If you have pores, you will at some point experience blackheads. Pretty much everyone does because the microscopic network of glands and follicles that keep skin functioning and healthy is a factory for blackheads.
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What Causes Blackheads?
Those pesky dark dots appear mostly on your nose because the sebaceous glands here are bigger and produce more oil than other parts of the face. However, they can also show up on your chin, forehead, back, chest, arms, and shoulders. They are particularly annoying because they give the impression of dirty skin, but in reality, these specks have little to do with dirt.
Every follicle has an oil-producing sebaceous gland along with a sebaceous filament, which is a tiny tube that funnels sebum to the surface of the skin. While those elements are functioning, your skin is busy shedding dead cells, which get into the follicle and mix with the sebum to create a plug. If the skin over the plug remains intact, it will become a whitehead.
A blackhead forms when a pore is only partially clogged, allowing some of the trapped sebum to drain to the surface where it’s exposed to oxygen. That black color you notice is caused by the exposure to air. That’s oxidation, not dirt. (Though dirt, makeup, and environmental pollutants can certainly contribute to a buildup of oil in the follicle.)
How to Get Rid of Blackheads
To remove blackheads and prevent them from returning, get a professional deep cleansing facial monthly if possible. At home, it’s critical to stick to a consistent, daily routine. Products containing retinoids, acids (especially salicylic) and benzoyl peroxide help keep pores clear and less prone tothe buildup that leads to oxidation.
Alpha hydroxy acids exfoliate dead skin cells. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that goes a step further. It’s oil soluble, which allows it to work beneath the surface to clear dead cells and oil from the follicle. Salicylic acid works well in combination with benzoyl peroxide, which targets acne bacteria and flushes pores. Retinoids are antioxidants that support the skin'snatural surface renewal, helping clear away dead cells and debris.
The Perfect Regimen for Blackhead Free Skin
BP 3% Acne Treatment Cleanser with Buffing Beads
A cornerstone acne cleanser. This exfoliating scrub combines benzoyl peroxide with biodegradable cellulose beads to target acne-causing bacteria, flush pores, and remove cellular debris.
The exfoliating acid trio of mandelic, lactic, and salicylic works to refine, calm the look of redness, and clear the look of blackheads. Acids loosen and lift cellular debris and surface sebum, while the textured pads collect and clear them away, leaving skin refined and prepped for better absorption of your corrective serum.
A synergistic blend of acids and REt (RP)™ Retinoid makes this advanced serum a potent catalyst for visible resurfacing, refinement, and renewal, resulting in smoother, brighter, more even-looking skin. If you’ve never used a retinoid, start with Derm-A-Gel®, then move up to Exfol-A™ when your skin has acclimated.
Daily SPF is a must for protecting skin from the damaging effects of UV exposure. This feather-light, non-comedogenic formula gives you moisture and sun protection in one without the worry of clogging pores.
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