Over exfoliation
The frustration of a breakout can often drive people to attempt to remove all oil and potential congestion from their skin. This means people often reach for strong chemical and physical exfoliants in the hopes of achieving this. It is a common misconception that stripping your skin of all the accumulated dirt, oil and supposedly unwanted debris will restore the skin’s radiance, firmness, and balance. Stripping the skin of natural oils can actually reduce the skin’s natural hydration and can trigger the production of more oil. The resulting dry and irritated skin, combined with a compensatory increased production of oil can actually lead to further breakouts. Over exfoliation can also damage the skin through micro tears. This does not mean you should avoid exfoliation all together but approach it in a balanced way and listen to cues from your skin (i.e. too dry, irritated), easing on the exfoliation when these cues are present. This will hopefully move your skin sustainably towards optimal behaviour, making it balanced and more robust in terms of breakouts.

Popping pimples
It's tempting but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Popping pimples can worsen the condition of the pimple by causing inflammation and potential infection.

Inflammatory responses can make the pimple appear larger, redder, and more swollen. Popping pimples may lead to open wounds, leaving your skin vulnerable to infection. This can cause damage to the surrounding skin, leaving behind potential scars that can be challenging to treat. In addition, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation may follow, leaving behind dark spots that can persist for weeks or even months. Instead of being tempted to squeeze your blemishes, try to leave them alone, instead focusing on your daily skincare regime to encourage healing and prevention.

Toothpaste
While it is a common belief, using toothpaste as a spot treatment for acne is not recommended and can be challenging to the skin. Toothpaste contains ingredients designed for oral hygiene, not for the skin. Applying toothpaste to acne can cause skin irritation, dryness, and even chemical burns. The temporary cooling or drying sensation provided by the menthol in toothpaste may give the illusion of reducing redness or shrinking a pimple, however, it can actually move your skin further from the target of health that you’re seeking.