Blackheads Be Gone

I’ll be honest; blackhead is one of those words that makes me cringe. I’ll usually avoid saying it or even thinking about it; but unfortunately, I couldn’t hide from it forever, especially when the topic of clear skin is in question. It seems that there is always something preventing you from having that perfect skin you dream of. Even when your skin is blemish-free, these pesky blackheads plague your nose and chin, standing in your way of clear skin.

The first rule for all skin maladies, including blackheads (can’t we substitute that word with puppies?), is to wash your face carefully and consistently. Blackheads are a type of acne, and many of the same acne remedies that you are used to will work for blackheads as well. Try a cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. For a great drugstore brand, try Neutrogena‘s Oil-Free Acne Wash which works really well as a cleanser without drying out the skin and comes at an affordable drugstore price. Be sure to wash your face everyday to clean off the makeup, dirt, and oils that work to clog your pores. Exfoliate with a good face scrub once a week to clear your face of dead skin cells that work to clog pores as well.

There are at-home blackhead remover tools that you can purchase, but you have to use them with caution. Pore strips, like the popular Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, can really irritate sensitive skin, so you have to use them sparingly if you want to avoid red, flaky skin. I know some people who swear by them, but just be careful if you have sensitive skin. Then there is the extractor tool, a somewhat scary looking metal tool meant to squeeze out blackhead-causing debris from your pores. This tool can also be too harsh for sensitive skin, so be sure to use it correctly. It helps to take a hot shower or steam your face prior to using the pore strips or extractor tool to open up your pores and make your skin softer.

I saw an at-home blackhead remedy on Pinterest that is definitely worth trying out. It suggests getting a half of a lemon, putting some honey on it, and smearing it across your face, paying extra attention to the areas that have a tendency for blackheads. Leave the lemon and honey on your face for about 5 minutes and then rinse it off. Lemon and honey are known to have cleansing properties that can help with blackhead-causing dirt.
 
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