If you’re anything like me, as soon as a pimple rears its ugly head, I'll be dying to either squeeze, poke, or scratch it to make it go away faster, but in the end it leaves you with a bleeding, bright red spot rather than a puss filled one. Or you'll be trying to cover up that baby with copious amounts of concealer, foundation and powder…

So I what is the best way to deal with a zit?

Keep your hands clear - as tempting as it may be, do not squeeze, scratch, rub or touch your pimples. When you squeeze, you are actually rupturing your skin, causing infection and spreading bacteria  more. End result is more pimples.

Cleanse - an oldie, but a goodie. You should always be cleansing, toning and moisturising morning and night. For oily/combination skin don't use a cleanser that strips away all your natural oils, as your pores are just going to go into overdrive and make more oil. Try a cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling dry and tight. Try Antipodes Juliet Anti-Blemish Gel Cleanser

Tone - a toner shouldn't be used as a paint stripper. I always thought that when I applied toner to my cotton pad, it was like a makeup remover, getting all the bits I had left after cleansing… I now know I should just be using a better Cleanser! Toners are to hydrate your skin. Think of your skin as a plump ripe grape. If the grape doesn't have moisture or water it becomes a raisin. So hydrate your skin, even if it's oily! Try Living Natures Hydrating Toning Gel.

Serum - serums are rather a new kid on the block. I've been using the Antipodes Glow Ritual Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and it has cleared up a lot of the redness and blemishes on my skin. Serums are made to be absorbed easily, and are a very concentrated form of vitamins, antioxidants, and other necessities for healthy skin. Do try it, the only thing you have to lose is pimples.

Moisturise - lots of people with oily skin think that they have enough oil, that they don't need to add any more by using a moisturiser. Wrong! If you don't moisturise, your skin will only produce more oil. The only exception to this rule is if you are using an oil-based serum like Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, and you'll probably find you won't need to moisturise.  If you’re using a moisturiser that leaves your skin feeling tight and dry, chances are it's not the right moisturiser for you. 

Make your own face mask once or twice a week - there are so many home remedy face masks recipes on the internet these days when all you may have to do is look in your cupboard. A great one I like to use for acne is just using honey. Try Comvita UMF® 5+ Manuka Honey. The antibacterial and healing properties are rated by the UMF® mark.  The number that follows it indicates the strength of the UMF® activity in a batch of UMF® Manuka Honey. The higher the UMF® rating, the more potent the product.

Up your zinc intake - Zinc is an essential mineral and helps your immune system, cell growth, healing and in breaking down carbohydrates. A diet low in zinc can actually cause acne breakouts. Try Good Health Zinc Melts

Choose the right shampoo and conditioner - If you find you get a lot of pimples on your back and around your hairline, it could be that the conditioner you are using is making you break out. Try using Holistic Hair Shampoo, Conditioner and Scalp Treatments.

Wash your pillowcase often - although no-one likes doing loads of washing each week, using a clean pillow case every 2nd or 3rd day could help. Your pillow case absorbs all the makeup you didn't manage to wash off and NEVER sleep with your make up on. Make sure you cleanse, tone and moisturise each night before bed time.

Using a flannel? I know people who swear by using a flannel/washcloth to exfoliate all the dead skin, but my advice, don't re-use. As a flannel living in your shower or on top of the tap in your hand basin, it’s in the perfect place to grow bacteria, and create more problems for your skin. If you don't want that huge washing pile full of flannels and pillowcases, only use a clean flannel once or twice a week.

Camouflage - Although it's recommended to avoid wearing makeup, as it'll clog your pores and cause more pain, try applying your make-up with a cotton bud, or makeup brush (which you will of course wash very thoroughly afterwards!). I love the Inika range of Vegan Makeup Brushes.

Work up a sweat - a great way to improve your skin's appearance - not to mention your physical, mental and emotional health - is to exercise. 30 minutes worth of exercise three to four times a week is preferable, but any amount is better than none. Working out also restores order to fluctuating hormone levels, which in turn reduces oil production. So even if it's that time of the month, get your butt into the gym, or out for a walk, you’ll feel better for it and so will your skin.

• Make sure you have a shower straight after your workout
• When exercising, sweat leaves your glands through your pores, taking dead skin cells with it but if not washed straight away, the dead skin cells can lead to blockages.

Manage stress - Do you find you’re more prone to break out just before something really important is about to happen? A wedding, exam or work project? Stress causes your skin to crank up oil production. Try not to sweat the small stuff.  Take time out with a good book, or go to the gym and thump the boxing bag - it helps me let off steam, and my skin is all the better for it. You can also see if using a stress supplement would help, try HealthZone Stress Zone

Although sometimes it’s just down to a case of what genes your parents gave you, or if you’re hormonal and going through puberty and you do have a serious acne condition, go in and see one of our staff or consult a dermatologist to get specialist help for your personal skin needs.