OFM Beauty: Learning the Curve of Congested Skin

Hot, puffy, sweaty, pimply! All these things are a sign of congested skin. With weather changes, diets, and even the way we treat ourselves, skin will respond in plenty of ways; congestion is not solely attributed to one factor, but can be an amalgamation of things in your daily life. 

Congestion in your skin is an accumulation of excess sebum, dead skin cells, dirt and grime from the day, as well as lymphatic drainage that was not… well, drained. Here are a few of the tips and ingredients that will help people with any skin congestion concern and hopefully lead to happy radiant skin. Firstly, it is key to remember that everyone’s skin is different, so what works for one person will not always work for everyone else, but what can be found here is a mixture of personal and professional opinions on reducing congestion.

Facial Massage

I know when you think of a facial massage, expensive spas with white robes and cucumber eye masks come to mind, but in actuality a daily massage while putting on your serums and moisturizers can really help with lowering puffiness in your face and lead to healthier skin, especially when accompanied by a gua sha (GuWa-Shaw; Chinese massaging stone). Using your hands or a gua sha in the morning allows the actives in your skincare to penetrate more effectively while also pushing out lymphatic drainage, giving your skin an immediate “sculpted” look. Estheticians and influencers have taken to using facial massages in their routine to transform their and their client’s skin for easy facial maintenance of congestion without adding an extra cost to your skincare bill.

Exfoliators

If you want to tackle your congestion from every single angle of skincare, using any sort of chemical and (some) physical exfoliators can really help clear up the skin’s congestion. Physical exfoliators are a quick way to get the easiest results for reducing congestion. Though, for longer and robust effects to help tackle extra sebum and giant pores and even breakouts, use a chemical exfoliant. Adding an AHA or BHA to your morning and/or night routine can transform dull-looking skin to a luminous canvas waiting to be touched or kissed (don’t forget your sunscreen!)

Antioxidants

Yes, Things like Vitamin C and Cherry extracts are not only great for evening skin tones and reducing texture, but antioxidants are great for helping fight free radicals. Free radicals are those stray molecules from pollution, cigarette smoke, and any other sort of negative emissions that bounce off of everything on a molecular level and can cause premature aging and, in some cases, congest the skin from the pollution it stems from. These two things are important factors for people living in densely populated areas such as big cities or near highways. It’s easy to fight premature aging and congested skin when you are using antioxidants in your routine. Just make sure you are consistent with application.

Purifying Cleansers

Not to overstate the paramount role your cleanser plays in a skincare routine, but your cleanser is what will prep your skin for what is to come while simultaneously ridding it of all the negativity. pH balancing cleansers and even purifying cleansers can help lower the visible congestion on the skin, giving you more freedom regarding what products you can use. Or even better, a soapless cleanser like a cleansing balm can really melt through the oil and dirt on your face if you are worried about stripping your skin of its natural moisture.

Finally, you may want to consider using products that are oil-free, even though they were created with acne-prone skin in mind. Eliminating any sort of heavy layers in your routine can reduce puffy skin without compromising moisture. With all this knowledge, stay bold, and stay beautiful