The Porcupine Nose

Blackheads can be one of the most frustrating skin conditions to deal with. Dry, impacted, and written all over your face. And what the hell are they, anyways? A blackhead is a plug of sebum stuck inside of a hair follicle. The sebum has been exposed to the air (oxidized), and therefore turns black. This common condition, although annoying, can be easily treated. My personal recommendations include:

1. Applying a topical salicylic acid product on the areas you experience the blackheads (most commonly this is the T-Zone) up to two times daily.
2. Exfoliate regularly (at least once a week). Using a gentle scrub, or chemical exfoliant can help to break down the keratin build up, therefore releasing the dirt, rather than keeping it trapped within the pores.
3. If you can afford adding it into your budget, getting a monthly facial with a professional is highly beneficial. Skin therapists are trained on safely, and effectively extracting the skin, without causing trauma or inflammation.
4. Mask. Using a clay based mask at home can draw out impurities, and attract the oils in the sebum. (Like attract like theory: oil attracts oil). 
5. Make sure you are effectively hydrating. It is often misconstrued that adding more oil will cause additional breakouts and blackheads-wrong. If the skin is dehydrated, it will actually become confused, and try to overcompensate by creating even more oil as a means of protection. 
6. If you have a stubborn blackhead that needs extracting, heat a damp washcloth in the microwave and place it on the area until the cloth has cooled. Once the impaction has loosened, you can place two fingers around the sides of the blackhead and gently move the fingers in, and then up until the impaction purges from the pore. 

Share your favorites with me and have a great weekend, skinnies! Go get your glow on. 

Products that I like:

Topical Salicylic Acid Treatments:

PCA Skin Acne Gel 

Dermalogica’s Clearing Mattifier 

Exfoliants:

PCA Skin Gentle ExfoliantDermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant

Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer

 

Masks:

PCA Skin Purifying Mask (This badboy doubles as an exfoliant, and will polish the skin as you remove it)
Dermalogica Sebum Clearing Mask

 

 

Photocredit: Dermalogica, PCA Skin, and Pinterest

For more info on these products visit pcaskin.com , dermalogica.com , or contact me directly at TheSkinny1122@gmail.com