Your $4 Shortcut To Removing Blackheads
Rebecca Sullivan worked as a lifestyle and beauty journalist for almost a decade, before crossing over brand-side to work behind-the-scenes in the beauty industry full time. Now, she works in PR, Communications and Content strategy, and literally gets paid to play with lipstick and highlighters all day.
Blackheads are like bad ex-boyfriends. No matter how hard you try to get rid of them, they always seem to slide back into your life just when you really need them to rack off.
But the good news is that unlike pesky whiteheads or those nasty blind pimples that can only be killed off with the help of a SWAT team and an entire litre of salicylic acid, thankfully blackheads are a little easier to remove.
And we’ve got a super easy $4 product that can help get rid of these blackheads - particularly those cheeky ones that love to park themselves smack bang in the middle of your nose.
What Causes Blackheads?
If you’re wondering why some people are more susceptible to blackheads than others - I’m always studying people’s blackhead-free noses with envy - it all boils down to your skin type.
“Blackheads are a form of acne caused by excessive sebum (skin oil) production that clog skin pores, along with other skin debris like dead skin cells,” dermatologist Dr Leona Yip told Beauty IQ.
“As opposed to whiteheads, blackheads look brown or black because the pimple gets oxidized by air,” Dr Yip says.
If you have greasy skin or enlarged pores, you’re generally more susceptible to blackheads.
Other factors such as hormonal changes during puberty, the use of thick or oil-based products and makeup, and excessive sun exposure can also cause blackheads.
Sadly, completely getting rid of blackheads in an instant is almost an impossible task.
“Some products help to remove part of the dark debris plug (which we call blackheads) within skin pores making blackheads less visible. There are also products that can shrink skin pores making blackheads look smaller,” Dr Yip says.
“However, there is nothing that can truly ‘remove’ blackheads, as the debris within skin pores tend to build up again, especially in people more susceptible to them.”
What Are Some Long-Term Solutions For Getting Rid of Blackheads?
Dr Yip has some top tips for keeping blackheads at bay:
1. Ensure that you use oil-free and "non-comedogenic" skincare and cosmetics
2. Use salicylic acid products designed for mild acne treatment
3. Incorporate a retinoid or glycolic acid product in your regular evening skincare routine.
“These help to reduce skin oil production and are a good long-term strategy to reduce blackheads and shrink skin pores,” Dr Yip says.
4. Medical grade chemical peels and laser treatments like fractional ablative lasers “can also be effective solutions to help improve blackheads and enlarged skin pores in the long term.”
Now, I bet you're thinking - but how can I shrink my pores? Sadly, the idea of reducing pore size is a long-held beauty myth.
Our pores can't contract like a muscle, meaning it’s physically impossible to shrink our pores - the ones we’re born with are the ones we’re stuck with for life.
However, you can use products such as a salicylic acid serum (like asap’s Radiance Serum) to refine the pores, or a pore-mattifying primer (like Benefit’s The POREfessional Primer) to help reduce the appearance of enlarged pores when wearing makeup.
Can Blackhead Pore Strips Remove Blackheads From The Nose?
If you’ve ever tried a blackhead pore strip, you’ll know there is nothing more satisfying than seeing all of those little black dots emerge from your nose.
They’re great to use if you have an intense build up of blackheads, or before an event.
Dr Yip says pore strips can be “extremely gratifying” and help provide a temporary fix to “make blackheads look less visible and the skin feel smoother”.
And for those wondering if pore strips are bad for your skin, while they can be very effective, it’s best to use these sparingly, as you would other intense skincare programs.
It’s certainly not something we should be doing everyday, but if you're looking for something to tackle your blackheads while you down a bottle of wine on a Friday night, Innisfree's Jeju Volcanic Blackhead 3-Step Program might be calling your name.
How Does The Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Blackhead 3-Step Program Work?
Think of this as a fancy three-step pore-strip - you’ll need about 45 minutes to complete the whole process.
There are three strips you’ll put on your face - an “open” sheet, a “remove” strip” and a “close” mask at the end. Here are some step-by-step instructions for how to use them:
Step 1: After washing your face, you pop the “open” sheet on your nose. This will help to open up your pores. After 15-20 minutes, remove the sheet and proceed with the next step.
Step 2: This is where the nitty gritty really happens. Wet your nose with water, pop on this “remove” strip and once it’s completely dry, gently peel it off from the sides. And watch with satisfaction as you see those little babies come out of your nose.
Step 3: Now that you’ve opened and removed the pores, they need to be sealed off. Pop on the “close” mask, wait 15 minutes and then gently pat the formula into the skin, like you would a sheet mask.
Afterwards, you should expect to notice a reduction in the appearance of blackheads.
Voila! See ya, blackheads! Don't forget to use all the info about to keep those blackheads at bay in the long term.
