Remove blackheads: This is how the skin becomes pore-free

Not only teenagers but also adults can suffer from blackheads. The bad news is: The excessive production of sebum is hormonal and therefore cannot be stopped. The good thing: if you clean your face properly and regularly, you can significantly improve the complexion of your skin. We’ll tell you the best care tips and show you various ways to help remove blackheads.

What exactly are blackheads?

The medical term is comedo (from comedere = to eat): Blackheads arise in the pores that are clogged by excessive sebum production. Dead skin cells that collect in the pores and react with oxygen give blackheads their typical black color. Not only does it look unattractive, it also pollutes the complexion.

Where are blackheads most common?

Most of those affected get the blackheads in the so-called T-zone: i.e. the forehead, nose and chin – if the skin is particularly oily, it can also appear all over the face. The reason for this is the sebum glands, which are particularly common in the areas mentioned and are also very voluminous.

What really helps against blackheads?

1. Cleaning agents

The top rule for naturally beautiful skin is: Wash your face regularly, preferably in the morning and in the evening – otherwise the excessive sebum production ensures that more pores are clogged every day and new blackheads are favored. Special lotions or micellar water are best for cleaning. It is important that you only use those products that are suitable for your skin type. In other words: Anyone who has particularly oily skin needs a cleansing cream or facial cleanser for oily skin.

We recommend these two products:

2. Peelings

Peelings with salicylic acid (BHA) are particularly suitable for removing dead skin cells that, together with the sebum, clog the pores. Unlike traditional cleansers that should be used every day, the use of scrubs is only recommended once a week. But be careful: massaging in the coarse texture puts a lot of strain on your skin and should be cared for with a cream after application that provides your face with sufficient moisture.

These two peels are particularly suitable:

3. Face masks

As an alternative to the scrubs, you can also use face masks. Especially if your skin is prone to blemishes or large blackheads, you can remove excess sebum and stimulate cell renewal. When buying, make sure that the mask also contains salicylic acid or activated charcoal – this will remove blackheads from your face. If you have a particularly large-pored complexion, regular face masks can help ensure that your skin becomes more even and finer-pored in the long term.

For example, use these masks:

4. Blackhead patches

So-called clear-up strips offer a simple method of quickly removing annoying blackheads. Unlike the other care products, you can use the plasters to free your chin, nose or forehead from those annoying plugs of sebum in just a few minutes. Unfortunately, the freed pores are only short-lived, as the ongoing sebum production ensures that new blackheads form. In the short term, the Clear-Up Strips are a good alternative, but in the long term you cannot avoid regular cleansing, masks and peelings.

We recommend these two blackhead plasters:

5. Blackhead Remover

The so-called blackhead remover is currently particularly in demand. As the name suggests, the device removes the plugs of sebum from the pores by placing it on the affected areas – that’s the theory. In practice, it has been shown that the teat works very well in the nose area, but less so on the cheek. Accordingly, the device is only worthwhile for you if you want to remove blackheads from your nose. In addition, you should not completely do without regular skin cleansing, as sebum production is constant.

These two devices were most commonly used:

Attention: Blackhead Remover for removing blackheads are also offered on the Internet – but you should keep your hands off that. The comedone depressor can improve the appearance of the skin when used correctly, but it can also make it worse when used incorrectly. So there is a good reason why this device should only be used by trained beauticians.

Home remedies for blackheads

Not only over-the-counter products eliminate blackheads – if used correctly. There are also a variety of home remedies that can significantly improve the complexion of your skin, such as:

Tea tree oil has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. Apply the liquid pure or diluted with a little water to the affected areas with a cotton pad. For people with sensitive skin, however, the following applies at this point: Use tea tree oil sparingly as it has a high allergenic potential.

Fresher Lemon juice has a similar effect on blackheads. Here you mix four drops of juice with a tablespoon of sugar, massage them into the skin and rinse them off again. Alternatively, you can mix the juice with a little natural yoghurt, honey and salt – this turns into a face mask that you leave on for 30 minutes.

Healing earth powder can also help remove blackheads. It is applied like a face mask and removes both sebum and possible toxins from the skin. In addition, it supplies your face with important minerals and the blood supply to the skin is much better.

Also a steam bath can work wonders for your face: the heat will open the clogged pores so that the excess sebum can flow away better. Just bring some water to the boil and put a chamomile tea bag in it – then hold your head over it with a towel for a quarter of an hour.

Zink should also curb sebum production. However, our body is not able to store the zinc contained in many foods (including legumes, nuts and grains). For this reason, there are special tablets and zinc ointments that you can use specifically against blackheads.

One more tip at the end: In order not to damage the natural protective layer of your skin, you should not treat your face too often with a peeling or a mask. Find a healthy mediocrity!