How To Beat Blackheads

By BR Kellie

I don’t know about you but as soon as the weather warms up my face starts to get a little oilier and in no time at all my skin becomes a haven for blackheads. ‘Oh look, there’s a pore that looks nice and spacious, I’ll take up residence there!’. Little blighters!

Most of the time, ok, allll of the time I’m quite naughty and squeeze them or use this hairpin trick that my friend taught me where you take the rounded end of a hairpin, press down and then pull the blackhead out. It works a treat but who knows what damage is being done… 

This year though I’ve decided to try for the prevention is the best cure approach, so have set about finding ways to beat blackheads before they can nestle in my nose and cheeks… as well as finding ways to deal to ones that are extra sneaky and get in before I can stop them.

It helps to know what causes blackheads before you tackle the problem – thankfully there’s no huuuuge science behind it and is easily explainable. Blackheads form when the opening of the hair follicle aka the pore (I know! Who knew they were linked?!) becomes clogged with oil (sebum) and dead skin cells. When that delightful mixture meets the air it oxidises and goes black (kind of like how copper goes green when it meets air.)

Straight off the bat you’ll know that if too much oil helps cause blackheads then you won’t want to do anything to your skin to stimulate the oil production. So scrubbing your skin daily is a no-no. That’s not to say you can’t exfoliate at all, you can, just keep it down to once or twice a week and make sure you’re using a gentle exfoliant.

You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got your skincare regime sorted and that doesn’t mean cleansing, toning and moisturising with any old product – ensure it’s a range that suits your skin type (a trip to a trained beauty therapist for a facial is a great – and enjoyable – way to find this out). Once you’ve got your skincare regime sorted keep it up. That’s right, no matter how tired you are or how late it is you go through the motions. 

A product you may well want to get your hands on is something containing salicylic acid as this will gently help unclog pores and keep them unclogged. I don’t know how many times I’ve banged on about Stridex, which contains 2% salicylic acid, but since using that I’ve seen a serious reduction in blackheads and those nasty under the skin welts I’m prone to getting. A product that’s easier to get in New Zealand and is affordable too is the Yes To Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Wipes, which also contain salicylic acid and get some rave reviews on the site from those who’ve used them.

So what about those pore strips that you can pop onto your nose, do they work? It seems to depend on the person and the application. One thing’s for sure - many users agree that they work a lot better if before you apply it if you cleanse your skin first and then do a bit of a facial steam (think hot water in bowl, towel over head, like when you get sick and can’t breathe) as this will open the pores. Once you’ve steamed for a few minutes you can apply the strip and let it do its thing. Keep in mind though that this won’t stop blackheads coming back, it will just make the skin look a little nicer.

Another step you can take to help prevent blackheads is to give a clay mask a go. Clay masks are a spring clean for the face as they get into the pores and do away with the dirt. As always it pays to check the label to ensure the mask is right for your skin type, but if you don’t want to spend hours reading labels check out these reviews.

I’m so serious about beating these blackheads into submission I approached a qualified beauty therapist aka our very own BR Zoe for her thoughts…

One of the keys to preventing blackheads is to remove make up properly; those that wear long-lasting (and typically overly drying) foundations are at risk of having breakout. That stuff just clings in areas it shouldn’t, particularly in the hairline, which causes even more congestion in the long run.

 Exfoliation helps prevent and treat those having trouble with blackheads - most people don’t know that when you exfoliate you actually tone the skin AFTER this step. Whereas usually you cleanse, tone and then moisturise, with exfoliation you swap the steps around. Toner is really important after exfoliation as it helps level out the skins PH level after the disruption of cleansing and exfoliating. It also prepares skin for deeper penetration of the products. 

There are basic things people don’t do that cause black heads, i.e. going to the gym wearing your full face of make up. To further help prevent blackheads always cleanse your skin after exercising. 

Hormonal imbalances, cosmetics, clothing and even diet can be the cause of congestion in the skin. A healthy lifestyle often means a healthy glowing skin! Bad genes can also been a factor - some people just have no luck when it comes to skin!

A fancy word for blackheads is a ‘comedone’ so look for brands that state  their products don’t contain ‘COMEDOGENIC causing ingredients’ / are 'non-comedogenic'.

Don’t pick the blackheads either- this increases your chance of causing scarring on the skin. 

Thanks, BR Zoe!! I love having someone who knows all in such close proximity and from this day out I will cease my naughty squeezy habit…

So there we have it. I don’t know about you but I’m armed with knowledge. I’m ready to battle the blackheads and face the summer sun with clearer (sunblocked) skin. Like anything though if your skin issues are causing you real concern and no at-home treatment is working a trip to your doctor or a skin specialist may well be in order. And of course, if you do a try an at-home product and find you have a reaction. Stop. Immediately. And if the reaction is bad, talk to a health professional.

What are your tips and tricks for beating blackheads? The more info the merrier…