Blemishes often occur when excess oil, dead skin and impurities become trapped inside of a pore. While blemishes can occur anywhere on the body—including the neck, back and shoulder—they are most common on the face.

When skin produces excess sebum (or oil), pores may become clogged with dead skin and other impurities. These clogged pores can result in blemishes.

When a clogged pore stays open, the excess oil on the skin can oxidize which causes the dark colour of blackheads.

Whiteheads, like blackheads, are also clogged pores. Unlike blackheads which are open and exposed to oxidation, whiteheads occur when a clogged pore closes up, causing a white bump to form underneath the skin’s surface.

Blemishes in younger skin are often caused by excess oil production and may appear in the t-zone (the forehead, nose and chin). While adult blemishes may tend to appear in the u-zone (the chin and cheeks).

When you have a blemish or breakout, apply a targeted treatment to the affected area to help clear skin. Look for a spot treatment with Salicylic Acid or Sulphur, like our Breakout Control Targeted Blemish Spot Treatment to help effectively target blemishes and help keep skin balanced and healthy-looking.

To care for problem skin, cleanse daily with warm water and a gentle cleanser. Exfoliating skin with a facial scrub or other exfoliant is an essential step to help prevent clogged pores which can cause blemishes. Especially if you have persistent blemishes, look for formulas that can help reduce excess oil and are non-comedogenic—meaning that they won’t clog pores. Even though your skin may have excess oil, using a moisturizer is an essential step to maintain skin’s hydration levels and a daily sunscreen is a must to help defend skin from sun damage.

While blemishes are often associated with oily skin, all skin types—including normal, dry, sensitive and combination—can experience them. Excess oil can contribute to blemishes but other causes like dead skin and cosmetics can also cause pores to become clogged which may lead to blemishes.

Acne is a common skin condition that results in blemishes on the face, and often also on the back and chest. Blemishes can be large painful cysts, small red bumps, whiteheads or blackheads, they don’t always have an obvious centre of pus, but they are often red and sore. Acne is linked to changes in hormone levels which can in turn cause changes to the oil-producing glands in the skin. Find out more about acne here.