5 Must Have Products For Banishing Blackheads

They’re dirty, they’re stubborn and they come in clusters… it’s blackheads! When they’re not busy ruining good makeup days, blackheads are collecting bacteria and gaining strength in numbers.

They occur when the sebaceous glands work overtime to pool excess oil, dead skin and dirt in our pores. And all that idle debris gives your hungry cells some bacteria to feed on.

Blackheads are sophisticated and need to be tackled at the root. So, I’m here to help. Set aside your extraction tools and get ready to go deeper than ever before to banish your blackheads…

Caudalie’s Instant Detox Mask

If clay masks blow your rocks off, Caudalie’s Instant Detox Mask is your new blackhead banishing best friend. Lightly exfoliative and oh-so-absorbent, pink clay has already earned cult status in Australia. Now it’s taking on the rest of the world. Caudalie have combined pink clay with the detoxifying properties of grape marc to create a mask that absorbs the sebum pooling in your pores for sustainably clearer skin. Don’t believe me? Then believe the 100% of clinical trial participants that said this mask made their skin feel purified after 21 days of regular use.

Patchology’s Clean AF Wipes

The cleansing wipe industry has been hit hard by our ever-growing climate conscience. But they remain the most efficient on-the-go solution to our clogged pore woes. Enter: biodegradable cleansing wipes. Patchology’s Clean AF Wipes provide fuss-free cleansing with these folic acid rich sheets of biodegradable goodness. Known for its digestive advantages – no, the wipes aren’t edible – folic acid contains antioxidants that reduce the levels of oxidative stress that open pores up to blackhead-causing dirt, proving true that prevention really is better than cure.

Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength 2% BHA Exfoliant

Luxury no more – acid exfoliants have streamlined their way into affordable skin care. And BHAs are leading the blackhead banishing charge. Containing the most popular BHA in skin care right now, salicylic acid, this exfoliant is designed for use after cleansing and toning. The oil-solubility of salicylic acid means it penetrates pores at unreached depths, ultimately unclogging the plug and purging debris. Exfoliation, but not as you know it.

Odacite’s Mint + Green Tea Hydra-Purifying Treatment Mist

Fragrant? Yes. Invigorating? Yes. Making blackhead banishing so much easier? Yes, yes, yes! Odacite’s fresh AF mist means you’re only ever a spray away from pore purification. It blends the exfoliative properties of salicylic acid and blackhead battling willow bark with the unrivalled benefits of aloe vera and green tea extract to refresh and cleanse your skin whenever you spray. And remember, a spritz (or 5) a day keeps the blackheads away.

Sonya Dakar Silver Clarifying Wash

As skin care becomes increasingly complex, sometimes we need a little clarity. Sonya Dakar’s Silver Clarifying Wash takes blackhead banishing back to basics with a classic cream cleanser. It utilises silver ions to neutralise ‘bad’ bacteria and free your pores from dirty intruders. The combination of cleansing and oil-controlling chemicals achieves complexion perfection by purging pores of bacteria and leaving the skin’s surface clean and clarified.

All images sourced from the respective brands’ instagrams. Feature photo sourced from https://www.instagram.com/paulaschoice/.

4 Skin-Care Tips For Travelling

The cost of travelling (besides the hefty fee you’ve probably paid a travel agent) is your skin’s health. Travelling exposes your skin to in-flight dryness, intense UV rays, increased alcohol and junk-food consumption and a blasè skin-care routine. Amidst the pleasure and excitement of backpacking or holidaying, we momentarily neglect the skin-care routines that we took months honing at home.

When I boarded the plane to Australia 2 months ago, I knew that a 4 month backpacking adventure was far too long for a blasè skin-care routine. I’ve dedicated years to trying various treatments, medication and products to improve my once oily and acne riddled skin, and I had no intention of reversing its improvement.

So, here I am: a guinea pig that has been pacing the international hutch for so long that I don’t know which bed of hay I sleep on, figuring out the easiest and most efficient ways to look after my skin while travelling. And I’m sharing four major tips that have helped me keep my skin glowing at destination adventure.

1. Say No To Sunscreen.

Don’t put suncreen on your face. Of course, the minerals in sunscreen create an essential barrier between UV rays and your skin, but they also clog your pores. On the flip side, the also not-formulated-for-facial-skin chemicals in body sunscreen often irritate facial skin. So, to avoid breakouts, don’t put body sunscreen on your face.

2. But Say Yes to an SPF Moisturiser.

As sixties model and British cultural icon Twiggy once said, the golden rule for looking good is to “moisturise to ridiculousness”. This is especially true when travelling. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise, but make it tinted and SPF. When you’re not applying sunscreen to your face you still need to protect it from UV rays. So, an SPF moisturiser is your skin’s best friend when travelling. To keep your skin looking extra glowy, opt for a tinted one that provides colour alongside moisturization and protection.

I am living for the Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Tinted Moisturiser while backpacking – it’s SPF 15 and gives a matte foundation style finish, covering all blemishes and eradicating all oiliness.

3. Give Vaseline a chance… on your face.

Airplane aircon, cruising altitude, prolonged UV exposure and sunburn are just a few things that can severely dry out your skin. They’re also part of the parcel when travelling. There’s been days on my travels when a multitude of dry and flaky patches will appear on my face and neck. I put Vaseline petroleum jelly on those dry areas overnight when this happens. When I wake up, it’s as if the dryness and flakiness were never there. Vaseline creates a thick barrier between your skin and outside influences, soothing the dryness much quicker than a daily moisturiser by locking your skin under a moisturising jelly barrier. Make sure you wash your face in the morning though, Vaseline and sunlight are not a good combo.

4. Sheet Face Masks.

Maya Jama isn’t posting stories in these twice a week for no reason. Sheet face masks are beauty’s latest holy grail. A sheet mask is a fibrous sheet soaked with concentrated serum, containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid. The sheet locks its water-based ingredients in between your skin and itself to prevent quick evaporation of the serum – the moisturising effect is consequently intensified and prolonged. I recommend giving yourself 20 minutes, twice a week, to boost your skin with a sheet mask. After all, backpacking is tiring work. ATM, I am loving Sephora’s own brand sheet masks. The range, as well as being affordable, has a mask targeted for every skin concern.

The Oily Diaries: Intro

Oily skin is a beauty guru’s kryptonite. With most make-up and skincare products formulated for dry or sensitive skin, it is insanely difficult to find matte finish make-up that doesn’t force us to compromise on a glowing complexion and durability. Because let’s face it, a ‘mattifying’ primer just isn’t enough.

Here on Josie Marie, I am inviting you on my anti-oil journey. I am going to test and review a range of product concoctions (categorised by brands or ingredients) to seek out the true secret to oil-free make-up. Consider the oily diaries a definitive and progressive guide to the best products and brands to invest in, whether it’s to control oily skin, oily T-Zone or simply one-off oily days.

Click here to find the comprehensive (but not complete) list of The Oily Diaries segments.