WHAT ARE BLEMISHES?
A blemish is a collective term for superficial āimperfectionsā on the skin. We believe theyāre just part of your skin journey ā after all, thereās no such thing as flawless skin. But we get that you may want a little more control over unpredictable skin. So, hereās everything you need to help you navigate breakouts, from when and why they appear to how to tackle them.
WHAT CAUSES BLEMISHED SKIN?
Besides your skin type, there are a lot of different factors that might be contributing to blemished skin. And once you know the potential culprits, youāll be able to handle them.
OILY SKIN & EXCESS SEBUM
The priority for blemish-prone skin is helping to reduce the risk of your pores getting blocked. If your skin type is oily (the skin type most likely to experience blemishes) then youāll likely be up on the benefits of managing your excess sebum. Consistency is key. Some simple skincare maths for you: two times a day, multiplied by one double cleanse, one purifying toner plus one gel-texture moisturiser equals blemished skin that looks clearer. Youāre aiming to help balance (not strip) your natural oils, and then restore the right kind of moisture to skin. Once youāve mastered that, youāve got a good thing going to help keep skin looking clearer.
EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE
Ensuring youāre not overdoing it when the sun comes out to play has a multitude of health benefits ā nothing new, right? But did you know that the sunās rays can also cause your skin to dry out, which causes sebum production to rev up? Just another reason to play it safe under those UV rays and include a good sunscreen in your skincare routine.
TOUCHING YOUR FACE
No surprises here ā when our hands are out and about in the world, they can touch a lot of surfaces that might contain bacteria and other nasty stuff that you donāt want to come into contact with your skin. Reality is that before you get a chance to wash your hands, you subconsciously touch your face ā many times, in fact. Adding this extra grime and gunk to your face creates more opportunity for blemishes to crop up.
DIET
Itās suspected that certain dietary choices can impact superficial changes in the skinās appearance. There are a few suspects, such as dairy, that are thought to be difficult for the body to digest in large amounts. If you reckon you might be reacting to something youāre eating, try a bit of detective work with a food diary to see if these foods are triggering more blemishes.
LACK OF SLEEP & STRESS
When we donāt get enough sleep, it doesnāt just leave us feeling groggy the next day. The effects are far-reaching. Firstly, it heightens our tendency to stress, which is said to cause androgen levels to spike, making our faces emit more sebum. Not ideal for blemish-control. When youāre depriving yourself of your full 8 hours, your immune system gets weaker, making your skin less capable of fending off blemish causes. Lastly, if youāre only getting cat naps, this lack of sleep will affect the bodyās ability to effectively repair cells, which it normally does more quickly overnight.
REMOVING MAKEUP
This one goes hand-in-hand with a good amount of sleep. Your bedtime skincare routine will affect your skinās ability to battle even one blemish meaning that if youāre not cleansing at night, youāre doing your skin a disservice. Removing the bad stuff youāve faced during the day and helping to reset skinās oil levels is key before you get to counting sheep. If you find youāre skipping a night-time cleanse because youāre simply too tired, try removing makeup and washing your face as soon as you get home. Be faithful to your morning and evening routines and your skin will thank you.
AIRPLANES
The artificial air in planes has a low humidity, which dehydrates skin. When oily skin gets dehydrated, our faces try to compensate by producing even more sebum. How to counteract this? When youāre next headed overseas, consider keeping a tube of moisturiser to hand during the flight to help keep skin hydrated with touch-ups. Regardless of flight time, you might also want to exfoliate when you get to arrivals to help rid your face of dead skin cells and then moisturise the freshly exposed skin cells to help rebalance moisture levels.
COMPROMISED SKIN BARRIER
Forget complicated scientific explanations, sometimes it comes down to this ā if the skincare products youāre using arenāt a good match for your skin type or unique needs, youāll be able to feel it on your skin. If youāve got blemish-prone skin, try looking out for non-comedogenic products. These are products that are specially formulated so as to not block pores. Equally, try not to wash your face with water thatās too hot, as you might disrupt your skinās natural balance, leaving behind an oil-heavy area for blemishes to thrive in.
A GO-TO INGREDIENT FOR OILY SKIN
OUR BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR BLEMISHED SKIN
TEa TREE SKIN CLEARING FACIAL WASH
Blemish-prone skin tends to be a little oilier, so an intensely cleansing face wash that helps to control excess oil is key if youāre looking to manage unpredictable skin. Our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash is the perfect first step in your routine, morning or night. Enriched with 91% natural-origin ingredients, including Community Fair Trade tea tree oil, it intensely cleanses and refreshes the skin, leaving it looking clearer. In fact, itās proven to reduce the appearance of blemishes in just 7 days*.
*Based on a consumer trial of 95 people.
TEA TREE SKIN CLEARING TONER
Purify being the buzzword for blemished skin, itās important to use a toner to help rid your skin of any lingering grime that wasnāt caught in the cleanse. Enriched with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil, our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner helps skin to look clearer and more mattified. After cleansing, shake and use a reusable cotton pad to sweep it across the face (avoiding the eye area).
TEA TREE DAILY SOLUTION
Want to help leave your skin feeling purified? The smallest of moves can make a big difference here, and our Tea Tree Daily Solution might be small but it sure is mighty. Enriched with purifying Community Fair Trade tea tree oil, it helps to smooth the appearance of bumpy-looking skin texture ā where the texture looks rough and uneven. Use after cleansing and toning but before moisturizing, morning and night, and itāll get to work.
TEA TREE OIL
Our Tea Tree Oil for blemishes is a little, targeted facial solution that helps to battle the appearance of blemishes. Apply as a preventive measure when you feel them arising or as and when you feel your skin needs something a little extra to help target blemishes. It is a handbag-friendly skincare savior so you can also use it for touch-ups on-the-go.
TEA TREE RAPID ACTION GEL
This pocket-sized product is targeted blemish busting at its best. Enriched with 95% natural-origin ingredients, this non-sticky gel formula feels fresh on the skin, gets to work immediately, and is proven to reduce the appearance of blemishes overnight*. It might be powerful but itās still gentle ā in fact, it puts in all that hard work without drying out skin.
*Based on a consumer trial of 105 people.
Tips to care for blemished skin
Drink water
Water is perhaps the most fundamental human need, but beyond keeping your body going it has benefits for your skin too. If we donāt get enough H20, skin can appear more dull or even become dehydrated, which can cause sebum to offset this lack of hydration, and increase the chance of blemishes developing. Itās said that drinking sufficient water also helps to prevent toxin build-up which can contribute to blemishes. So make sure you get enough of the good stuff to keep skin hydrated, and better equipped to keep your natural oils in check.
Change your pillowcase often
Thereās nothing nicer than falling into clean sheets. But did you know that clean bedding can also help to keep blemishes at bay? Every night you shed dead skin cells and lipids, which can build up on your pillow, encouraging bacteria to take root in your pores. At the very least, change your pillowcase at least once a week to help lower the chances of exacerbating skinās oiliness.
Get 8 hours of sleep
As skin cells naturally regenerate faster while you sleep, itās key to make sure youāre getting the right amount of time in the land of nod. Between 6-8 hours of sleep is what your skin needs to keep its natural cell regeneration process running as smooth as clockwork. Just think, in every day that means thereās 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work and 8 hours for whatever you like ā could that be why they say three is the magic number?