The summer is finally here! We hope you are enjoying the weather.

After the past few years, we’ve never felt more in need of a relaxing summer holiday. The chance to unwind and rejuvenate is certainly something our mind and bodies need, but if you’re not careful then holidays can be less kind to your skin.

From sun damage to holiday break-outs, there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid!

Pre-holiday prep

Prevention is better than cure, and there are a couple of changes you may want to make to your skincare regime before you go away in order to benefit your skin.

‘We always advise our clients to use a consistent skin care routine, but the week before travel we recommend they stop using products that contain retinol as this can make the skin more sensitive to the sun’s rays.

During your holiday

While none of us would consider lying in the sun without applying sun protection product, it’s still incredible how many of us get it wrong, over exposing the skin and even burning. And while you might not be able to see the damage you are causing, changes will be occurring within the dermis. Sun protection products can be very difficult for the skin as well, so it is very immportant to find the right type that suits your skin. At ASPA we have the selection of sun protection products that suit every skin type.

If you’re prone to hyperpigmentation, just one hour in the sun, unprotected, can undo months of hard work you’ve put in looking after your skin. This is why it’s extremely important to use an antioxidant serum followed by sunscreen every day to maximise your skin’s defence and help stabilise the pigment producing cells. You should opt for a minimum SPF 50 and reapply every couple of hours.

After a relaxing day in the sun your skin will be in need of a thorough cleanse. If you don’t do this you expose yourself to the risk of the dreaded holiday break-out.  Constant application of sunscreen can equal congestions and breakouts, so when you’re back at the hotel, de-clog those pores and refresh skin with a double cleanse, ideally followed by a cleanising clay mask . 

You also want to ensure the skin doesn’t dry out, as this can leave pores open to bacteria and further holiday break-outs. Post sun exposure, it’s important to replenish the moisture skin may have lost during the day. A hyaluronic acid & vitamin B3 rich serum or gel is the perfect choice as they are light but effective at deeply hydrating the skin.

MORNING HOLIDAY ROUTINE
1. Single cleanse
2. Serum
3. Sun protection

EVENING HOLIDAY ROUTINE
1. Double cleanse
2. Cleansing Clay Mask
3. Serum

If you have any questions about your holiday skincare routine, please contact us via info@aspadirect.com

Kind Regards,
ASPA Team

Blackheads, also called comedones, are actually blocked pores.  When your pores become clogged by dead skin cells, sebum or dirt, the white or black dots that we call blackheads arise. Also known as blackheads. Most people have blackheads on their forehead, nose and chin.

Make no mistake, the little black dots are not the same as pimples. With a pimple there is always an inflammatory reaction and redness is visible. Nevertheless, blackheads can become an inflammation. If the blackhead remains on your skin for too long, the blackheads can still become inflamed and become a pimple.

What is the difference between white and black blackheads?
Many people think that blackheads are by definition black. However, that is not the case! Blackheads can be either black or white in color. The difference lies in the depth they are found in the skin.

Black blackheads are more on the surface of your skin. The black color is not caused by dirt in the pore, but by the reaction of sebum to oxygen. As soon as the blackheads come out more and come into contact with oxygen, you will see a black dot.

White blackheads lie deeper in your pore. This is the reason what makes them more difficult to remove than black blackheads. Because white blackheads have not (yet) come into contact with the air, they have a different color. You can often recognize them because they are small white balls under the skin.

What is the difference between a blackhead and a pimple?
Both blackheads and pimples are clogged pores filled with dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria. The big difference is only that a pimple has become inflamed and completely closed off. Because the sebum and dead skin cells cannot get out, your pimples get bigger and bigger and grow. The inflammatory reaction causes redness and a white head. So keep in mind that blackheads can easily turn into pimples. Do not squeeze blackheads yourself, because when they come into contact with bacteria, they can become inflamed and grow larger.
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How do blackheads arise?
How blackheads arise is simple. Your pore has become clogged with sweat, dead skin cells, traces of make up, foundation and an excess of sebum. Because this dirt has accumulated, the passage becomes clogged and blackheads arise. This applies to both white blackheads (closed comedones) and black blackheads (open comedones).
The cause for the development of blackheads can differ per person.

Below you will find the various factors that influence the development of blackheads:
1. Fluctuations in hormones, for example during puberty or pregnancy (increased sebum production)
2. (Bad) nutrition
3. Makeup, especially foundation
4. Aggressive ingredients in skin care products
5. Medicines
6. Medical condition
7. Dry skin (this prevents the sebum from leaving your skin)
8. Stress (increased sebum production)
Unfortunately, your skin can also have a predisposition to blackheads, luckily that doesn’t mean that nothing can be done about it.

How do I remove blackheads?
It can be very tempting to squeeze blackheads yourself, but be careful with this. As with pimples, scars can easily be left behind. In addition, a blackhead can also become irritated or inflamed even worse. That only makes the problem worse. We advise to have the blackheads removed by a skin therapist, so that you can get started with clean skin to prevent those blackheads.

OUR TIPS
1. Cleanse your skin with 2 different cleansers- DOUBLE CLEANSING
Just cleaning your skin with water is not enough to reduce blackheads. Throughout the day, your skin collects all kinds of dirt. This dirt is a combination of air pollution, makeup, sebum and dead skin cells. This dirt is not only superficial, but also deeper in your skin. By cleaning your skin twice, you first remove the superficial dirt and you already clear the way for your second cleanser. In this way, you ensure that dirt in your pores is loosened and cleaned up every day. In addition, a good cleaning ensures that your pores will clog less quickly and new blackheads arise. We recommend you to use our Double Cleanse by AZRA Botanical Simplicity which we offer for the very special price!

2. Exfoliate your skin regularly
Exfoliating is the most effective way to remove skin cells from the top layer of skin. If you quickly suffer from clogged pores, it is important that you regularly exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating your skin removes dead skin cells and accumulations of sebum. This reduces blackheads and prevents new blackheads from developing. Large pores are also less noticeable when your pores are clean.
Contact us to recommend you the best exfoliating option for your skin.

Are you used to using face scrub on your skin? Then stop that immediately! Scrubs contain hard, coarse particles that damage and irritate your skin. This can actually increase your sebum production and cause (extra) pimples and blackheads. In addition, blackheads are deep in your skin, making scrubbing pointless. Using a peel replaces the use of a scrub, however, the peel don’t do any damage like the scrub does.

3. Get your balance back
Blackheads are an indication that your skin is out of balance. Due to an imbalance in your skin, your skin barrier function is also less strong, which increases the chance of skin problems. Whatever skin problem you have, there is no single miracle product that can solve it for you. It is important to have a skin care routine that consists of ingredients that complement and work together. If your skin is well balanced, you prevent an accumulation of dead skin cells and an overproduction of sebum. The first step is to improve the hydration level.

4. Hydration
Even though you may think you have hydrated skin, don’t be fooled if you have oily skin. Many people confuse hydration with fat. The overproduction of sebum makes it look like you have hydrated skin. However, usually the reverse is true and your skin needs extra hydration.  Don’t go for a thick day cream or oil, as that will clog your pores.
Rather use a serum or an oil-free day cream with SPF. This not only protects the skin from the sun (drying out effect), but also provides hydration.

5. Stop Nasal Strips
It seems to work well, nasal strips where you can see all those white dots that you are pulling out of the skin. Only these masks or strips can cause more irritation, more blackheads or open pores! By pulling the strip, you pull both the blackhead and the protective layer off your skin. This temporarily seems like a good plan because hey those blackheads are gone. However, you will get more trouble with blackheads if your skin barrier is broken. So by using a strip more often, you will eventually get more blackheads, but open pores will also appear faster. In addition, research shows that blackheads come back if you remove them locally. So it is purely symptomatic, you do not solve the underlying problem. So get rid of this temporary solution.

6. Avoid irritating ingredients
Many people who suffer from impurities, including blackheads, reach for aggressive products in the hope that all impurities disappear. However, these products contain ingredients that irritate, dry out and worsen skin problems. Unfortunately, this also applies to ingredients that are natural. Just to name a few Ingredients that irritate your skin: alcohol and perfume.

7. Get help from a skin therapist at ASPA
Do you feel like you have tried everything to reduce blackheads, but to no avail? At ASPA we not only think along with you, but we also work with proven effective treatments to reduce blackheads.
We give you honest and professional advice and during the intake we look at what factors cause blackheads for your skin problem. We also immediately get started with a treatment plan to remove and reduce blackheads.

Do you have any questions or need our advice about reducing blackheads on your skin? Please contact us via info@aspadirect.com