Hey everyone sorry I ‘ve been a bit missing of late (both of the kiddos have been ill and off school which means it was a crazy hands-on week). Anyway, many of you asked for this post in my stories so here it is ❤️
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Congestion or clogged pores can be the result of many factors: your skin’s natural oil production (sebum), impurities, sloughing of skin cells, cellular waste and sweat build up inside the pores leading to blockages -like sebaceous filaments (solidified sebum) closed comedones (whiteheads), open comedones (blackheads). Comedones are pretty much formed when this debris blocks the sebaceous ducts and hair follicle. Well, last week on my travels I forgot to take my salicylic acid product and a few others after a few days I came back home with a whole host of blockages and an awesome row of blackheads on my nose. 🤷🏽♀️⠀
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To be honest this is no surprise to me since I am prone to blockages so the next few weeks will just be about helping to unclog the skin and putting in place a routine to keep my congestion at bay. Clogged pores are usually a sign of oily areas of the skin so here are some tips to help you. However, if you find your nose is more oily than the rest of your face than you might want to localise your treatment, for example, salicylic acids, clays, polishes around specific areas only.⠀
🔆🔆Cleansers🔆🔆⠀
Choosing a cleanser with BHA (Salicylic Acid) is just a game-changer when you are experiencing clogged pores as the cleanser goes into the pores to gently unclog. You can also leave this on around oily/congested areas if you like giving the BHA more time to work into the skin. If you generally produce a lot of oils during the day or have hyperpigmentation concerns you might also appreciate the addition of AHA’s with your BHA.⠀
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I also find skipping balm cleansers altogether as your first step cleanse can help at times. I make this recommendation only because some balms do not emulsify fully and might leave an oily film or residue behind which can leave your second step cleanser having to work that bit harder (if you are not spending enough time massaging your second cleanser into the skin this might then lead to further block
✅Niacinamide + Antioxidants⠀
Niacinamide is such an all rounder ingredient which helps regulate sebum as antioxidants help prevent oxidative stress (and lipid peroxidation) which can lead to congestion and breakouts in blemish prone skin. Just a note some antioxidants for example ECGC (derived from Green Tea) have been shown to clinically reduce sebum production in the skin (Saric S 2016). ⠀
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✅SPF⠀
Again alongside your antioxidants, SPF is also a must to maintain skin health, prevent photodamage which can lead to a whole host of skin concerns in addition to collagen breakdown which in turn makes the pores appear larger as the skin looses some of its firmness. I used to absolutely hate, hate, hate wearing an SPF but with some amazing textures now available this step is definitely becoming more pleasurable. ⠀✅Retinoids
The only skincare ingredient that has truly made a “huge” difference in minimising the appearance of my pores is Retinoids. So ensuring that you have a good retinoid in your routine to suit your level of skin tolerance will be important to boost collagen, stimulate cell turnover (preventing clogging) and keep the appearance of pores “looking” small. . . ✅Tools
These will be tools that help massage blackheads to help dislodge the blockage and bring them to the surface. I have a mini Foreo which I love for treating congestion around my nose and below my lower lip (chin) area. Scraper cleansing ultrasound tools can also be useful but if you do not have experience and skills to use them, you could run the risk of scraping your nose off( 😝).
✅Beauty Tip: Dip your cotton bud into a BHA solution or an AHA/BHA solutions and massage the nose area to gently dislodge and “help” bring to surface blackheads. I usually see a 10-15% improvement in my blackheads within 3 days of consecutive use and continue afterwards with a weekly massage and a long term skincare routine. If they are really bothering me the quickest way is to just book myself in for an extraction facial. .6 likesReply
✅Retinoids
The only skincare ingredient that has truly made a “huge” difference in minimising the appearance of my pores is Retinoids. So ensuring that you have a good retinoid in your routine to suit your level of skin tolerance will be important to boost collagen, stimulate cell turnover (preventing clogging) and keep the appearance of pores “looking” small. . . ✅Tools
These will be tools that help massage blackheads to help dislodge the blockage and bring them to the surface. I have a mini Foreo which I love for treating congestion around my nose and below my lower lip (chin) area. Scraper cleansing ultrasound tools can also be useful but if you do not have experience and skills to use them, you could run the risk of scraping your nose off( 😝).
