Have you always wanted to get rid of blackheads? We all know how much we dread those tiny black dots on our noses and any other part of our face. No matter how much we wash our face, these tiny dots don’t seem to be fazed by any of our washing.
What are Blackheads?
Blackheads are tiny bumps that we see on our skin. We usually see them clogging our pores. It usually appears on the nose, or anywhere on our face. You can also see them appear on your chest, arms, back, neck, or shoulders.
Blackheads are considered as a mild type of acne that appears on your face. Blackheads appear due to clogged up hair follicles, which are mainly caused by sebum. Once the sebum is oxidized, it changes its color and gets darker than it actually is, turning it into black.
Although these tiny black dots are awfully tiny, they seem to be very noticeable. Which is more of a reason why we want to get rid of blackheads, especially if our goal is to have a clear skin.
What are the Causes of Blackheads & Why do we have them?
As mentioned earlier, blackheads appear because of the sebum our skin produces. Sebum is not a bad thing, it locks in skin moisture to prevent the skin from drying up. Additionally, sebum is also responsible for keeping your skin soft.
Blackheads are formed from oils and dead skin cells that are stuck on the opening of your hair follicle. It will then start to harden up, turning it into a bump called a comedo.
If the comedo stays closed, it will be called a whitehead. However, if the bump is opened up and is exposed to air, it’s color turns darker. The whitehead will then transform into a blackhead.
Just like acne, the blackhead is formed from dead skin cells and sebums; it is considered a mild type of acne.
Factors that Affect Your Blackheads
Several factors can significantly affect the development of blackheads, whiteheads, and acne on your face. These are:
- Dead skin cells that do not regularly shed, leading to skin irritation
- Going through hormonal changes which increases the production of oil in the body due to menstruation, puberty or taking birth control pills
- Your body produces too much body oil
- Taking certain drugs such as androgens, corticosteroids, and lithium
How to Get Rid of Blackheads?
1. Cleanse and Exfoliate It
If your goal is to get rid of blackheads, you should regularly cleanse and exfoliate your skin. Remember, one of the reasons why you have blackheads are dirt and dead skin cells stuck on your hair follicle. Once all of these builds up, you’re at high risk of having acne, blackheads, or whiteheads. For people who regularly use makeup during the day, it is highly recommended that you double cleanse your skin daily.
Why?
Oil-based cleansers are very effective in getting rid of your makeup, dirt residues can still remain. Additionally, oil-based cleansers contain oil that may get stuck on your skin and hair follicles. If these oil left on your skin without a follow-up cleansing, your blackheads, acne, and whiteheads may increase.
If you’re using an oil-based cleanser, make sure to follow it up with a water-based cleanser to wash all the oil up.
Another way to remove blackheads is through exfoliation. Just like cleansing, it can wipe impurities such as dead skin cells, sebum, and dirt from your skin. Freeing your skin from clogged up impurities.
Recommended Products
- 2-in-1 Poreless Power Liquid from COSRX
Price: $17.92
2-in-1 Poreless Power Liquid cleanses your pores, tightens large pores, controls the production of your sebum, and dissolves them.
- Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil from Klairs
Price: $17
This mild cleansing oil works great in removing makeups and cleansing dirt without irritating your skin.
2. Use Clay Masks
Another great way to get rid of blackheads is through clay masks. You can also use clay masks to remove blackheads. Clays are ideal in drawing out impurities and excess oils that may clog up your pores and hair follicles.
Clay mask is also a great way to minimize your enlarged pores. There are a lot of Korean clay masks that you can use for your blackheads.
The most ideal mask is mineral-based one. It doesn’t only regulate and normalize the production of sebum on your skin, it can also prevent your skin from having more blackheads in the future.
Recommended Product
- Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 2x from Innisfree
Price: $11.80
This pore clay mask from Innisfree offers deep cleansing and is very well suited for those who have oily skin.
Takeaways
When it comes to skincare, you should be patient. Excellent results that last do not come in easy. It takes time. The same ideal goes with removing blackheads. You have to be consistent to win over it. Always remember to regularly clean your skin so you can completely get rid of your blackheads for good.