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Put your best face forward with these skin-smoothing tips.
By Laura Lifshitz — Last updated on Mar 21, 2023
Let's face it: Your face (see what I did there?) reveals so much about you, from your feelings to your lifestyle (piercings, funky makeup, neutral or no makeup, tan or pale skin). Your skin "shares" so much with the world around you, whether it's dehydrated, dewy, acne-inflicted, or reddened.
It doesn't matter if you're a "Makeup Maven" or "Natural Beauty" — you want your skin to be clear and fresh-looking. After all, people spend a whole lot of money on their skin, no matter what facial frenzies they're dealing with, from aging to acne.
Knowing this, wouldn't it be fabulous to have some little tricks up your sleeve so you can really learn how to get clear skin fast?
Whether you're rocking an early morning meeting or a killer first date, you can combat unsightly and anxiety-inducing pimples with a little confidence and knowledge. Because knowing is half the battle.
How To Get Clear Skin Fast
1. Apply coconut oil.
Get rid of that flaky, dull look with coconut oil. Simply apply it on your skin with your fingertips — clean your hands first, of course — and leave it on for 10 minutes or so. Wipe off with a warm washcloth or cotton ball.
This is fantastic for drier skin types or people who have skin sensitivities and eczema. This is not the best solution for oily skin unless you already know that coconut oil is your jam.
2. Use baking soda and lemon for spots, scars, and acne.
Grab yourself some baking soda and lemon, and get to work. You'll need to experiment with the amounts depending on the size of the pimple, spot, or scar you're dealing with.
Basically, use lemon juice and baking soda to create a paste. Then, apply on the "culprit" and wash off after 10 minutes. Do not apply this all over your face.
3. Try egg whites to tighten and tone.
All it takes is some egg whites. Yes, you heard that right! Go to your refrigerator and grab some eggs. Separate the white from the yolk. Then, whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they froth a bit.
After that, apply the egg white to your face and neck with a facial brush. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse off in circular motions. Your face will be super-smooth!
4. Remove blackheads with honey, baking soda, and salt.
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of honey, and two tablespoons of salt. Take the paste and apply it to the blackheads for five minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
5. Naturally clear up your skin with tea tree oil.
Buy yourself tea tree oil and apply it to your acne. Tea tree oil is amazing for many things — and not just acne, so it's a worthwhile purchase. You can use it for scalp issues, fungus, cuts, and much more.
6. Use products with salicylic acid.
When acne strikes, it's a great idea to have spot treatments that contain salicylic acid. But remember that this is a spot treatment and not to be put all over your face.
Pro tip: Look for products with lactic acids in them as well to get rid of acne.
7. Kill your acne with benzoyl peroxide.
Benzoyl peroxide has been killing acne forever. Note that benzoyl peroxide can be drying, so always use acne treatments with this ingredient sparingly. Over-drying your skin can actually make it produce too much oil in response, leaving you acne marked... again.
8. Wash smartly.
If you're acne-prone, you need to have good basic skincare routine. A lot of the time if you're suffering from acne, it means your diet and skincare habits have to change. It could also mean you need to see a dermatologist for bigger fixes like medications.
But washing your face the proper amount of times, based on your skin type, means you're already onto something.
9. Treat your spots with blemish treatments.
If you find yourself getting spotty and in a very bad way, try dot treatments. The nice thing about these "dot treatments" is they will keep you from picking at your pimples, which is hard to resist, we know.
10. Try a magic concoction of oatmeal, egg whites, and lemon juice.
Combine cooked oatmeal with egg whites and lemon juice to apply as a mask. This will tighten, smooth, and purify your skin. Leave on for 10 minutes and wash off.
11. Use aloe vera to soothe.
Aloe vera gel truly is your skin's friend. Used for more than just a basic sunburn remedy, apply the gel on your acne and unsightly marks for an hour, and then wash it off.
12. Put a little toothpaste on your problem areas.
Grab your toothpaste and, as long as it's not a gel formulation, apply it to your pimples overnight. You may need to do a midnight check to see if your Colgate is all over your pillow, but this is a method people have been using forever.
13. Use apple cider vinegar as a toner.
Dilute apple cider vinegar with water and apply it with a cotton ball as a toner to clear skin and eliminate nasty dead skin cells. Yuck! No one likes dead, yucky skin.
14. Exfoliate with salt and olive oil.
Grab good old-fashioned table salt and extra virgin olive oil. Apply as an exfoliant. Wash it off, but do not try this if your skin is dry — the salt will dry out your skin even more.
15. Invest in a facial brush.
An acne-prone girl's best friend is the facial brush. Don't overuse it, and watch for dryness, redness, or any other issues. A facial brush can get rid of makeup and everything else that facial cleansers leave behind.
16. Wash your face, in general.
If you want clear skin, wash your face and do it daily. Heck, do it twice a day! You want to get rid of all the icky stuff that has gunked up your face from the day.
You don't even need all those fancy routines with the serums and cleansers. All you really need is soap, water, and a face cloth to wash your face. Simple, inexpensive, and it gets the job done.
17. Moisturize.
Moisturizer is like a god-given gift for skin. Using cleanser when you wash your face means that skin of yours will dry out quickly. Use moisturizer to keep your skin healthy, smooth, and clear.
18. Exfoliate.
Exfoliating allows you to get into your pores and clean them out to get clearer skin. This will stop excess oils from building up on your face and causing you to break out.
19. Change your pillowcase.
Change your pillowcase frequently. You don't want to put your recently washed face onto a dirty, yucky pillowcase. Change out your pillowcase every three days and be sure to wash them in between uses.
Pro tip: Invest in a silk pillowcase. Silk doesn't hold onto dirt, grime, or sweat as much as cotton does. This is a great resource for acne-prone skin.
20. Leave your pimples alone.
While it's tempting, popping your pimples can make acne worse and even lead to death (yes, really). When you pop a pimple, there is a chance that you could push the contents of the pimple further into your skin, causing inflammation, redness, and making the pimple bigger.
Popping could clear up the visual signs of a zit, but the pimple will just come back because it's still there under your skin. So, stop popping your zits, let them run their course, and wash and treat them accordingly.
21. Look for oil-free products.
Excessive oil is one of the main culprits of acne and uneven skin tones. The best way to combat this is to look for oil-free products to use on your face. A lot of makeup and skincare products include added oils, which can be hurtful to your pores.
Start looking for this phrase on all of the products you put on your face: non-comedogenic.
Pro tip: Look for glycolic acid in your acne treatments. This is the best acne combative out there because it promotes cell turnover time.
22. Use face masks.
Face masks are great for your skin. They can promote hydration and deep cleaning of the face. There are tons of face masks you can use, so make sure you pick one that is good for your skin type.
23. Don't touch your face.
If there's one piece of advice to follow in order to get clear skin, this is it. Keep your hands off your face!
Your hands are gross, no matter how often you wash them or use hand sanitizer. They will always be dirty and you don't want those germs and grime to clog your pores.
Everything we touch has dust, dirt, grime, and germs on it. Do not put that on your face.
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Laura Lifshitz is a former MTV personality and Columbia University graduate who writes about divorce, relationships, parenting, marriage and more for YourTango, The New York Times, Women’s Health, Working Mother, and PopSugar.