Guest blog by Renée Rouleau
Blackheads. We all have them and we all hate them.
What is a blackhead?
These are large pores that contain oil that has oxidized with the air causing it to turn black.
There have been countless products sold through the years that claimed to remove them, but nothing seems to be effective. (Remember the pore-cleansing strips that were sold years ago for blackhead removal? All they did was remove hairs on the nose.) Some estheticians will use a suction device that claims to “vacuum” them out of the pores, but all it does is cause redness and potentially damage capillaries.
What you can do?
Although there is no way to permanently get rid of blackheads, your best bet is regular monthly deep pore cleansing facials where the blackheads are manually extracted from the skin. Go to an experienced, trusted esthetician who will properly soften up the skin and gently remove them without injuring the skin. I recommend post-facial to use an Alpha Hydroxy Acid or Beta Hydroxy Acid product (try Renée Rouleau Glycolic Serum) to keep the pores cleaned out. Long term use of Retin-A can also help but it has to be used regularly and for years before you can really see a difference. Avoid the ingredients Isopropyl Myristate and Isopropyl Palmitate in your skin care products as these can contribute to the formation of blackheads.
Bottom line: Don’t get fooled by anyone selling you products that claim to remove blackheads. Trust me, if there was a cure, we would all know about it and I’d be the first to bring it to you. I’ve been squeezing out blackheads out of my client’s skin for over 20 years and my hands are getting tired!
I just rub a bit of tea tree oil on the affected areas. It works for me. Anyone else wish to try should do a patch test 1st.
Two things: The strips work. They really do for me. They just require following up – you cant rip them off and be done. Keep cleaning after removing the strip, and also use an astringent to tighten the pores after you’re done.
And, I’d read that Alpha Hydroxy Acid (Salicylic) is better at softening, aiding removal and preventing blackheads than Beta Hydroxy Acid (Glycolic). I tried both and yep – for me, the Salicylic one works better for sure. The reason, I understand, is that AHA is oil soluble and BHA is water soluble. So BHA is great at getting rid of excess dead skin cells, but AHA is better at getting into pores and loosening the oil buildup.
Yes, I agree with the other poster, those nose strips do work. I used them when I was younger. Salicylic acid is a BHA (not AHA) and regular use of a salicylic acid cream will help shrink nose pores and dissolve blackheads.
thanks