In this post, I will provide a skincare routine that shows you how to get rid of blackheads or open comedones on face, will tell you what is a blackhead, and answer a few questions that people usually have about this topic.
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Almost everyone had blackheads at least once in their life. For most people, they appear on the nose or the T-Zone but they can appear also on the cheeks, chin, or other parts of your body like the shoulder, decolletage, etc.
What is a blackhead?
Blackheads also known as open comedones are pores in your skin that become plugged with dead skin cells and sebum. The trapped sebum and cells become oxidized when in contact with the oxygen from the air thus forming the blackhead.
How to get rid of blackheads?
It is very important to know how to get rid of open comedones, also known as blackheads the right way.
A lot of people try to painfully extract blackheads only to have them again in a few days. When dealing with blackheads it’s important to know not only how to temporarily remove them, but how to also ensure you prevent their reappearance. And that can be done with a proper skincare routine like the one below.
Skincare routine to help you get rid of blackheads
In the next steps, I will provide a list of products to get rid of blackheads, all gathered into a nighttime skincare routine that you can easily follow every day.
Some of the products below should not be used during the day as they will make your skin too sensitive.
If you want to know how to remove blackheads permanently the answer is simple. Just follow diligently the skincare routine below and you’ll be able to get rid of blackheads at home, without any pain. It will take some time, though, and work to have them disappear and not reappear again.
Oil cleanse
It’s essential to cleanse your skin every night, removing debris, pollutants, make-up, and sunscreen accumulated during the day. To gently remove make-up and sunscreen we are going first with an oil cleanser. It’s essential to use an oil cleanser in this skincare routine instead of a balm as it will be used again in the third step of the routine. Read this post for more details on how to oil cleanse.
Water/gel cleanse
The second step of any skincare routine is a double cleanse with a gentle cleanser. Because we are going to cleanse our skin a lot in this routine please make sure you choose a second cleanser very gentle on the skin, no foaming cleansers or cleansers with salicylic acid. Cerave hydrating cleanser or Cetaphil Daily cleanser or La Roche Posay Gentle Cleanser are great options to choose from. They will not strip your skin and they will leave your skin hydrated.
Oil cleanse for removing blackheads
After you have properly cleansed your skin of all the debris and make-up you can now start the process of removing the blackheads.
We’ll start now with the 10-minute cleansing rule: for this, it’s important to use again the oil cleanser from the first step and massage it into your skin, especially into your nose or where your blackheads are for 10 to 15 minutes. You can massage it with your hands or with a gentle cleansing brush with silicone like PMD clean brush. If you use a cleansing brush in order to not sensitize your skin you can try first a massage with your fingers and then the last 2-3 minutes a massage with your cleansing device. Do not use other cleansing devices other than a silicone brush because it might strip your skin.
You’ll see that after 10 minutes you’ll start to feel and see some blackheads on your fingers if you massage with your fingers.
Even if you don’t follow up with the next steps from this skincare routine for removing blackheads this step is one of the most important and diligently doing it every night for some time will start removing your blackheads and reducing their size.
If you only have 5 minutes and want to know how to remove blackheads in 5 minutes then try this cleansing trick with an oil cleanser and massage it into your face for 5-10 minutes every night and you’ll see results.
Clay mask
After cleansing and softening the clogged pores with oil we can now use a clay mask to extract the blackheads.
Clay masks usually contain Kaolin and Bentonite. Kaolin is a type of clay that can suck up excess sebum and gunk from the skin, which is what causes blackheads. It’s less aggressive than bentonite and it’s better for sensitive and dry skin types.
Bentonite is a better and more aggressive version of Kaolin, excellent at absorbing sebum and gunk as well as calming and soothing skin infections and allergies to some extent. Bentonite is better for oily skin types because it can easily dry out the skin.
It would be better if the clay mask has some AHAs (Lactic or Glycolic Acid) or BHAs (Salicylic Acid) in it to better unclog the pores. AHAs and BHAs can penetrate the skin better and clear the pores.
After applying the clay mask, make sure to spritz it with water in order for it to not overdry the skin.
After 10 minutes or after the period of time indicated on the clay mask you can remove it with lukewarm water and a washcloth. The clay mask is one of the best products to help remove some of the blackheads on your nose.
Caution: You should not apply a clay mask more than two-three times a week as it will overdry your skin.
Salicylic Acid for removing blackheads in the long run
Salicylic Acid is a BHA (Beta Hidroxy Acid) and is one of the best ingredients to use when trying to get rid of blackheads in the long run. It will exfoliate the skin, unclog those pores and remove impurities by dissolving the dead skin cells. It might take a few weeks for you to completely get rid of blackheads but it’s really amazing for the skin.
Depending on what dosage of salicylic acid your product has it can also be sensitizing to the skin so it’s better to start using 1-2 times a week in the first few weeks. You can increase it after several weeks to 3-4 times a week but I advise against using it more than 4 times a week even if you have acne-prone skin. It’s very important in the beginning to not use it with other actives like AHAs or Retinoids.
Paula’s Choice 2%Liquid Exfoliant is the best product with Salicylic Acid that I used and I always recommend it.
Niacinamide
Niacinamide, also known as Vitamin B3 is a multi-functional ingredient that shouldn’t be missing from your skincare routine. It has proven benefits for the skin like wrinkle smoothing, and improving skin barrier, and results in better skin hydration when used. It can also improve rosacea, acne, or atopic dermatitis. You can use either a booster like the one from Paula’s Choice or serum with Niacinamide(Inkey’s List Niacinamide is great) or even a moisturizer.
Your products will have better absorption into the skin when Niacinamide is used.
Vitamin A/Retinol serum
Retinol is a Vitamin A derivative. Vitamin A is the best ingredient for fighting fine lines and acne and it’s one of the most tested anti-aging products that can be bought over the counter. It is less sensitizing than tretinoin but also less powerful. It normalizes keratinization, making the pores produce less sebum.
You can use it in a serum form or in a moisturizer or in an oil form. If it’s in an oil form you should use it as the last step in your skincare routine.
Products with Retinol should be eased into and only used 2-3 times a week in the beginning.
Moisturizer
In this step, you should add back hydration and moisture to your skin. You can use a gel moisturizer if you have oily skin or a cream moisturizer if you have dry and sensitive cream. For normal and combination skin I suggest you use also a cream moisturizer as it’s better to add more moisture than not enough.
One moisturizer that I absolutely love and think is very good in this case for dry/sensitive skin is Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer with Flaxseed Oil which helps in repairing the skin barrier. The moisturizer contains a lot of plant-based oils that help moisturize the skin.
If you have oily skin then the Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Serum should do the trick if you use it as a moisturizer. It’s a lightweight version of the moisturizer that will help the oily skin better.
Did you know that slugging causes milia? Check out this post which explains why slugging might be bad for you and cause you milia and HOW YOU CAN GET RID OF MILIA easily at home.
Get an extraction from a professional
Another way of getting rid of clogged pores and blackheads is getting an extraction from a professional. You can go to either an esthetician or a dermatologist to get an extraction of your blackheads. They will put your face on steam and squeeze afterwards your blackheads with clean a clean cloth. After that, they will apply different acids and creams to clean your pores and ensure your skin is not dried out.
The thing with getting an extraction is that if you are not careful and don’t follow a proper skincare routine like the one above your blackheads will reappear in time and you’ll have to go again and get an extraction. It’s always best to just prevent them from appearing in the first place.
FAQ about blackheads
How to prevent open comedones or blackheads?
You can follow the skincare routine above which is the best or just use a simplified version of it consisting of double cleansing, a clay mask once a week, and a retinol moisturizer once every 2 nights.
You should be careful when using retinol and other Vitamin A products and at the beginning only use it once a week without using it in the same skincare routine as other actives like Vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs.
Can you shrink your pores?
You can’t really shrink your pores, but you can unclog them which will make your pores look smaller. You can also make sure to hydrate your skin and use AHAs in order to improve your skin condition and make is smoother.
Does wearing make-up clog pores?
Not always. Your make-up can clog your pores if it contains occlusive ingredients but it’s also because it sits on your face, not letting it breathe. If you diligently double cleanse every night and if you use exfoliating acids like AHAs and BHAs and even Retinol regularly(2-3 times a week) you should be fine. Slugging however clogs your pores because it uses Vaseline and other products that are very occlusive.
Are blackheads clogged pores?
Yes, blackheads are a type of clogged pores. Whiteheads and milia are other types of clogged pores.
Is it OK to squeeze clogged pores?
No, it’s not, you can irritate your skin and sensitize it. You should always go to an esthetician or a dermatologist to extract your blackheads or whiteheads if you don’t want to wait for a skincare routine like the one above to take effect.
Is it ok to use a Pore Strip to unclog pores on your nose?
No, pore strips only take the tip of your blackheads, they don’t really unclog your pores. They will also damage sometimes your skin in the process because they are rough on the skin and you have to pull them from the skin. You should use BHAs(Beta Hydroxy Acids like Salicylic Acid) and AHAs(Alpha Hydroxy Acids like Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid) and Vitamin A derivatives in order to unclog your nose and have healthy skin.
Can you use baking soda to remove the blackheads?
You can, but you shouldn’t. I would prefer you didn’t use baking soda to remove the blackheads. It can sensitize your skin and if not used with caution it can make your skin worse rather than better.
This post was all about showing you how to get rid of blackheads on face at home, giving you a skincare routine that can help remove the blackheads on your nose and not only as long as you use it and I answered a few frequently asked questions about blackheads.
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