How to Cover a Scab From a Zit

By: Sarah Vrba

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You're headed to a wedding, a job interview or an important social function, and that pesky scab from an old zit is still lingering on your cheek. You're not alone. Although acne is most frequently associated with teenagers, as many as 50 percent of adult women and 25 percent of adult men will suffer from acne at some point, according to Acne.org. The resulting scabs can sometimes be more frustrating to conceal than the zits that preceded them. Thankfully, a few smart makeup tricks can help tone down the appearance of a scab so you can step out with confidence.

Step 1

Purchase a cream concealer and a powder mineral concealer that match your skin tone exactly. A lighter concealer will draw attention to the area and a darker concealer will make the scab stand out on your skin.

Step 2

Apply a soothing moisturizer to your clean fingers and smooth it into the skin around the scab, whether that be the skin on your face, neck, shoulders or wherever the scab may be. Non-comedogenic moisturizers will also encourage your skin to heal more effectively in the long term. If the affected area of skin is on your face, be sure to use a facial moisturizer.

Step 3

Apply a light, even amount of moisturizing foundation onto the skin around the scab -- either with a foundation brush or your fingers -- to produce an even skin tone. This will help give you a glowing, healthy look even if you have a small scab. The resulting even skin tone will also make it easier to apply concealer to the affected area.

Step 4

Dip a small, stiff concealer brush into the cream concealer and pick up a very small amount of concealer. Gently dab the concealer onto the center of the scab.

Step 5

Blend the concealer in very gently -- using small dabbing motions -- with a clean concealer brush or with a clean fingertip until the concealer sits evenly and smoothly on the affected area. You can build up the concealer a tiny bit at this point, if necessary.

Step 6

Dip a clean concealer brush into the mineral powder concealer. Press a minimal amount of the powder concealer directly onto the scab to set the cream concealer into place and help blend the scab into the rest of the skin. Use as little of the powder as possible to avoid getting a chalky buildup on the scab.