If we hold our breath, even for a few extra seconds, we suffocate badly. The uneasiness is unsettling. Our skin feels the same sometimes. We unknowingly suffocate our skin sometimes and that can cause some serious consequences. Imagine HOW our skin must feel like. We must let our skin breathe and take care of it, otherwise, issues like severe acne formation, blackheads, excessive oiliness, and whiteheads, might grant you ‘Bad Skin Days’; and who wants that?!
But at times, it is not entirely our fault. There are several environmental stressors, bad skincare habits, regularly touching, and unfit skincare products that lead to this. And by ‘this’ we mean – SKIN CONGESTION. It is a common issue faced by several men and women out there. So, do not get scared by it. Regardless, you must act upon it promptly to avoid severe skin issues.
In today’s article, we will unfold the main issue at hand, along with –
- What causes skin congestion
- Skin congestion treatment
- Products for skin congestion, and well;
- How to clear skin congestion
WHAT IS SKIN CONGESTION?
As mentioned earlier, our skin has pores and when they get blocked due to excess sebum, sweat, impurities, long hours of makeup, etc., skin congestion takes place. Our skin feels trapped and suffocated. This build-up of unwanted debris leads to breakouts, blackheads, dullness, and bumpy skin.
WHAT DOES SKIN CONGESTION LOOK LIKE?
You must be wondering how to identify congested skin, well, it is easy. Simply brush your hands on your face and feel your skin texture. If it feels oily, sticky, bumpy, or overly rough; you might have skin congestion.
Here are other visible signs of skin congestion:
A. SKIN DULLNESS AND RAISED IMPERFECTIONS
Notice how your skin feels after skipping a few days of skincare? It feels lifeless and dull. Your skin is then undernourished and dehydrated. More than pampering your skin, you must help its repair and maintenance. Other than looking dull, you will notice that your skin issues also have aggravated resulting in bumpy skin.
B. ACNE
Yes, the devil of it all! Acne can be a nuisance for more than one reason. The redness and itchiness of pre-acne formation, the bumpy pimple stage, and the post-acne scars/marks seem to take a decade to fade away. Yes, we might be exaggerating here a bit; but that’s what it feels like to deal with acne.
Acne is formed when clogged pores and impurities nestle on your skin and bacteria start acting up. Acne can worsen due to consuming dairy or dairy-based products. So, watch out for that.
C. OILY SKIN
Excess sebum production in our skin’s glands leads to oiliness. Some people experience partial oiliness in the T-zone. And where there’s oiliness, there’s acne. So, you see these issues are interrelated.
D. WHITE AND BLACKHEADS
When oil, sweat, dirt, and makeup, start accumulating in your hair follicles, you may see bumps on your skin’s surface. Now, when this deposit is exposed to oxygen, it turns black and forms blackheads.
Whiteheads are caused due to the same reason; however as the name suggests, they are white in appearance. Unlike blackheads, whiteheads are formed under your skin. As they are not exposed to air, they don’t go through oxidation and remain creamy white.
E. OPEN PORES
The pores on our skin are exit gates for sweat, oil, and other impurities. And some pores get larger enough to attract dirt particles, oil, and sweat that settle on your skin’s surface. Although pores are better open as they allow your skin to breathe, large pores as said are not helpful
3.PRODUCTS FOR SKIN CONGESTION TREATMENT
A. USE A MILD, ORGANIC CLEANSER
Cleansing is the crux of skincare. No matter what skincare routine you follow, cleansing is an important part of it. Now, in this case, if you are experiencing skin congestion or major acne breakouts, please only use mild cleansers, preferably 100% ORGANIC. As for chemicals, colorants, and strong fragrances can be too harsh for your skin in such cases.
Double cleansing is also advised in case of extreme skin congestion, to remove every last bit of grit from your facial skin.
iORA’s Prebiotic Foaming Cleanser comes attached with a silicone exfoliating brush. When pumped, the facewash in the bottle rises to form a luscious foam that you can directly use against your face for cleansing. The soft bristles will scrub off all the excess oil deposits, dust, and dead skin cells without hurting your skin’s surface.
B. HYDRATING FACE SERUM
Skin congestion treatments often include a hydrating face serum that washes out the dullness.
Proper nourishment is necessary for your skin at all times. A face serum helps provide this nourishment as it seeps into your skin’s layers and works from within. Watch out for serums that have hydrating ingredients like – Hylarunoic acid, Cucumber extract, green tea extract, aloe vera extract, etc.
We recommend you use iORA’s Prebiotic Radiant Serum which has all the hydrating ingredients mentioned above along with Magnolia extract and Vitamin C. Use this serum daily under your make-up and as a part of your daily skincare regime. You all know the wonders Vitamin C does to your skin, and magnolia extract prevents pimples and helps skin fight free radicals. Not just that, it also makes your skin feel plumpy, healthy, and naturally nourished. So, this is the best face serum for skin congestion, dryness, uneven complexion, and hydration.
C. APPLY CLAY-BASED MASKS REGULARLY
Invest in good clay-based masks as they help detox your skin very effectively. Extra oiliness, dirt, dead skin cells, etc. can be eliminated with a good deep-cleansing clay mask. Most people think that clay masks are only for oily skin and that they can be very drying. But, that’s a myth because when you use the rightly formulated clay mask, it can be super hydrating. – quite opposite to what’s often assumed.
If you are in search of a great clay mask that won’t dry your skin but rather soothe your skin, do try iORA’s Rejuvenating Prebiotic Clay mask. It is made up of dead sea mud/minerals, Kaolin Clay, and superfood extracts. Apply this mask for 7 to 8 minutes on your face and feel it nourish your skin from the deepest layers. It helps reverse sun damage, deep-cleanse, regenerate elastin, hydrate and replenish your skin.
4. HOW TO CLEAR SKIN CONGESTION?
– 10 Healthy Skincare Habits…
Apart from using the right products, you must have good skincare habits daily. The below-mentioned tips (habits) will only make your skin glow healthy and accelerate the progress of your skincare products.
I) EXFOLIATE
Exfoliating is as important as cleansing. Washing your face with a cleanser helps you clean the skin’s surfaces, but exfoliating makes sure all the dead skin cells, and residual debris is eliminated properly. One must indulge in gentle face scrubs twice a week.
II) ICE THERAPY
Ice makes your skin go lumpy, decreases the chances of pimple formation, and also de-puffs dull and tired skin. Therefore, make it a habit of rubbing two ice cubes on your face every day
III) USE NATURAL PEELS TO SHED OFF DEAD SKIN CELLS
Natural peels are a great treatment for taking off dead skin cells. You can make your natural peels at home or buy organic natural peels from the market.
IV) SPOT TREATMENT
If you struggle with patchy pigmentation or acne-related issues, you must opt for spot treatment. It helps you cater to a specific problem area specifically
V) WIPE THAT SWEAT
During summers, gym sessions, or vacations, where you tend to sweat tremendously, keep a hand towel with you and constantly keep wiping sweat off your face. Once the sweat dries on your skin, it settles down in your pores and causes skin congestion. So shower post-gym and keep wiping off sweat while you are outdoors
VI) USE CLARIFYING MASKS REGULARLY
A clarifying mask cleanses your skin and makes sure your pores are clean. Apply a clarifying mask once a week.
VII) AVOID HEAVY MAKEUP
Remember, heavier the makeup; heavier the build-up. Avoid layering too much makeup on your face. This clogs your pores and causes the skin to break out. Especially people who experience active acne frequently, or who suffer from congested skin must avoid makeup at all costs. This will only worsen your situation. Make sure you use it frequently, apply light make-up products, and make sure to take it off in a few hours.
VIII) USE GEL-BASED OR WATER-BASED SKINCARE PRODUCTS
Just like makeup, you must use lightweight formulas when it comes to skincare products. You can avoid make-up but not skincare, right?! Plus, water-based formulations are hydrating and refreshing for your skin, anyway.
IX) DRINK WATER AND TAKE YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP SERIOUSLY
Yes, the same old advice for every skin care issue! We know, right! But that’s because your body, mind, and skin need to rest and stay hydrated at all times, no matter what.
Try drinking Detox water which can be flavoured with your favourite fruits and fresh herbs. Drink healthy teas, and eat fruits like watermelon that have a high water content in them. You see, drinking water doesn’t only mean plain water. Make habits fun to follow.
X) WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
Eating right is another important thing to follow. Consume healthy and fresh veggies, pulses, and fruits, daily while also allowing yourself to enjoy your cheat days once every month. Indulging in sugary foods can worsen your acne and skin problems.
Well, this was our take on skin congestion and all that tags along with it. We hope this article was informative yet engaging enough for our readers.
Until next time! Adios!
