guardian and Watsons stores, Robinsons, Lazada and Unity. 

You probably know using concealer to cover up a zit isn’t the best solution- but not with this one. It’s a drying lotion and concealer in one, and formulated with oil-absorbing ingredients kaolin clay, witch hazel, zinc oxide and anti-bacterial tea tree. Available in 7 shades. See these concealer tricks to fake flawless wedding day skin.

Available at Sephora.

It’s a dermatologist favourite, and with good reason – it promises to reduce the severity of blemishes after just 24 hours, plus clears stubborn white and blackheads. There’s also benzoyl peroxide, which kills acne-causing bacteria, in a micronized format for better penetration of pores. Other effective ingredients include 
anti-inflammatory niacinamide as well as skin-healing 

Available at Guardian, Watsons and other leading pharmacies. 

These little clear adhesive stickers are self-contained treatments that protect the problem spot and help stop the spread of acne-causing bacteria. Each sticker has salicylic acid to diminish the zit, antiseptic tea tree oil to clear up and refresh skin, as well as hyaluronic acid to prevent over-drying and irritation. Plus, it’ll save you space in the travel pouch for when you’re on your destination wedding shoot.

See also: PIMPLES TO TIRED FACES, 6 BEAUTY TIPS FROM REAL BRIDES

Calm angry red spots with this blend of botanical goodness, especially if you prefer all-natural, organic ingredients, which the Australian brand is known for. Concocted with a plethora of naturally derived extracts and oils (including calendula, apple seed oil and broccoli), it targets blemishes by nourishing and hydrating instead of drying out the spots.

Available at Sephora. 

See also: 5 PURIFYING PRODUCTS FOR CLEAR, FRESH WEDDING DAY SKIN