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Don’t pop that pimple! A skincare expert shares tips for a healthy acne-free face

  • From choosing the right make-up removers and face masks to using face washing acids, the correct routine is essential
  • Ching Sze-man, consultant at Taiwanese skincare company Elsa Gusa, gives advice on skincare routines

Reading Time:2 minutes
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Don’t pop those pimples! A skincare expert shares tips on healthy skin. Photo: Alamy
Rachel Cheungin Shanghai
Squeezing a zit is so satisfying that online videos of the act form a genre in their own right, and have propelled their creators to fame. Before Dr. Pimple Popper became a household name, however, there was Elsa Jen. Once afflicted with severe acne, the Taiwanese skincare guru has published several books on how to clear up breakouts and developed her own line for troubled skin, Elsa Gusa.
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Ching Sze-man, a skincare consultant at Elsa Gusa, gives advice on skincare routines.

1. Popping your pimples

There are two major types of comedones (acne spots): blackheads and whiteheads. “Blackheads are formed by dead skin cells and oil that clog the pores and oxidise, turning dark. Whiteheads are closed comedones trapped under the surface of the skin, which are harder to remove and more likely to develop into acne,” says Ching.

Elsa Gusa skincare consultant Ching Sze-man.
Elsa Gusa skincare consultant Ching Sze-man.
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“In most cases, we do not recommend using external pressure to extract them,” says Ching, whether it is done with tweezers, a comedo extractor or fingers.

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