It is redundant to say that skin is the largest organ of a human body, we all know that and it is completely unnecessary to state that everyone suffers from blackheads on the nose. But not everyone knows why they get blackheads and how to get rid of them. I suffer from dry skin and oily T-zone so I only get blackheads (not something to talk about openly) on my nose area. So with trial and error, I have found a few ways to counteract this common problem!

What are blackheads?

Blackheads are essentially just clogged hair follicles that appear dark. They usually appear on the face or back and sometimes on the neck and chest area as well.

What causes blackheads?

The clogging (that causes blackheads) can happen because of excess oil production in the skin, hormonal imbalance, side effects from drugs or improper cleaning of the skin.

How to prevent blackheads?

Since the cause of the blackheads is essentially clogging of pores, adding a few simple things to the skincare routine can help prevent blackheads.

1. Washing you face twice every day. Once in the morning to get rid of any excess oil produced a night and once before going to sleep to clean the dirt and grime that might have accumulated on the surface of the skin during the day!
2. Scrub regularly. People with oily skin need to scrub a little more often than people with dry skin but always ensure that the scrub is gentle to the skin and does not irritate it.
3. Apply toner after any form of cleansing to remove any excess oil or residue from the skin and also close the pores. Toners also help balance the pH of the skin. Use a toner with low alcohol content.
4. Apply a good day cream with SPF and a deep moisturizing night cream after toning. If you have dry skin, apply a serum or ampule before face cream.

For the overall well-being of the skin, limit the oil content in your food and avoid deep fried food. And for the skin results, stick to the same brand for all the products at a time. And the reason for that is each product is made to compliment the other. That is also the reason I have included my recommendations from Neutrogena. It is an easily available brand that makes quality products and is quite affordable.

How to remove Blackheads?

One of the cosmetic procedures what is quite popular is Micro-Dermabrasion but it is expensive and not always necessary. So here a few ways that I have personally used to fight blackheads!

Home Remedies

A couple of easy and fast action home remedies to get rid of blackheads!

1. Apply a few drops of milk (raw) to the affected area. After 15 minutes, whenever it is completely dry, slowly start scrubbing in a circular motion. This is the easiest and simplest way in my opinion.
2. Take steam for a few minutes, or as long as it takes you to break out in a sweat in the affected area, and then with a dry towel, gently rub off the grime!

Remember to be gentle and slow!
Skincare products
Blackhead remover pads, strips, and packs are available from various brands in the market at a reasonable price. Just follow the directions and it works like a charm! I am currently using The Face Shop Blackhead remover clay pack.

For the body, always use a light body lotion if you are prone to blackheads on your body, one of my favorite products for that is the Neutrogena Body Emulsion. Read my review here.

How do you deal with blackheads? Comment below!