Are we really having less sex?
Are we really having less sex?

Kate Demolder

Real Weddings: Iseult and Michael tie the knot in Smock Alley Theatre
Real Weddings: Iseult and Michael tie the knot in Smock Alley Theatre

Shayna Sappington

How to quit social media comparison for good
How to quit social media comparison for good

Niamh Ennis

Weekend Guide: 12 of the best events happening around Ireland
Weekend Guide: 12 of the best events happening around Ireland

Sarah Gill

How to handle the co-worker who brings everyone down
How to handle the co-worker who brings everyone down

Victoria Stokes

Majken Bech Bailey on her life in food
Majken Bech Bailey on her life in food

Holly O'Neill

A new Netflix series about the Guinness family is in the works
A new Netflix series about the Guinness family is in the works

Sarah Finnan

Why the music of Sinéad O’Connor will stay with us forever
Why the music of Sinéad O’Connor will stay with us forever

Jan Brierton

My Life in Culture: Artist Jess Kelly
My Life in Culture: Artist Jess Kelly

Sarah Finnan

This enchanting home on Lough Derg is on the market for €950,000
This enchanting home on Lough Derg is on the market for €950,000

Sarah Finnan

Image / Beauty

5 spot-zappers to use when it’s a really bad time to get a pimple


By Aisling Keenan
17th Oct 2019
5 spot-zappers to use when it’s a really bad time to get a pimple

There’s never a good time to get an unexpected breakout, but if a spot-zapper is needed, these are the ones we rate to clear it up pronto…


Waking up with a spot that’s so big it’s drafting up its own constitution is no craic.

Those struggling with acne have it far worse than those of us who get the occasional spot here and there, of course. But whether your breakouts are frequent, expected, hormonal or once in a blue moon, zapping a particularly nasty spot can be necessary at times.

Here are the products that have helped calm my breakouts in the past.

spot-zappers

1. La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Breakout Corrector

€14.95 from lookfantastic.com

When it comes to good, reliable skincare, French pharmacy staple La Roche-Posay have it nailed. Their Effaclar range is a dream when it comes to clearing and balancing the skin.

2. Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment

€18.95 from lookfantastic.com

This genuinely is super – I find this great for reducing redness that comes with the spot too, it’s really calming.

3. Ren Clear Calm Non-Drying Spot Treatment

€17 from cloud10beauty.com

For anyone who wants vegan skincare, Ren is a great brand. This one zaps spots and doesn’t dry out the skin in the process, meaning you can put it on a larger surface area in terms of a breakout than with some of the other products.

4. Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment

€24 from arnotts.ie

This one is the first spot treatment I ever bought and it’s always been a go-to. I pop a dot of it onto a pimple (or the beginnings of a pimple before it even emerges) at night time and the next day it will always significantly reduce.

5. Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel

€55 from kudosbeauty.ie

Similarly to the Kiehl’s one, Dermalogica’s Overnight Clearing Gel is a great one for doing the grunt work overnight and you waking up to a much smaller spot situation. Pricey, but it lasts.

Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans.


Read more: Post-pill acne: My self-confidence is gone since quitting the pill

Read more: Six products to help combat acne scarring

Read more: These 4 products completely transformed my skin (and my self-confidence)