Pimples! To Pop or not to Pop?

Even if you are doing everything right with your skincare routine & your oil is well & truly balanced, every now & then a pimple can pop up & try to ruin your day (and usually right before a major event amiright?!).

The first place your brain naturally goes to is – “how do I get rid of it stat?”

 The second is usually, should I pop it or leave it alone?

Should you Pop?

It can be soooo tempting to push & test a pimple no matter what stage of its lifecycle it’s in but there is an easy rule of thumb you should follow when deciding whether to pop or not to pop. 

If it’s under the skin, leave it alone. If it has formed a whitehead, you have options.

Under the Skin:

Trying to “bring a pimple to the surface” by pushing & prodding it while it’s still under the skin is likely to actually increase the inflammation surrounding the pimple, so as frustrating as it may be, try to resist the urge.

What you CAN do? Try going to bed with a dab of our White Clay Mask over the pimple. The Kaolin Clay, Zeolites & Zinc content in our White Clay Mask have been proven to help speed up the lifecycle of pimples, bringing the gunk to the surface faster & accelerating healing time.

 If it’s Formed a Whitehead: 

If your pimple has a whitehead, you are in a better spot (pardon the pun) to make a choice. Be aware, that popping a pimple at any time has the potential to introduce further bacteria to your skin, but removing the contents may also help the pimple to disappear faster.

If you decide to pop, here are some tips to consider:

1. Cleanse your face first with lukewarm water, ensuring that your hands are clean and gently massage to remove dead skin & any harmful bacteria on your skin.
2. Dry your skin, gently patting it with a clean towel (don’t squeeze wet skin as it is more vulnerable to damage).
3. Ideally you use a clean comedone extractor (you can pick these up at most major online beauty retailers) as they will do the least amount of damage to your skin. To use one, centre the extractor over the blemish and VERY gently push the extractor down & across the pimple to release its contents. Repeat if necessary.
4. Once the gunk has been removed, follow with a light spot cleanse (we highly recommend our Lemon Myrtle Cleanser as the citral content in it is a natural antiseptic) of the blemish area to ensure not bacterial is left behind.
5. Follow with a non-comedogenic moisturiser.
6. Do not apply makeup until the blemish is dry.

If you are someone that suffers from scarring from pimples or acne, try to incorporate a Vitamin C Serum (such as our Moisture Boost Serum) into your routine as it will brighten skin tone, minimise redness & help your skin recover from scarring.

As always, any questions, please feel free to get in touch via hello@cactusskincare.com