We’re so excited you’ve brought soothing and clearing products that will have you breaking free from breakouts! Stick your new acne-clearing skincare routine on your bathroom mirror and follow along daily from Monday through Sunday to kiss blemishes goodbye!
But first, let’s take a deep dive into why your skin might be acne-prone and what products could complement your skincare ritual.
How Does Acne Form?
Don’t let acne ruin your day, it’s completely natural and almost everyone experiences it even if it feels like it comes at the worst time, hello first date! Acne can develop at any age and regularly appears on the face, neck, back, shoulders and chest. It’s more common during teenage years but we can also thank lifestyle choices and hormonal changes like pregnancy and menstruation.
Your pores connect the surface of your skin to the sebaceous gland which produces an oily substance called sebum, released continually into your hair follicles and skin. However, if the gland produces too much sebum, the pore can become clogged with dead skin cells, oil and bacteria. This can lead to infection and inflammation around the clogged pore which is where a pimple forms - cue the Kim K crying face.
Types Of Pimples On The Face
There are three main types of acne which are non-inflammatory, inflammatory and severely inflammatory.
- Non-inflammatory acne includes blackheads, a clogged pore that has been exposed to air, and whiteheads, pores that are blocked but remain closed.
- Inflammatory acne includes mild to moderate papules and pustules. These are inflamed blemishes that look like a red bump or small yellow spots on the skin, they contain pus and are often painful to touch.
- Severely inflammatory acne are cysts and nodules that are strongly linked to hormones and genetics. They are highly inflammatory and rooted deep beneath the skin so have a high chance of scarring.
Is It Better To Pop Or Leave Your Pimples?
It’s important to be picky with your skin care but not your skin! It can be tempting to squeeze and dig at inflamed pores but our skin specialists advise that it’ll just make things worse. In the short term, you’ll simply make the pimple more inflamed and noticeable while delaying the natural healing process. Looking longer term, you may cause infection as you allow more bacteria into the pore while risking scarring.
Non-inflammatory acne, such as blackheads or whiteheads, is the only type of pimple that you should consider popping. These blemishes are often close to the surface so don’t require much intervention, some whiteheads may even look as though they’re ready to burst on their own. Before touching your acne make sure you wash your hands thoroughly then cleanse and exfoliate your face.
How Can You Clear Up Your Acne?
Change your skincare routine by cleansing once in the morning and twice at night, we know it sounds like a lot but hear us out. The first cleanse is to remove makeup and SPF while the second is to get deep into the pores to remove the day’s debris and built-up oil. Stay away from harsh cleansers that strip the skin of its natural moisturising qualities and reach for a gentle cleanser, like The Uncomplicated Cleanser plus Anti-Redness. This creamy product carefully removes all traces of makeup and impurities while reducing redness and cooling the skin with Tasmanian Mountain Pepper and aloe vera. Make sure to protect your sensitive skin by gently patting your face dry instead of harshly rubbing as this can irritate acne-prone skin.
It can seem like oiliness means hydration but these are actually two different things. It can be tempting to miss moisturiser because it feels like your skin is already oily but drying out your skin can actually make acne worse. Your skin will try to compensate for the dryness by overproducing oil so celebrate a hydrated and bouncy complexion by picking the right moisturiser that doesn’t leave your skin feeling heavy or greasy. Check out our Probiotic Skin Mylck to heal and strengthen hyper-sensitive skin.
Are you seeing acne on your cheeks? You might have your phone to thank for that, yes alongside blue light and midnight scrolling. You’ve likely always got your phone on you so it picks up a lot of bacteria which can be transferred to your face when you make a call. Give your screen a once over with antibacterial wipes to get rid of germs and think about switching to using speaker or earbuds. Oh and the same goes with touching your face, you’re constantly touching things like EFTPOS machines on a day of shopping so putting your hands on your face transfers that bacteria right onto your skin.
Not that we want to add more to your laundry list but not changing your pillowcase and bedding
can cause your skin to break out even if you’re double cleansing every night. Your pillowcase carries dirt, sweat and built-up products from your hair and hands so we recommend changing it every few days.
How Do I Get Rid Of Acne Scars?
If you need help improving the appearance of dark spots, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and marks caused by pimples then check out our Acne Scarring Solution Bundle. It focuses on healing, strengthening, stimulating collagen production, increasing cell turnover and minimising discolouration for a beautiful complexion!
The Best Anti-Bacterial Ingredients For Acne
The best acne treatment for your skin depends on the kind of breakouts you’re dealing with. We believe caring for your skin with soothing antibacterial ingredients is the best way to prevent acne and clear active breakouts.
Glycolic Acid For Acne
Derived from sugarcane, Glycolic Acid is a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that boosts moisture retention, reduces the appearance of scars, treats hyperpigmentation and brightens skin. It’s a potent exfoliator that removes dead cells from the topmost layers of the skin, preventing the overproduction of oil that leads to breakouts. It also stimulates fibroblasts in the dermis to produce collagen which leaves your skin feeling plumper with fewer fine lines.
Activated Charcoal For Acne
We know you can find activated charcoal in lattes, smoothies and toothpaste but what about your skincare? It’s basically wood burnt down to an absorbent powder, composed of carbon and ash that makes for a gentle exfoliant. Activated charcoal works like a vacuum for your pores with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that minimises the nutrients that acne feeds on, leaving you with a full face glow.
Bentonite VS Kaolin Clay
Any skincare products that use clay naturally purify, cleanse and detoxify your skin with absorbent properties that draw toxins and oil.
Bentonite draws heavy metals, impurities and chemicals from the skin to leave you with a clear and balanced complexion. Coming from volcanic ash, it has slightly more powerful oil absorption properties than kaolin clay which makes it perfect for extremely oily skin.
Kaolin Clay is the best option for sensitive or acne-prone skin that’s typically normal to dry. With gentle absorption properties, the mild white clay evens out skin tone and reduces redness while absorbing oil without affecting your skin's natural oil level.
Retinoids (Vitamin A) For Acne
Naturally occurring forms of vitamin a are some of the most effective treatments for acne and also happen to be a highly effective anti-aging ingredient. Its clearing capabilities allow the skin to unclog pores and reduce oiliness to stop breakouts before they begin developing.
What Products Work Best For Acne?
This is where we come in, say hello to your new esmi skin treats and start your daily ritual off with these naturally calming products for a radiant and soothed complexion!
Green Smoothie, But For Your Face
Our Anti-Redness Green Smoothie serum is the best product to treat skin redness, reduce puffiness and calm damaged skin. You’ll find it packed full of Tasmania lanceolate extract, a powerful antioxidant that speeds up healing along with anti-inflammatory arnica. It’s suitable for all skin types, although can be especially healing for acne-inflamed or damaged skin.
Buff The Bad
For a clearer and smoother complexion, our lightweight Detoxifying Exfoliating Charcoal Serum detoxifies the skin by drawing out underlying congestion and buffing away dead skin cells. Glycolic acid also loosens and breaks apart the bonds of skin cells to encourage softer skin. Simply drop it onto a charcoal brush or your fingers and massage it into freshly cleansed skin! Don’t be alarmed if your skin purges afterwards, just keep using it after your impurities have said hello to help the healing process. It’s important to also make sure you have rest nights during the week to let your skin recover and reset, which means not using retinol or exfoliating!
Don’t Be Wild, Stay Mild
Stay cool with our Anti-Inflammation Mint Gel Booster Mask that shuts down inflammation and breakouts with powerful natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. This lightweight gel will comfort red and irritated skin. Beautiful broccoli sprout rescues skin from inflammation and is a natural anti-inflammatory to reduce redness while wild mint is a rich antiseptic that prevents skin from developing spots and rashes.
It takes time for skin-clearing ingredients to kick in so be consistent with your treatments and give clearing acne treatments at least four weeks to do their thing. If you’re just getting started on your skincare journey, why not soothe unbalanced skin cells with our Oily & Breakout Skin Solution Bundle?
