Nasal Spray Helps Pimples? Plus 6 More Drugstore Fixes

Nasal Spray

Standard use: Clearing up your nasal passages.

Surprise use: Calming down the pimple on your nose.

Most allergy doctors will warn against using OTC nasal sprays for more than three days, because your nasal tissues can become accustomed to the decongestant and begin to overcompensate. Here's one way to use the leftover liquid: dab it on a pimple. "Products like Afrin or Dristan contain oxymetazoline, which constricts blood vessels under the skin and takes away redness on top of it," says Maria Marzella Mantione, an associate clinical professor at St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a national spokeswoman for the American Pharmacists Association.