Do you suffer from blackheads, those black dots on your face? We tell you how to get rid of them and make sure they don’t come back.
What are blackheads?
Blackheads (also called comedones or blackheads) are clogging of your pores. Your pores normally allow sebum and sweat to escape through your skin. Are your pores clogged by dirt, sebum or dead skin cells? Then a black or white dot (so-called blackheads or whiteheads) is formed, which we call blackheads. Usually, blackheads form in your T-zone (the oilier parts of your skin). So on your forehead, nose and chin.
How do blackheads arise?
Sebum normally ensures that your skin and hair follicles remain supple and do not dry out. So tallow is not necessarily bad. When (too much) sebum and dead skin cells cause your pores to clog, this can cause problems, because sebum can no longer come to the surface and can flow out of the skin in a natural way.
An excess of sebum and clogged pores can be caused by hormones, (incorrect) nutrition, make-up and harmful ingredients in skin care products, but also by medical conditions and medicines.
What is the difference between blackheads and pimples?
Pimples and blackheads are clogged pores. These occur when a hair follicle is clogged with sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria. If the hair follicle is completely closed, a pimple forms. The sebum and dirt in the hair follicle can therefore not get out. As a result, a pimple also gets bigger. If the pore is clogged, but not closed off, the sebum and dead skin cells in the pore can reach the skin’s surface. When it comes into contact with air there, the sebum turns black. We call that black dot a blackhead.
What is the difference between blackheads and whiteheads?
Blackheads are open comedones (clogged pores). You can recognize them by the black dot. This black dot is a wad of sebum. The sebum plug turns black when it oxidizes (comes into contact with oxygen in the air).
Whiteheads are closed comedones, covered with a thin layer of skin. Because the pore is closed, the sebum cannot get out. This keeps it looking like a white or flesh-colored bump.
What to do about blackheads?
Of course you want to get rid of your blackheads and once you get rid of them, you also want to make sure that they don’t come back. A good skin care routine is important to keep your skin healthy and prevent skin problems such as blackheads. In three steps you lay the foundation for a good skin care routine.
Cleaning: Use a water-soluble, mild cleanser on a soft, clean washcloth. This gently cleanses the skin surface.
Exfoliate: Use a well-formulated BHA exfoliant. An exfoliant with salicylic acid (BHA) removes dead skin cells and penetrates deep into the pores, preventing your pores from clogging.
Hydrate: Use a well-formulated day cream (with at least SPF 30) and night cream that suits your skin type every day. If your skin is well balanced, you prevent excess sebum.
Products for blackheads to add to your routine:
Toner: Use a toner with niacinamide . Niacinamide helps improve pore structure.
Mask: A mask helps absorb excess sebum. It helps cleanse and visibly shrink pores. Both our Skin Balancing Mask and our Pore Clarifying Charcoal Gel Mask are very suitable if you suffer from blackheads.
Skin Balancing Serum: Our Skin Balancing Serum balances the skin, helps prevent blackheads and visibly shrink pores.
Defense Antioxidant Pore Purifier: The Defense Antioxidant Pore Purifier penetrates the pores and contains a blend of effective antioxidants specially formulated to combat the damage of pollution and blue light.
scrub?
Exfoliating is never a good idea. The vast majority of scrubs contain hard, coarse particles, which damage your skin. This can lead to irritation and increased sebum production, which in turn can cause (extra) pimples and blackheads. In addition, blackheads are too deep in the pore to be able to remove them with a scrub. If you were to use a scrub, you would only remove the top part of the blackhead and not the underlying cause. Instead of a scrub, you can use an exfoliant with salicylic acid (BHA) . A BHA exfoliant removes dead skin cells without damaging the skin and can penetrate into the pores. Do you enjoy scrubbing? Then use The UnScrub† This mild cleansing scrub removes make-up, SPF and external dirt. Unlike other scrubs, The UnScrub does not contain hard, coarse particles, but fine, flexible jojoba spheres. They dissolve slowly, so you can’t damage your skin with them.
This is how you remove blackheads yourself
Use a comedone spoon. Place that over the blackhead, after which you simultaneously apply gentle pressure downwards and push the spoon forward.
Remove more of the blackhead by pressing a tissue over your fingertips gently and evenly against the sides of a blackhead.
Only do this once. If it doesn’t work, it means that the blackhead can’t be removed yet. If you force it, there is a high chance of a wound and scab, which can lead to scar tissue. Please try again a few days later.
Finish the treatment with a good exfoliant with BHA (salicylic acid) and apply a product with sunscreen during the day to protect your skin against UV radiation.