Understanding Congested Skin - Things that You Ought to Know

Congested skin can be the aftermath of a myriad of causes but there's one thing that stands out regardless - it manifests itself as rough and bumpy skin that sometimes looks dirty and dull. Having a congested face is one of the pitfalls and drawbacks of our hectic modern-day lifestyle that leaves very little time for a proper skincare routine. Facial congestion, however, is not a preserve for a given demographic subset. Anyone, from adolescents to adults in their 40s and 50s, can suffer from skin congestion if they don't take good enough care of their skin. Fortunately for you, this exhaustive guide is poised to help you overcome the various skincare hurdles that could be the main culprit for the bumpy congested skin that's proving hard to get rid of.

What is Congested Skin?

At this juncture, it is possible that you could be in a skincare dilemma laden with questions, "What is congested skin and what does congested skin look like?

Well, oily congested skin is typically characterized by a rough and bumpy face that is populated with multiple comedones and open pores. The comedones, especially, are typically the aftermath of a progressive build-up of dead skin and debris that is then further compounded by the lack of lymphatic drainage.

Simply put, having congested skin on face is the summation and compounding of a number of underlying things. This explains why having a congested skin facial profile is often accompanied by small whiteheads, blackheads, bumpiness just beneath the skin, a generally dull appearance and breakouts that are hard to explain.

Get Acquainted with Congested Skin Characteristics

Congested skin cheeks may be caused by having overactive sebaceous glands that could be triggered by a variety of factors such as an unhealthy diet, improper (or lack of a) skincare routine, hormonal fluctuations and using the wrong skincare products. Usually, congested skin tends to feel very bumpy and rough to touch. Besides, other than the prominent whiteheads and conspicuous blackheads, most of these skin imperfections usually occur on the T-zone and the cheeks.

Dealing with congested skin characteristics is definitely not easy or as straightforward as people wrongly assume. And this is major because the causes behind congested skin could be as varied and contrasting as you and me. That said, here are some of the most common ones.

• Excess dead cells stemming from a poor skin exfoliation regime or an abnormally high cell-turnover rate
• A build-up of sebum and excess oil
• Daily grime, dirt and environmental pollutants
• Expulsion of toxins from the body via sweat
• A poor skin cleansing routine
• Skincare products laden with toxins such as SLS, petrochemicals and parabens

That aside, lifestyle and genetics have a huge bearing in dictating how one's hormonal profile acts on the skin. As such, any congested skin meaningful treatment ought to revolve around these two factors.

Here's How to Clear Congested Skin

Compared to dealing with conventional acne spots or pimples, congested skin treatment is a little different and takes into account several things such as

• Changing and maintaining an optimum skin pH
• Keeping the skin sufficiently moisturized and well-hydrated
• Building a formidable immunity
• Keeping the skin scrupulously hygienic and clean without so much as damaging its exterior-most surface layers
• Stimulating cell turnover

Speaking of which, avoid harsh cleansers and scrubs as they are known to trigger inflammation which worsens congested skin rather than aid in your recovery. Besides, they can also dry the skin thereby aggravating a rebound oil production that causes further obstruction of skin pores.

For most people, congested skin remedies will typically revolve around these valuable pointers.

1. Take Care of Your Internal Health First

If you're looking for how to treat congested skin, then eating a balanced, nutritious and clean diet ought to feature among your top priorities and personal resolutions going forward. The diet should consist of a generous amount of high-quality protein sources coupled with low sugar, few or no simple carbohydrates and no processed foods whatsoever. Instead, aspire to eat a diet that is rich in fresh vegetables and fruits that substitutes simple carbs with complex ones such as whole grain and fiber-rich energy sources.

Still, on this, try to stay away from sugar and sugary foods as much as possible. A high sugar intake is associated with an increase in insulin which then translates to heightened sebum secretion. More sebum, as you would imagine, often implies more blockages and eventually higher chances of suffering flareups and unexplained breakouts. The same applies to simple carbohydrates that are known to cause similar sugar spikes.

Clearing congested skin ought to involve a wellness plan that prioritizes and ensures the following.

• Managing stress: One of the biggest inhibitors to clear skin is chronic stress. Fortunately, there's no shortage of ways through which you can keep depression at bay and stress in check. You will be pleasantly surprised how regular exercise, getting sufficient sleep and taking time breaks from a hectic schedule can go a long way in bottling those pesky hormones that are disrupting your skin's wellbeing.
• Flushing toxins: Drinking at least 2 liters of water daily (8 glasses) plays an incredible role in aiding the body's excretory efforts that are aimed at flushing out toxins from your system. There is a reason hydration is commonly referred to as an internal facial for congested skin. Drinking a generous amount of water in a day helps your lymphatic system excrete lingering toxins that would otherwise precipitate a breakout if left unattended.

2. Proper Skin Hygiene is Equally Important

Get into a habit of keeping the entirety of your skin squeaky clean and not just your neck and face. This means that you have to switch to a grooming regimen that takes into account seemingly miscellaneous things like regular hair brush washing, changing your pillowcases often and wearing clean and breathable clothes without fail. In addition to that, the following pointers could also come in handy.

• Switching to a mild detergent if you have skin that is sensitive to conventional washing powder.
• Making sure that your personal hygiene products don't have potentially irritating ingredients that could further aggravate your skin and make the congested skin worse.
• Avoid touching your face unnecessarily, it is one of the easiest ways of transferring germs and grime from the surfaces that we get into contact with all day to your precious face. Also, wash your hands frequently and certainly do not scratch, rub or pick any inflamed patches or pimples. Bursting pimples does nothing helpful for your skin, instead, all it does is drive the inflammation further into the skin making the comedones harder to get rid of in the long run.
• Decontaminate makeup brushes, eye-brow tweezers and an assortment of other tools that come into contact with your face on a regular basis.

3. Get the Right Skincare Products Suited or Tailored for Congested Skin

By now, it ought to be awfully evident that the specifics of how to clear congested skin is a little bit different compared to getting rid of other ordinary skin problems. You need a particular set of special cleansers, exfoliating patches, granulated scrubs and topical creams that are formulated specifically to deal with congested skin.

Here's a quick primer of some of them:

• Products for strengthening and nourishing your skin: You need a particular subset of nutrients accompanied by a matrix of antioxidants to improve and maintain the strength and health of your skin. Fortunately, AENO's Perfect Skin Pills for Severe Acne got you covered as far as this goes. The capsules are inclusive of inflammatory-combating agents that aid in the healing of comedones, whiteheads and blackheads whilst preventing new ones from sprouting in their place. Besides, the presence of 100% natural ingredients such as saw palmetto and zinc has been observed to go a long way in accelerating the clearing of congested skin even in people with very problematic skin.
• Targeted creams to heal congested skin faster: Build the immunity and strength of your skin by incorporating a cream that employs growth factors and antioxidants in its formulation. AENO's Acne Treatment Natural Cream is an incredible example of how you can replace traditional serums and lotions with a cream that is particularly designed to target and heal a congested complexion.
• Protect your skin from further damage via spot treatment: As soon as the tell-tale signs that herald the onset of congested skin show up, it is advisable to spring into action and start an acne spot treatment regimen to arrest further worsening of your skin. Speaking of which, none other acne spot treatment routine is better adapted for this than one with AENO's Acne Patches with Salicylic Acid in its heart. Aside from zapping out the upcoming comedones and stopping further spread of congested skin, these patches also prevent new breakouts from showing up and minimize the probability that acne scarring will follow after the congested skin has cleared.
• Shield your skin from environmental aggressors: Congested skin treatment entails not just getting rid of the whitehead and comedones but also protecting your complexion from the assault of UV rays and other environmental aggressors. That's the reason it's mightily important to have a non-greasy and water-based sunscreen in your skincare routine. Ideally, it should be light and rated with an SPF of at least 35 especially if you live in the tropics of are constantly outdoors.
• Mask, don't squeeze: Carve out some time from your busy schedule for a little bit of masking time if you happen to have badly congested skin. Masking is, in fact, an excellent alternative to squeezing and popping out itchy pimples which, more often than not, results in scarring or worsening of the breakout. A clay mask, for instance, has been observed to be helpful in extracting excess sebum from the skin whilst extracting impurities via the skin pores.
• Exfoliate religiously: Regular, consistent and timely exfoliation does not just get rid of dead skin cells that could be the culprit behind your dull-looking skin but also encourages cell turnover that brightens and lighten-up your overall complexion. What's more, it's also a good way of fading acne scars and marks.

In Closing - The Takeaway

There's no shortage of easy tweaks that you can employ to reduce skin congestion and get a step closer to having that elusive flawless complexion. The idea here, at the end of the day, is to aspire to work diligently with your skin rather than fighting it. Recognize that your skin is the last line of defense against foreign bodies and strive to support it through reinforcement with the right mix of antioxidants, soothing ingredients and hydrating complexes.