Remove blackheads: How to make your skin pore-free again

Not only teenagers, but also adults can suffer from blackheads. The bad news is that the excessive sebum production is hormonal and therefore cannot be stopped. The good news is that if you clean your face properly and regularly, you can significantly improve the appearance of your skin. We will give you the best care tips and show you various options that will help you remove blackheads.

What exactly are blackheads?

The medical term is comedo (from comedere = to eat): blackheads form 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. This not only looks unsightly, but also contaminates the skin.

Where do blackheads most often occur?

Most sufferers get blackheads in the so-called T-zone: the forehead, nose and chin – if the skin is particularly oily, they can also appear all over the face. The reason for this is the sebaceous glands, which are particularly common in these areas and are also very voluminous.

What really helps against blackheads?

1. Cleaning agents

The most important rule for naturally beautiful skin is: wash your face regularly, preferably in the morning and evening – otherwise, excessive sebum production will clog more pores every day and encourage new blackheads. Special lotions or micellar water are best for cleansing. It is important that you only ever use products that are suitable for your skin type. In other words: if you have particularly oily skin, you need a cleansing cream or facial cleanser for oily skin.

We recommend these two products:

2. Peelings

Peelings with salicylic acid (BHA) are particularly good for removing dead skin cells that clog pores together with sebum. Unlike conventional cleaning products, which you should use every day, the use of peelings is only recommended once a week. But be careful: massaging in the coarse texture puts a lot of strain on your skin and you should care for it after use with a cream that provides your face with sufficient moisture.

These two peelings are particularly suitable:

3. Face masks

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

For example, use these masks:

4. Blackhead patch

Clear-Up Strips are a simple method of quickly removing annoying blackheads. Unlike other skin care products, you can use the patches to free your chin, nose or forehead from the annoying sebum plugs in just a few minutes. Unfortunately, the freed pores are only temporary, as the ongoing sebum production causes new blackheads to 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 patches:

5. Blackhead remover

The so-called blackhead remover is currently particularly popular. As the name suggests, the device removes the sebum plugs from the pores by being placed on the affected areas – that’s the theory. In practice, it turns out that the suction device 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 on your nose. In addition, you should not completely forego regular cleaning of the skin, as sebum production continues.

These two devices were used most frequently:

Caution: Blackhead removers are also available online for removing blackheads – but you should stay away from these. The comedone extractor can improve the appearance of the skin if used correctly, but can also make it worse if used incorrectly. So there is a good reason why this device should only be used by trained beauticians.

Home remedies for blackheads

It’s not just over-the-counter remedies that can get rid of blackheads – if used correctly. There are also a number of home remedies that can significantly improve the appearance of your skin, such as:

Tea tree oil has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. Apply the liquid either pure or diluted with a little water to the affected areas with a cotton pad. For people with sensitive skin, however, the following applies: 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 it into the skin and rinse it off. Alternatively, you can mix the juice with a little natural yoghurt, honey and salt – this becomes a face mask that you leave on for 30 minutes.

Healing clay in powder form can also help to 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 improves blood circulation to the skin.

Also a steam bath for your face can work wonders: the heat opens up the clogged pores so that the excess sebum can drain away more easily. To do this, simply boil some water and put a chamomile tea bag in it – then hold your head over it with a towel for a quarter of an hour.

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

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

More information can be found here.