Skin congestion can be very annoying. I know the struggle because my pores get filled and very fast for that matter. If I’m not regularly clearing them, I know before long, my skin will feel rough and begin to look bumpy. In case you are wondering, congested skin aka clogged pores aka closed comedones are not like pimples. They are those tiny little bumps you feel under the skin, usually in clusters and usually not very visible. Clearing them is really easy especially if you know what to do and you have the right products. Here are some ways you can constantly keep your pores unclogged.
1. Use skin clarifying products.
Products with clarifying botanical extracts like willow back, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, apple, kiwi and tomatoes can really help to detoxify and clarify the skin. Commonly known as fruit enzymes, they are very popular in Asia and you’d find them in many Korean skincare products. Witch Hazel, an astringent also has powerful decongesting properties and more so excellent for fighting acne.
2. Exfoliate!
While AHAs like Glycolic Acid and Mandelic Acid help to get rid of dead skin cells by exfoliating the surface of the skin, BHAs really go deep into the pores to remove oil, impurities and dead skin cells that could eventually clog your pores and cause breakouts. Salicylic acid is a widely-known, effective BHA. Betaine Salicylate, also very similar to Salicylic acid, at certain percentages works as an effective skin-decongesting ingredient.
3. Avoid Silicone / Pore-filling ingredients
In as much as silicone products (and its other cousins) help smoothen skin and gives you that airbrushed, flawless finish, it can be one of the reasons why oily/ acne prone skin is clogged. Dimethicone, a silicone based polymer, commonly added to primers, foundations and lotions trap moisture (which isn’t a bad thing) but also trap bacteria, facial oils, sebum and other impurities that would most likely cause acne. Apart from that, I personally find that products with silicone really just sit in my pores and make my skin look unnecessarily bumpy.
4. Try clay, mud or charcoal masks
What these three skincare ingredients have in common is their ability to draw impurities out of your pores to the surface of the skin so that you’d be able to rinse them off easily. Clay, mud and charcoal are especially good for people who also suffer from large pores and oily skin.
5. Go for facial extractions
They involve the manual extraction of gunk from your pores by a licensed skincare professional. This procedure is really to jump start the process of getting your pores unclogged. However, you’d still need day-to-day preventive treatments so after extractions make sure to still incorporate products that will help you unclog your pores.
