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what's the difference between blackheads and sebaceous filaments picture comparison of blackheads vs sebaceous filaments

Are they blackheads or Something Else like Sebaceous Filaments?

The Real Deal with Acne Causes & Triggers

Underlying causes of acne

Underlying Causes of Acne & Breakouts (Infographic)

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Popular Reads

when mineral sunscreen hard to wash off - Here's how to wash off mineral sunscreen even if you have sensitive skin

Are you finding mineral sunscreen hard to wash off? Here’s how to wash off mineral sunscreen (even if you have sensitive skin)

Chin Acne and Jawline Acne: 8 Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Why Your Cleanser Might Be Causing Your Breakouts

KEEP IN TOUCH ON INSTAGRAM

🏭🌫️ Pollution can trigger acne!⁣⁣ ⁣

🏭🌫️ Pollution can trigger acne!⁣⁣
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Why:⁣⁣
→ This trigger is often worse for oily skin types, though particles floating around made by car exhaust fumes, factories, cooking, aerosol sprays, fires, candles, and more, land on the skin (and oily skin, unfortunately, does a great job of gluing that dirt to your skin).⁣⁣
→ The debris triggers inflammation, and since acne is an inflammatory skin condition, pollution can quickly make acne worse.⁣⁣
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🌲🌱🌲 What to do about it 🌲🌱🌲⁣⁣
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🌱 Don't skimp out on cleansing your skin in the evening. You want to ensure your skin can do its evening repair work unhindered by pollution and increased inflammation levels. Find the best cleanser for your skin with our handy quiz (go to the START HERE page on the website).⁣⁣
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🌱 If you're in an area with a lot of pollution, consider wearing a tinted cc cream (like our Nature's Veil CC Cream) or light foundation to help form a protective barrier that pollution settles on instead of directly on your skin.⁣⁣
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🌱 Sun exposure can cause increased inflammation levels which heighten the effects of pollution. Protect your skin from unprotected sun exposure with nature's sunscreen: zinc oxide skincare like our Summer Shade Day Cream or Calendula & Oat Facial Moisturizer ⁣⁣

⚫️ Blackheads⁣ → A combination of oil, dea

⚫️ Blackheads⁣
→ A combination of oil, dead skin cells and debris that have hardened into a dark-coloured ‘plug.’ ⁣
→ They’re the ones that, when extracted, almost ‘ooze’ out in a worm-like plug.⁣
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🟡 Sebaceous Filaments⁣
→ Pin-like dots that commonly appear on your nose and T-zone.⁣
→ These are the stars of ads promoting pore/nose strips and are definitely not blackheads!⁣
→ They’re also much smaller than a blackhead and produce a pale-yellow substance when extracted.⁣
⁣
🤔 Still not entirely sure which you’re dealing with?⁣
→ Well, everyone has sebaceous filaments, so there’s that. Blackheads or not, sebaceous filaments will always be present. ⁣
→ That being said, here’s another trick you can try: When you run your finger over the area do you feel hard bumps below the skin (blackheads) or does it still feel soft and smooth (sebaceous filaments)?⁣
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🍄 2 Balanced Skincare Routines For Clogged Pores & Congested skin⁣
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Routine 1:⁣
→ Cleanser: Green Tea & Pineapple⁣
→ Hydrator: Comfrey & Willow Bark⁣
→ Moisturizer: Balancing Bergamot⁣
→ Scrub: PHA Pore Purifying *⁣
* Use the scrub as needed in place of Green Tea & Pineapple Facial Cleanser. 1 - 3 times a week is my recommendation.⁣
⁣
Routine 2:⁣
→ Cleanser: Clarifying Sage⁣
→ Hydrator: Comfrey & Willow Bark⁣
→ Moisturizer: Mango & Pineapple⁣
→ Scrub: PHA Pore Purifying *⁣
* Use the scrub as needed. 1 - 3 times a week is my recommendation.⁣
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Get more details including extra notes and considerations by visiting our latest blog post! All the products mentioned above are available in our online shop 🛍

It's easy to see where the myth "you can't exfolia

It's easy to see where the myth "you can't exfoliate dry skin without making it worse" comes from because there is a TINY bit of truth to it!⁣
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💡 The thing is, if you over-exfoliate your skin, it will have a harder time holding on to moisture and staying hydrated.⁣
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💡 But, done right, exfoliating dry skin helps remove excess dead skin cells that lead to dull-looking, rough, dry skin.⁣
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💡 Done right, you also remove buildup that gets in the way of product absorption (which is crucial when trying to balance dehydrated or dry skin).⁣
⁣
So how do you ensure you get the benefits of exfoliation without overdoing it?⁣
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👯‍♀️ Avoid doubling up on exfoliating products. For example, if you're using an enzyme-based facial cleanser (these exfoliate!), you'll want to switch to a gentle cream-based or micellar cleanser without enzymes, AHAs, BHAs, or other exfoliating acids before you add a facial scrub to your routine.⁣
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🧯 If your skin is experiencing redness, sensitivity, or a burning sensation throughout the day, that's a good indicator that your skin's protective barrier is considerably compromised. This can quickly happen with common acne, or "anti-aging" focused routines that contain a lot of actives (especially when used in combination or a high %) that exfoliate the skin.⁣
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🌼 Pick a gentle exfoliating product that hydrates and soothes while sloughing off dead skin cells, like our PHA scrub with aloe, calendula, and barrier-building jojoba oil.

Pay close attention to days 15 - 24 of a typical c

Pay close attention to days 15 - 24 of a typical cycle - this window of time determines a lot about whether you'll get acne before your period starts.⁣
⁣
Day 15 - 19 ⁣
→ Estrogen and testosterone start to decrease⁣
→ Progesterone begins to increase⁣
→ This is a KEY TIME to tweak your skincare routine.⁣
→ Progesterone starts to increase oil production and can bring on a surge of inflammation.⁣
→ This means there's less room in our pores and a higher potential for clogged pores.⁣
→ The conditions our skin is facing create the perfect storm for acne breakouts.⁣
🔥 Skincare Recommendation: Use a product that actively reduces inflammation, like our Comfrey & Willow Bark Hydrating Toner and Safflower Support Facial Moisturizer.⁣
⁣
Day 20 -24⁣
→ This is the time to ensure you're using a product that delivers a potent dose of acne-fighting antioxidants to your skin, combats congestion (since your pores are still primed for becoming clogged quickly), and blocks harmful bacteria from multiplying.⁣
→ Progesterone is at its peak.⁣
→ This is when breakouts related to our menstrual cycle are most likely to show up.⁣
🔥 Skincare Recommendation: Our Mango & Pineapple Facial Moisturizer.⁣
⁣
For more info on what happens day by day during a typical hormonal cycle, check out the latest blog post over at groundedsage.com. ⁣
⁣
❗️Don't have a typical hormonal cycle? 𝗠𝗲 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Check out the P.S. at the bottom of my latest blog post - it might be written just for you!

MYTH: Dry skin requires a thick facial moisturizer

MYTH: Dry skin requires a thick facial moisturizer.⁣
⁣
While it's a myth that dry skin requires a thick moisturizer, I'm the first to admit that sometimes they feel oh-so-good to apply! I'm also not going to stop you from applying whatever feels best to YOU...⁣
⁣
BUT.... you should know what the temptation to always reach for a super thick cream can be doing to your skin.⁣
⁣
THE TRUTH:⁣
⁣
💡 Thick moisturizers can take longer to absorb, which can block pores.⁣
💡 This can lead to clogged pores, blackheads, and breakouts, depending on what the moisturizer is made out of.⁣
💡 That also means that your skin might absorb only some of the goodness that thick cream offers.⁣
💡 Lighter formulas typically get to work faster by absorbing readily. They quickly deliver beneficial nutrients to your skin - exactly what we want when trying to hydrate and heal dry skin.⁣
💡 Lighter formulas can, when well-formulated, deliver just as much barrier-repairing support, moisture, and deep hydration to the skin as thick creams (in fact, when it comes to hydration, they perform better)!⁣
⁣
If you have dry skin, look for ingredients that...⁣
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✅ provide hydration like aloe vera, fruit extracts (like cucumber or kiwi), floral extracts (like rose or calendula), and herbal extracts (like green tea). Hyaluronic acid is also a great hydration-boosting ingredient.⁣
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✅ provide barrier-building essential fatty acids like those found in jojoba seed oil, safflower seed oil, or pomegranate oil.⁣
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✅ protect your skin from hydration loss, especially if you're prone to dry skin, no matter what season it is. Protective ingredients that won't clog pores include mango butter and shea.

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