Need help getting rid of blackheads? Read this!

Hello beauty fanatics, today I'm going to talk about one of our worst enemies: blackheads. A lot of people have this problem and also a lot of people "think" they have this problem. I'll explain what i mean right now: Blackheads are dirt and dead skin build up inside pores and when it oxidizes it turns black, hence you see little black dots on your nose or cheeks or forehead or chin. Blackheads are inside the pores and it's pretty hard to just squeeze out. They are also "open" so nothing covers it. The opposite of blackheads are whiteheads, whiteheads are almost the same idea as blackheads, but is covered by skin, causing an acne like white dome over your pores. And then there is the most confused and less known thing you actually squeeze out from your nose: sebaceous filaments. What are sebaceous filaments? They are the white/greyish stuff that comes out of your pores when you squeeze your nose or use those nose strips and the greyish/white/brownish stuff that stick to the nose strip. THEY ARE NOT BLACKHEADS or WHITEHEADS!! Companies market their products saying their nose strips or skincare product can remove blackheads or whiteheads and then they show a picture of sebaceous filaments. -_- Sebaceous filaments will NEVER EVER go away, no matter how much you squeeze them out, it will build up again just like when you cut your hair it will grow back. It is the nature of how the body works. They usually only appear on the nose, and when sebaceous glands produce sebum, they will form. So now I'm going to talk about how to treat real blackheads and whiteheads.

BHA Exfoliants

BHA exfoliants are actually salicylic acid that penetrate the oil in the pores and dissolve skin cells inside the oil gland that can clog pores that eventually tun into blackheads. There are different types of skincare products with BHA (or salicylic acid), also different amounts of BHA in each product as well. For me, I use Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. Although on the website they claim it doesn't contain any drying ingredients, it did dry me out a bit. I can only use it once a week and only on my nose and cheeks area that has blackheads. After using it for a few months, I can tell you i am completely without any blackheads now on my face. I'm not kidding at all. And because I'm free of blackheads, my pores all look so small now as well. I highly recommend you start with a chemical exfoliant such as a BHA product to get rid of blackheads. Cleansing Oils

For added moisture after using chemical exfoliants, you can use a cleansing oil to wash your face. Cleansing oils cannot get rid of blackheads but it can get rid of excess oil on your face that help clog pores which then turns into blackheads. So cleansing oil is more a preventative measure after you are clear of blackheads. Also, cleansing oils remove makeup! There are so many different types of cleansing oil around, my all time favourite as well as what I'm using right now daily is the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils. It removes all my makeup without stripping me dry. But I'm also open to try other kinds, any Korean or Japanese skincare brands will have cleansing oils, because Koreans and Japanese both have a daily double cleansing routine, which they use a cleansing oil first, and then cleanse again with a foam cleanser (or any other kind of cleanser). Blackheads never came back to my face ever since I got rid of them by using BHA, then keeping my pores unclogged by using cleansing oil to wash my face (and of course by using soft water). Another tip I would give to prevent blackhead or whitehead build up is keep your face hydrated! It is very important to know what your skin type is and get it moisturized at all times. When your face is hydrated, oil will not be produced as much and your pores will not get clogged so easily. Face oils are a very good treatment on top of your regulra moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. Also, exfoliate! Let your skin tell you when you need to exfoliate. When you are washing your face, feel your skin, does it seem rough and seem like there is a film of debris on the surface of your face? If so, it's time to exfoliate. If your skin doesn't feel rough and you don't feel any film of debris, you can wait. Over exfoliating irrates the skin and causes flaking. So don't think the more you exfoliate the better. There are different types of exfoliants, chemical ones such as BHA or AHA, scrubs such as the St Ives Apricot Scrub, or peels that you can use to remove dead skin. Skincare products doesn't have to be expensive for them to work, it's how you use them and in what order you use them and getting the right ingredients for your skin that matters!

#blackheads #bha #exfoliate #pores