Sins of the skin

Blemish-prone skin can cause a lot of heartache in your life. It can stress you out and diminish your confidence. Needless to say, pimples are something you’d try to avoid at all costs, right?

So then why are so many of us committing some of the biggest skin sins out there?? The type of skin sins that actually cause the very pimples we’re all supposedly trying to avoid!

Not sure what I mean? Here are some of the most commonly committed sins of the skin – are you guilty of committing them?

Thou shalt not: pick your pimples

Think that a sneaky squeeze will help make that whitehead less noticeable? Sure, maybe for a minute or two it will, but after that the bacteria from your fingers and the air will be going gung-ho, leaving you with a larger pimple the next day. Plus, by picking and squeezing your pimples, you’ll be facilitating the spread of bacteria, making you more likely to have breakouts in a wider spread area.

Thou shalt not: suffocate your skin

You’ve got pimples so you should cover them up as much as you can, right? Wrong! While hiding your pimples under layers and layers of make-up might make your complexion look better from a distance, what it’s actually doing is suffocating your skin, blocking your pores, which is often responsible for causing pimples in the first place. If you don’t feel comfortable going out sans make-up, opt for mineral make-up, as it will enable you to create a clearer looking complexion, while still allowing your skin to breath.

Thou shalt not: be lazy

No matter how tired you’re feeling, if you want to avoid pimples it’s important that you cleanse your skin morning and night. Laziness is not an option! Going to sleep with your make-up on not only clogs your pores and causes all sorts of skin issues (think dullness and dehydration as well as pimples and blackheads), but the make-up that transfers onto your pillow also becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, increasing the chance of future breakouts.

Thou shalt not: strip your skin

When your skin is pimple-prone or oily, it’s easy to think that the answer to your problems lies in getting rid of oil at all costs. Unfortunately, this often leads to the use of products that are too harsh for your skin, which can strip your skin of sebum (the natural oils needed to ensure your skin stays healthy), leaving you with a complexion that not only still has pimples, but that feels dry, tight and irritated too.

To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, invest in a daily cleanser that’s specifically designed for oily or pimple-prone skin and is also gentle enough to not strip your skin. Clearasil Daily Clear Oil-Free Daily Gel Wash is an oil-free face cleanser that removes dirt and bacteria, without stripping, or over-drying your skin. In fact, it’s gentle enough to use twice a day!

Go on, be honest – which of these skin sins have you committed?