Pimples - causes, importance and the right care

Oh no, who has crept onto my face again? An uninvited guest called a pimple. Everyone knows blemishes only too well. Especially during puberty, hormonal fluctuations cause a lot of unrest in our skin. But pimples are not just a hormone problem, they can be caused by much more than that! Pimples, blackheads and the like can have many causes. Incidentally, my first reaction back then was often to dig concealer out of my bag and try to cover up the pimple in spots. Although I was able to remove it from my field of vision for the moment, I skillfully concealed the cause. So what can I do to get rid of the pimples in the long term? Warning, small spoiler:

But before we get to products and skincare routines, Tone let's start with the basics: not all pimples are the same. The skin type is very sensitive to external influences and is also influenced by hormones, stress and an unhealthy diet. blemish prone skin manifests itself in the form of blackheads, pimples or inflammation, which look different and are scattered in different places on our face. blemish prone skin can therefore be recognized by the texture of your skin surface.

As I said, it is super important to learn more about their origin and causes in order to be able to take effective action against them blemish prone skin . And it is precisely this pimply case that I would like to tackle with you today and understand what the appearance and location of blackheads and pimples mean in order to get rid of them in the best possible way and achieve a healthy complexion. Because if we know the cause, it is much easier to effectively counteract the pimples. So attack:

I would like to take you with me in this article and explain it to you:

1. What are the differences between pimples?  
2. What does the location of the pimples say about the cause? 
3. Which ingredients should I avoid if I have blemished skin? 
4. Which ingredients help to get rid of spots? 

1 What are the differences between pimples?  

We can distinguish between blackheads and spots. They are caused by excess sebum production and consist of sebum and dead skin cells. This clogs or inflames the sebaceous glands or hair follicles. The excess sebum therefore has no chance of escaping. 

You probably know blackheads, also known as comedones, as the little dots on your nose. If you look at them more closely, you may notice that there are open comedones (blackheads) and closed comedones (whiteheads). The closed whitehead practically shimmers through the skin. As more and more sebum accumulates, pressure is created under the skin, causing the plug underneath to move upwards to the surface of the skin. This part of the blackhead oxidizes through contact with air. When viewed from the outside, a black dot forms. This dark discoloration is therefore not dirt, but the oxidized part of the blackhead. Hence the name blackhead. And if these blackheads come into contact with bacteria and become inflamed, the blackheads turn into pimples - also known as papules in technical jargon.

Blackheads change the appearance of our skin. Micro-inflammation, seborrhea, hyperkeratosis and microbial colonization can develop. Did you switch off at the second of these terms at the latest? Understandable! It all sounds very complex, but it's easy to explain. So let's start from the beginning: 

• Micro-inflammations are caused by our personal predisposition or by the hormonal changes already mentioned. These factors promote inflammation and micro-comedones are formed, which cause blemishes. 
• Seborrhea refers to the overproduction of sebum, which leaves a greasy film and promotes skin blemishes. 
• Hyperkeratosis is the thickening of the outer layer of the skin, i.e. the horny layer. The sebum cannot drain away as the sebaceous follicles are blocked by the dead and keratinized cells.
• Microbial colonizations are bacteria that are found on the surface of the skin and multiply due to excessive sebum production. 

And now to our beloved pimples. As described above, they are formed by blackheads that come into contact with bacteria and become inflamed. So when we talk about pimples, we also mean clogged pores. The blackhead becomes irritated and the surrounding skin reacts with redness. Pus can also form, which becomes inflamed. Oil and sebum can no longer drain away easily. 

As I said, the appearance of our skin and the location of spots say a lot about the cause. 

• Rather small and reddish lumps indicate hormonally induced pimples. An unhealthy diet, too little exercise, unbalanced intestinal flora or hormonally active ingredients and medication also play a role here.
• If the pimples are rather pointed, small and barely filled, there appears to be an increased level of inflammation in the body.
• Skin-colored and tightly packed pimples and deposits can be caused by bacteria or old dead skin cells.
• If a red and irritated circle forms around the pimple, this indicates that your skin is overstressed. Your skin may be overstimulated by aggressive skin care products such as scrubs, face brushes, too frequent Cleanse or over-care. You could also have a contact allergy.

But let's take a closer look at our face. Depending on where the pimple is located, there may be a different cause.

2. what does the location of the spots say about the cause?

Our skin simply provides so much information about our health. I myself am always amazed at how the location of a pimple tells me where something is wrong. This is because certain localizations reflect the state of our organs. Our face shows us quite quickly what might be going wrong in our body. By analyzing the localizations, we want to find out why we have the uninvited guest to face . What do I mean by localization? The hairline area, the area around the eyebrows, the nose and forehead area as well as the cheeks, mouth and chin, jaw and neck area - these are all typical places where pimples prefer to be. 

Let's start at the "top": 

Hairline

The possible causes of pimples around the hairline are obvious: after all, Moisturize we like to use all kinds of products on our hair, which are not always rinsed out completely. Residues from facial cleansing, Haircare and styling products tend to accumulate in the hairline area, irritating the skin and causing pimples.

Eyebrows

If we look a little further down, we come to the spots between the eyebrows. These can be traced back to the liver, which can be overwhelmed by a fatty diet or a glass or two of alcohol. 

Pimples on the forehead

Continue to the forehead and nose, the typical "T-zone". The T-zone is a sensitive area and is only too happy to react to stress and the like. There is an increased number of sebaceous glands here, which are susceptible to blockages. A particularly good cleanser is therefore extremely important. 

Temples

Do you know this? Those little pimples on your temples? We always like to conceal them with our hair, but of course that doesn't make them any better. In fact, cleansing products, make-up or even the remnants of environmental influences tend to accumulate here. As with the hairline, this quickly leads to clogged pores.

Cheeks

A trigger that is more than obvious, but which we often don't have on the "(picture) screen": Our smartphone or office phone is a popular collection point for bacteria. Many bacteria also remain on our hands and it's not easy to resist constantly touching our faces. At least that's how I feel. But many different types of bacteria settle on the hands. What's more, pimples on the cheeks can spread quickly. So don't squeeze them out: This is because the pus from a squeezed pimple spreads its bacteria to other pores.

Acne also often appears on the cheeks.

Chin and mouth area

Hello, typical period pimple! This is where our hormones really come into play. Our period often announces itself with pimples in the chin and mouth area. But stomach and intestinal problems can also be triggers. So a healthy diet without bad fats is particularly helpful here. As always, drink plenty of water to flush out toxins. After all, we want to have a balanced intestinal flora. The crease between the mouth and chin is also a popular place for make-up residue. So we can't say it often enough: thorough and regular facial cleansing is the be-all and end-all.

The extent of the actual connection between diet and spots is still being debated. However, there is no question that there is a certain influence. Hormones influence blood sugar levels, which in turn can increase insulin levels and stimulate sebum production. So: keep an eye on your diet! (We will be discussing the topic of nutrition and skin in detail on the blog in November - stay tuned).

And last but not least, we look down at our neck and décolleté.

Neck and décolleté

If you feel these areas, you will notice that the skin is rather thin and tends to react sensitively. Perfume or fragrances in cosmetics can be the trigger. Or sweat that accumulates in skin folds and blocks the pores.

Now that we have (hopefully) discovered the cause of your pimples and blackheads, it's time to tackle the pimple case! You'll probably be interested to know which ingredients and skincare routines you can use to get the blemishes under control in the best possible way.

3. which ingredients should I avoid if I have blemished skin? 

There are various ingredients that you should avoid if you have blemished skin. I have summarized them here to give you a better overview:

• Dehydrating alcohols: Otherwise, the skin will only produce more sebum, resulting in more spots.
• Fragrances: Fragrances and perfumes can irritate the skin and upset its balance. 
• Fat, heavy oils: Here it depends on the degree of comedogenicity. Listen to our podcast episode about this "Comedogenic ingredients - are there really Actives that trigger pimples?" in. Here Romy explains what comedogenicity means and which studies the lists of comedogenic ingredients are based on.
• Mineral oils: Paraffins and the like seal the skin and prevent sebum from draining away.

4 Which ingredients help to get rid of pimples? 

The good news is that blackheads and pimples can be kept under control relatively well with the right care. The following ingredients are particularly good helpers:

• Retinoids: They regulate sebum production and Treat antioxidative . But be careful during pregnancy and breastfeeding. You should avoid retinoids here.
• Fruit acids: AHA/glycolic acid and BHA/Salicylic Acid in particular renew the skin's appearance, are antibacterial and allow sebum to drain away better.
• Easy oils to Cleanse: like dissolves in like without drying out unnecessarily.
• Antioxidants: Vitamin C and Niacinamide Protect make the skin more resistant and therefore less susceptible to inflammation. They also Treat have an antibacterial effect.
• Moisturizers: They moisturize and rebalance the skin without weighing it down or clogging the pores.
• Zinc and Camomile: Both substances can be found in our Spot cream. Zinc The zinc oxide contained in this product has an antimicrobial effect and anti-inflammatory, which means that a developing or already fully blossoming pimple subsides more quickly. Camomile has long been known for its healing effect and helps the skin to regenerate. 

Our Spot cream

For the direct care of spots.

To the product

Our products can be a great help for blemished skin. You can also achieve good results with AHA, BHA and Retinal products. For spot application, it is best to use our Spot cream. 

This is what an exemplary skincare routine could look like for you. Of course, every skin is individual, but we have at least had good experiences with this routine. 

Morning routine:

• The key element is definitely a thorough and regular cleanser AM and PM. You should use a cleaner that is as mild as possible and does not foam. Our mild Cleansing Oil. It cleanses your skin gently without irritating it. Simply apply Cleansing Oil to damp skin apply, rinse off and dry your skin.
• Subsequently the Zinc toner as a toner and dab dry with a pad to remove the last residues.
• Instead of "heavy" creams, I recommend using light care products. The soothing and moisturizing aloe vera gel is sufficient.
• With Argan Oil or Jojoba Oil you can make gel a little richer if your skin needs more moisture.
• sun screen is important, as the radiation can increase impurities. Light factor 30 or 50 should be used every day.

Evening routine:

• The Cleansing Oil directly onto the make-up apply to remove it and then rinse with lukewarm water rinse-off. If you don't wear a lot of make-up or like the double cleansing effect, you can use the Cleansing Gel use the The chamomile extract it contains soothes your skin while washing and has a pleasant fragrance.
• With the AHA peeling remove the dead cells and excess sebum build-up. However, if you have severe acne, you should avoid the product as the active ingredient may be too active.
• Alternatively, you can also use the retinal cream or the retinal serum can be used. This regulates sebum production and prevents blemishes. It is better to start using AHA peeling and Retinal products two to three evenings a week and slowly increase the amount once your skin has become accustomed to the new Actives .
• Finally, you can apply our Spot cream directly onto the pimple apply and thus tackle it overnight. 

By the way: To take action against blemish prone skin , we have even created an entire blemish prone skin set developed.

My personal tip for you:

Observe, recognize, interpret and correctly Moisturize! As I said, your skin condition says a lot about the causes under the skin. Your skin always deserves a holistic view. In addition to hormones, health, diet and skin care, stress is also a significant factor. You should avoid stress as much as possible, as the stress hormones can influence acne or even make it worse.

In addition to the right skin care, I can recommend a skin cleansing treatment with a beautician. And please: Do not squeeze out pimples yourself, as this is not hygienic enough. Also try not to touch your face too often, as this is only too likely to spread bacteria. 

We have more blog posts with tips that might be of interest to you: 

• blemish prone skin - Causes & tips for correct care 
• Pimples after stopping the pill - causes and tips

Or listen to our podcast episodes on the topic:

• The right way to deal with blemished skin
• Impurities after stopping the pill - background and tips
• By Bye blemishes - What you can do against pimples and acne

Und wie immer: Pass auf dich auf, sei gut zu dir und vor allem: sei geduldig. Eine Verbesserung wird aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach nicht direkt nach den ersten Tagen oder Wochen ersichtlich sein. Aber mit einer ganzheitlichen Betrachtung, einer sensiblen Beobachtung deines Körpers und deiner Haut und der Umstellung auf die richtige Pflegeroutine wird deine Haut bald wieder so strahlen wie du! <3