You Don’t Know Me At All…
Blackheads. Another aggravating type of acne, right? Wrong. (Well, right about the aggravating part!)
Most people mistakenly think that blackheads are related to acne, but this is simply not true. Acne is strictly a bacterial issue. While blackheads can become infected/inflamed with bacteria, they do not begin as a bacteria issue. They have everything to do with your skin not functioning properly.
Skin has several layers, going from newest cells below, to old/dead cells on top. Its natural process is to push the newer cells to the surface, and shed the old cells on top. Skin Basics 101, right? Well, this is also true of the inner surface of the pores, and this is where the issue of blackheads begins. When the inner surface of the pores don’t shed properly, the dead cells mix with your natural oils and clog the pores… then contact with oxygen makes them turn dark, and ta-da – you’ve got a blackhead!
Let it Flow, Let it Flow, Let it Flow!
So what does this mean for tackling blackheads? It means two things: oil control, and exfoliation.
We’ll talk first about oil control. The amount of oil produced by the pores is different for everyone, and depends on lots of factors, including genetics, hormones, etc. It would be impossible to discuss each one. However, there are a few basic rules which that can help anyone improve their “pore oiliness” factor:
1. DON’T SLEEP IN YOUR MAKEUP. Guilty, I admit it! I even use Bare Escentuals makeup, which is “so pure you can sleep in it.” While I love the makeup, this particular statement is a bunch of baloney. It’s never good to sleep with your makeup on, period! So don’t do it – unless, of course, you’re going for that whole clogged-pores look… And of course, buying makeup rated as non-comedogenic (non-pore-clogging ingredients), would be a GREAT idea. 😉
2. Use a gentle cleanser. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, a cleanser that is too harsh will strip your skin of its natural oils, causing your skin to produce extra to compensate. You really don’t need your skin to feel squeaky-clean – just clean. These days, most cleansers out there are gentle. Just NEVER, EVER use bar soap! It’s highly comedogenic. Plus, all the extra scrubbing you have to do to get that extra layer of film off can be irritating to your skin. So don’t even consider it!
3. Similar to #2 – if you use a toner, use a gentle one! The same reasoning applies here as before. Toners are usually based on either alcohol, or witch hazel, both of which dry out and strip your skin. (Witch hazel, even though it is claimed to be gentle/natural, actually has alcohol in it naturally. It also has tannin in it, which can be helpful for burns, but is irritating when used repeatedly on skin.) Most people don’t even need toner – it’s just another “need” created by the beauty industry to make more money. Only if you have truly oily skin would toner be helpful. If this is you, use a gentle one. They’re very scarce; nearly every one out there is too harsh. But there are a few exceptions: they are Moisture Defense Antioxidant Spray by MD Formulations, and any of the toners from Paula’s Choice.
Those are the basic rules for everyone. Beyond this, try to find products appropriate to your skin type, and maintain a good balance of natural oil. If you’ve got dry skin, don’t over-moisturize. If you’ve got oily skin, don’t strip it!
Sheddin’ the Night Away…
With that said about oil, let’s tackle the main thing: exfoliation.
There are two basic types: physical and chemical. Physical ones are products such as scrubs, and chemical ones are lotions/gels that exfoliate your skin by, well, chemistry. Scrubs, honestly, are rather primitive. They can scrape or damage your skin – even if used rarely – and are definitely too harsh for daily use. Chemical exfoliants are much more sophisticated and effective. If you’re serious about taming your blackheads, you’ll need to exfoliate daily, so scrubs are not an option!
There are two kinds of chemical exfoliants: AHAs and BHAs. AHAs exfoliate the surface of the skin. BHAs are better at exfoliating – you guessed it – the lining of the pore! The most common AHA is glycolic acid, and for BHAs, it is salicylic acid. (That’s right! This anti-bacterial for acne is also a chemical exfoliant. Now you can hit two birds with one stone!) The big issue is finding effective AHAs/BHAs. The overall pH of the product has to be in a certain range (3-4), otherwise the AHA or BHA can’t actually exfoliate. At the bottom of this hub, I’ve listed some of each that do have a proper pH to be effective.
For proper blackhead care, you should use each type. If you only treat the inner pore, cells from the surface may still shed into the pore and clog it. However, you don’t want to go overboard and freak your skin out. So here’s what I have found to be a good plan of attack:
I use one type at night and one in the morning. Since you are using them daily, the AHA should be a concentration no stronger than 10% (no matter what cosmetic companies/ads try to tell you), and the BHA no stronger than 2%. Remember that the percentages are independent of each other, since they’re totally separate ingredients, so the numbers don’t mean that you are getting less out of the BHA than the AHA.
Apply them to clean, pre-moisturized skin, as the moisturizer creates a barrier, and will inhibit the exfoliant. Give it a couple minutes to work, and then apply a moisturizer, if necessary. (Some that I’ve recommended below are technically moisturizers, but if your skin feels dry or irritated, don’t hesitate to use an additional product. Remember, this is a chemical reaction, and your skin will probably need to be pampered and soothed following it.) Also, using an AHA increases your chances of getting a sunburn, so be sure you are using a well-formulated sunscreen! Most available these days are good quality, so you have a variety of options.
Other Considerations
There is one last category of ingredients that can be helpful for blackheads: cell-communicating ingredients. These, essentially, “communicate” with cells, “telling” them how to function as all healthy, normal skin cells would (including proper oil flow, cell shedding, etc.). They’re not miracle ingredients by any means, but they are veryhelpful. The two most popular (and widely available) are retinoids and niacinimide. Most retinoids are prescription-only, and most people do not actually need anything this strong. (Especially not for blackheads, ha!) In this instance, OTC-available retinol works beautifully. Retinol, and now niacinimide (thanks to Olay), are available in several moisturizers sold at the drugstore. To find a good one, just be sure to check that they are listed toward the beginning of the ingredients list (otherwise, there’s probably not enough in it to do anything), and that the packaging is not clear and not a jar. (These ingredients are light- and air-sensitive.)
I aslo want to briefly mention benzoyl peroxide. Often, when nothing has worked to cure blackheads, people will try this. Benzoyl peroxide is an excellent, effective acne treatment (it’s my weapon of choice!), especially when salicylic acid is not enough. However, it’s strictly an anti-bacterial, and won’t really help your blackheads. Plus, it’s also rather drying, so try other methods first. If you’ve got acne that you can’t shake, by all means, try it! But if blackheads is your only issue, this is not your solution.
Also, not exactly an ingredient, but a product that many use, are nose/face strips. These are great to help get the current blackhead crud out of your pores, but PLEASE follow the guidlines on the box as far as how long to leave them on, and how often to use them! Don’t punish your skin, pamper it!
Finally, I want to point out the difference between blackheads and large pores. One of the other reasons for blackheads can be that the pore is larger than others, giving it a higher chance of filling up with cells & oil. But even if a large pore is free of gunk, it will be more visible, simply because it is larger. We are our own worst critics. Give yourself grace in this area – learn to tell the difference! I’m sorry to tell you that you can never “shrink” or “reduce” large pores in size. You can, however, make them appear less visible. (Which, by the way, is usually the actual wording of the claims on most “pore-shrinking” products.) The first way to make them less visible is by keeping the pore exfoliated – a clean large pore will always appear smaller than a gunk-filled large pore. The other thing you can do is use a makeup primer that will fill in the pores, creating a smooth surface for your foundation to glide over instead of into. Smashbox’s PhotoFinish primer is a standard industry favorite. For more bang for your buck, however, you can get the nearly identical and equally effective – don’t laugh – Monistat’s Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. (Yes, seriously! You CAN put this stuff on your face! And it works beautifully!)
So keep these things in mind as you begin to properly manage your blackheads, and the extra care will take your skin a long way!
Breakin’ It Down, and Recommendations!
Whew! That was a lot of info! I thought I might do you the favor of summing it all up in a handy-dandy list:
1. Use non-comedogenic makeup, and DON’T SLEEP IN IT!!!
2. Use a gentle cleanser and (if necessary) a gentle toner.
3. Exfoliate regularly with one 10% AHA product and one 2% BHA produt.
4. USE SUNSCREEN.
5. Use a moisturizer with either retinol or niacinimide.
6. Benzoyl peroxide is for acne – not blackheads.
7. Use pore strips, but ONLY AS DIRECTED.
8. To minimize the appearance of large pores, use a good primer under your makeup.
That’s it! See, not so hard when it’s all broken down, huh? So now that you’re armed with the knowledge, it’s time to get armed with the products themselves and put them to use! Here, as promised, are some recs for AHAs and BHAs:
AHAs
Some proper-pH AHAs include: Healthy Skin Face Lotion, Night by Neutrogena, Moisture Defense Anti-Oxidant Lotion by MD Formulations, Night Reform Treatment by Murad, and Ultra Ace Hydration Booster by Ultraceuticals.
BHAs
Some proper-pH BHAs include: bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper by Bare Escentuals, Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-In-1 Hydrating Treatment by Neutrogena, Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer by Clinique, and Fruition Extra Multi-Action Complex by Estee Lauder.
Also, any of the AHA/BHA products from Paula’s Choice will serve you beautifully! It is mainly thanks to her that I have been able to learn about the facts and myths of skin care, and to begin using products that actually work and don’t empty my wallet!
Well, that’s all I’ve got, folks! I hope this was helpful to you – here’s to your more beautiful, blackhead-free skin!! 😀
