4 Common Beauty Emergencies and How to Fix Them

“Be prepared” is the official scout motto for a reason. Even if you’ve prepped and primed your face for a grueling day, there’s no telling what might happen the moment you step out the door. Below are a few of the most common beauty emergencies you might find yourself in the middle of – and how to remedy the situation, fast:

Swollen, peeling lips

Your lips can be the most sensitive part of your face. Just switch your usual product out or change something in your routine, or even go somewhere with a different climate than what you’re used to, and you could be looking at uncomfortably dry, swollen, and peeling lips.

When this happens, give your lips a break by going for a moisturizing lip balm. However, since fragrances and other ingredients can irritate your lips even more, the safest way to soothe your lips is by using unscented petroleum jelly instead. You may also want to swap out your usual face moisturizer, as synthetic fragrance and other irritants can react with your lips as well while it’s healing. Try The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb from Belif, one of our favorites. It contains no mineral oil or any animal-derived ingredients, is free from synthetic pigments, and also fragrance-free.

A surprise pimple

Have you ever noticed that pimples have a knack for having the worst timing ever? They appear when you least want them to, like the night before a big event or hot date. Attribute it to stress, nerves or what have you, but the last thing you want is to pop that zit and risk making it look much worse than it already is the next day. Instead, keep a spot treatment handy, or dab a tiny dot of some acne-busting facial cleanser – chances are, if it contains benzoyl peroxide or tea tree oil, it can get rid of that spot. Then, dab a little concealer over the pimple to fully cover it up. You can also use a pimple patch instead – some are completely invisible under makeup, letting you go about your day without a worry.

Greasy hair

Picture this: your hair is in desperate need of a good shampoo – it feels dirty, greasy, and sticky, but you just don’t have the time to devote to the task. You also have an important meeting in the next thirty minutes. What do you do? One of the easiest ways to refresh your strands is by using a dry shampoo product. Separate your hair into sections and sprinkle or spray it along the roots, then massage it into your scalp. If you don’t have dry shampoo handy, you can use baby powder in a pinch. Sprinkle a moderate amount over your head and comb it through thoroughly so you don’t end up with greyish hair. The powder should dissolve naturally.

A broken nail

Accidents can happen, and breaking a nail doesn’t only ruin a pristine manicure – it can also be seriously painful if unattended for too long. There are two ways to fix it: you can either cut the nail down if it breaks too jaggedly, but if it’s only suffered a crack, there’s still a chance you can reinforce the nail altogether. What you’ll need for option two is a clear polish or your base/top coat, a coffee filter or tea bag, and some small scissors. Use your tea bag paper or coffee filter to create a kind of sticker over your nail – you’ll need to cut it to size first. Apply your polish, then drop the thin piece of paper over your nail. Cut the excess away with some nail clippers, then add another coat of polish. When it dries, your broken nail will look as good as new.

These situations may be quite unpleasant— painful, even—but remember to deal with them with a clear head. This way, you can easily think of solutions and MacGyver your way out of a sticky beauty situation.