How to Stop Picking Your Acne!

One of the worst things you can do for your acne is pick at it! Picking, scratching and squeezing leads to secondary infections, post inflammatory hyper pigmentation (PIH), and permanent scarring. But it's soooo tempting! I know you want control over that zit, not the other way around. Acne can feel like it's taking hold of your life, and taking out your anxiety on your breakouts feels good in the moment, but in the end, it's actually only making it worse. 

Here's 3 things to do instead of picking your pimples:

1. Ice it. 15-30 seconds is plenty, as you don't want to give yourself frost bite, but you do want to reduce inflammation. Acne is an inflammatory disorder, so icing is a great way to naturally reduce that inflammatory response. 

2. Blue LED. I use the Foreo ESPADA to spot treat blemishes as they appear. It automatically turns off after 30 seconds, but you can treat each blemish up to 4 times. It uses clinically proven LED therapy combined with t-sonic pulsation to get rid of acne in a way that's simple, effective and fast. The Blue light kills the p.acnes bacteria and the t-sonic pulsation helps drive that light into the skin for amplified results. 

3. Spot treat. Apply a dab of acne mask or spot treatment like the Acne Advanced Clarifying Masque or the Herbal Mud Treatment from Eminence Organics and leave on. 

And then HANDS OFF. You've just taken 3 great steps to help that blemish heal and gain power over it, so you can rest easy tonight, knowing you're going to wake up to a smaller breakout instead of a big ugly scab!

"Ok, but what if that pimple has come to a head and now has a big, very noticeable whitehead on it? Am I supposed to just leave it? I can't do that!"

Have a monster zit that just needs to go? This is the only scenario when it might be ok to touch it. If there is an obvious whitehead and puss is present, here's how to extract that pustule at home:

1. Start by cleansing and exfoliating your skin. I like to use the Stone Crop Oxygenating Fizzofoliant due to it's high pH, which helps soften pores. 

2. Apply a warm compress for 1-2 minutes.

3. Soak a needle in isopropyl alcohol and carefully puncture the centre of the pustule to relieve pressure. This is important to avoid rupturing the follicle. 

4. Wrap your index fingers with a tissue and gently apply pressure to either side of the pimple to extract the infection. Do not use your fingernails to dig at it. Once you see blood or clear fluid, stop. You may not get all the infection on the first try, and that's okay. Leave it and come back tomorrow if necessary. Resist the temptation to keep squeezing as you risk rupturing capillaries. 

5. Apply an antibacterial mask like the Acne Advanced Clarifying Masque for 10 minutes, then rinse. 

6. Hit it with some LED using your Foreo ESPADA. 

7. Finish with an acne treatment serum like the Acne Advanced Clarifying Hydrator, and don't forget your sunscreen during the day to prevent post inflammatory hyper pigmentation (PIH)! 

Happy pimple popping!