Five Common Habits Making Your Blemishes Worse

Every day we treat people with a huge range of skin issues, one of the most common being blemishes and acne. The road to creating a healthy, glowing complexion is littered with pitfalls we often have clients admit to, and bad habits we all need to break. Here’s a list of the top five your skin wishes you’d stop doing:

1. Picking pimples

We’re sure you’ve heard this before, and yes, we know, it can be tempting. But if your goal is an even, clear complexion, hands off. We mean it.

Squeezing your pimples can force bacteria and debris deeper into the skin, causing infection to spread and new pimples to emerge. It can also cause scarring, a pitted texture to the skin and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

When you get blemishes, the best thing you can do is continue with a skin care regime appropriate to your skin type, and touch your face as little as possible.

2. Pore strips

First and foremost, we believe in treating skin gently. At home pore strips, though popular, can actually damage your skin (it hurts for a reason…). They strip your skin of natural oils, leaving it vulnerable to infection and irritation, and the kind of tugging and pulling of the delicate facial skin necessary to get them off is always a huge no-no.

A monthly microdermabrasion is the perfect solution for keeping pores clear and squeaky clean, without stripping it.

3. Over-exfoliating

With exfoliation, it can seem like the more you do, the smoother you’ll get your skin. While exfoliation is a seriously important part of your skincare routine, it is imperative you perform exfoliation using the correct products for your skin type, and at a regularity that suits your skin.

Exfoliating too often, or with incorrect products, can actually remove or damage healthy skin cells, leading to irritation, dryness, and breakouts.

4. Being lazy with your laundry

It may seem harmless, but your bedding, particularly your pillowcase, could be contributing to your skin issues. Over time, bedding collects oils from your skin, dead skin cells, dust mites and any other grime that may be on your skin when you get into bed. This can very quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn, can aggravate or even create issues with blemishes or irritation.

We recommend changing your pillowcase twice a week if you have greasy or problem skin, and once a week for normal skin, to keep those nasties at bay.

5. Not using proper sun protection

When you have problem skin, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking sun exposure can ‘dry up’ your blemishes. As well as all the other well-documented risks of overexposure to the sun, such as premature ageing and skin cancers, it can actually aggravate blemishes and other skin conditions and increase oil production.

Protection is key – and particularly important in the harsh New Zealand climate. An SPF of at least 30 should be part of your daily routine, and the SPF in your foundation doesn’t count. To get the SPF protection listed on the bottle from your makeup, you would need to apply a whole teaspoon of product to your face… that’s a lot more than most people would apply. So make sure you have sun protection suitable for your skin type happening every. Single. Day. Trust us – your skin will thank you.

If you have problems with blemishes and acne, one of our acne treatment packages would be a great way to take back control of your skin.

At The Cosmetic Clinic, we offer complimentary skin assessments with our fully qualified, highly experienced clinicians, who can identify the right package for you, and help you build the perfect skincare routine for your skin. Pop in for a chat about how we can help.