Spot Treatment

During a stay at a Beverly Hills hotel, I decided to treat my severely broken-out skin to a facial. The spa at the hotel used La Prairie products and I was really impressed with how clean and tingly my face felt when I was finished. The facialist told me that if there was one product I should splurge on (this brand is quite pricey), it should be the La Prairie Cellular Purifying System Blemish Control Gel ($70).

I bought it and within a few days I could not believe how dramatically my face had calmed down and cleared up. From that day on, every time I've gotten a doozy of a zit, my La Prairie Blemish Gel has been my go-to product. While of course I have tried many less expensive spot treatments this one always seems to do the job for the really painful, disastrous, cystic kinds of pimples.

What makes it so awesome is that you can feel the gel stinging, almost burning your skin. It's made with such a high concentration of salicylic acid that you can only use it for a few days or it will make your skin peel. Don't make me feel like I am some sicko for enjoying this sensation—you know as well as I do that when you've got a blemish to blast, you're counting down the minutes until it's gone.

Unfortunately, six months ago, I went to replenish my stock and was told it had been discontinued. I have since been able to find more bottles on the online grey markets, but I'm definitely bugging out thinking that my supply is eventually going to get cut off. Do you have any other amazing zit creams you can recommend?

The new Murad Clarifying Body Spray ($35) is a fantastic product for summer, since you are constantly exposing your skin to the world. Bouts of body acne can be embarrassing and make you feel self-conscious— but worry no more, now you can bare it all.

This spray contains salicylic acid, retinol, allantoin and triclosan, which all work together to combat bothersome body acne. Not only will it prevent new breakouts from forming but it will also heal, treat and soothe—all the while maintaining the clarity of your skin. Also, the spray bottle is a simple but smart idea because it helps you make contact with those hard-to-reach areas. What else can I say? Gimme-gimme spot treatment!

So now that you are officially Mr. and Mrs, that probably means that you are living together for the first time (wink, wink). Okay, so even if you were living in sin, you're now sharing everything—including the small amount of space in the bathroom (remember the 50/50 rule, gals)! So although he may not understand the extent to which you primp, a great way to save some room on your side of the medicine cabinet is to fill up his side with products you love, too. Check out a few of my personal favorite products that work for both men and women.

This nail polish called Essie Cosmetics Man-e-Cure ($16) is a clear matte polish that looks extremely natural. Guys don't want to look like they've put much effort into their appearance, but oftentimes they do care about looking well groomed, neat and professional.

For two more products for the newlyweds to share read more

Welcome to part II of superior spot treatments. Every gal gets a pimple or two and these products help to instantly banish blemishes! They won't over dry your face or cause redness and irritation to make you look and feel worse. They are gentle enough for sensitive skin, but strong enough to fight your sebaceous glands and wipe out icky whiteheads, blackheads and pimples.

I have to say that I'm a little surprised so many of you have an obsession with Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, $17. My old roommate used to swear by this calamine lotion concoction, and I've used it a number of times, but unless my zit was really juicy, it didn't do a whole lot for me.

I decided to give the Mario Badescu spa a call to see if they could enlighten me some more about their cult product, but what they basically said was what I thought was true. It's a gem of a product if you want to dry up whiteheads and it does have salicylic acid in it to prevent a new pimple from forming in the same spot.

The only problem I have is that in this day and age, I would so much rather apply something invisible. Maybe it's psychological, but it makes me feel worse to look in the mirror and see a whole bunch of pink patches.

For two more spot treatments to help blast your blemishes, read more

Let's face it, everybody gets a pimple here and there and they always come at the most inopportune times. Who saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding? When you get a blemish that's red, swollen and sore, you look and feel pretty terrible. Here are a few of my favorite zit zappers that can help blast those gnarly blemishes! Be sure and stay tuned for part two of superior spot treatments later this week!

Origins Spot Remover, $10, is a clear acne blemish treatment gel that tingles upon contact. Just a teensy bit goes a long way. It is made with salicylic acid that helps dry up your trouble areas, prevent new pimples from forming and also helps calm redness.

Stop using as often if your skin becomes dry or irritated but because it is created for sensitive skin, it shouldn't provoke any tenderness. Use as needed, one to three times a day and apply a thin layer to the area and let it dry. Suitable for all skin types.

For two more ways to blast blemishes, read more