Let's wash away troubles: how do anti-blackhead remedies work?

Probably every second woman and every first man had to deal with them. As ancient as humanity itself, blackheads are nothing more than open comedones. When the mouths of skin follicles are expanded, they are easily clogged with a mixture of sebum and dead epidermal cells. This cocktail inevitably oxidizes and – hello, black dot!

The specificity of these skin imperfections is such that the thicker the sebum, the worse the exfoliation of the epidermis, the greater the chance of getting a scattering of comedones. More often - on the forehead, nose, chin and along the hairline.

There are usually several reasons.

• Hormones. Exceeding the norm of certain hormones leads to thickening of sebum and thickening of the epidermis. As a result, inflammation and comedones appear on the skin of the face - both open and closed. When the main cause of clogged pores is hormones, even the best remedy for blackheads will not save you, but it will keep the situation under control.
• Nutrition. Recent scientific studies have proven that dark chocolate is not as dangerous to the skin as baked goods and sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index are what scientists call them. Fruits, vegetables and grains, on the contrary, reduce the risk of acne.
• Incorrect care. Insufficient cleansing, lack of makeup remover, aggressive washing gels, comedogenic creams - all this is fraught with clogged pores, especially for oily skin.
• Stress. Problems at work, school or at home affect the health of facial skin only indirectly. Stressful situations disrupt the balanced distribution of vitamins and minerals throughout the body's systems, and the skin and hair are supplied according to a residual principle. In addition, when our nerves give out, we are more likely to ignore normal hygiene, leading to acne on our skin.
• Heredity. Sometimes the width of pores and viscosity of sebum are determined by genes. In this case, it will not be possible to get rid of blackheads forever. The good news is that fighting them is not useless. Regular care allows you to keep your skin beautiful and clean.

Effective methods to get rid of blackheads

Not all of these methods of cleansing the skin and removing blackheads are universal, but you definitely need to know about them.

• Cosmetics Dermatologists advise choosing a range of care from one brand and using it daily. The least that cosmetics can do against blackheads is to noticeably lighten them and keep the pores clean after a visit to a cosmetologist.
• Pharmacy preparations Complexes of biologically active substances for problem skin should contain zinc, vitamin A, B vitamins, silicon and magnesium, which reduce the production of sebum by the sebaceous glands and dilute it. But be prepared to disciplinedly monitor your dietary supplement intake with a doctor.
• Salon procedures From mechanical cleaning to deep chemical peeling - in the salon you can get any service for cleaning and tightening pores with a prolonged effect. Entrust your face only to qualified dermatologists and be prepared for the fact that the procedures will not work on you - this is possible if the problem is deep inside, and not in the skin layers.
• Homemade recipes The rating of homemade remedies for blackheads puts mixtures with parsley, yeast, celandine, salt, soda and other kitchen “residents” in first place. Doctors are pessimistic: these products are likely to cause allergies, and gruel with salt and soda will lead to dehydration, which is much more unpleasant than clogged pores.
• Diet and maintaining hydration Proper nutrition and one and a half liters of water per day are suitable for both men and women. In the long term, an active and healthy approach to life normalizes metabolism and makes the skin clearer. In addition, a diet rich in zinc, alpha-lipoic acid and retinol (and these are the same fruits and vegetables, herbs, beef, dairy products) balances the composition and viscosity of sebum.

What are blackheads?

Blackheads (open comedones or blackheads) are a plug from a mixture of oxidized sebum, particles of dead skin cells, dust and remnants of decorative cosmetics. They arise against the background of increased secretion of the sebaceous glands, as a result of which the pores expand and are more susceptible to clogging.

According to epidemiological studies, open comedones are a problem that occurs in people of different age categories, and not just in adolescents in puberty. Mostly such rashes are localized in areas of excessive sebum production and the largest number of active sebaceous and sweat glands: forehead, nose, chin (in other words, in the T-zone).

Features of cosmetics against blackheads

Did you know that remedies for blackheads, for example, on the nose, have the same mechanism of action as lotions for comedones on the back? Modern cosmetics begin with active ingredients - they are well studied and successfully used all over the world.

Compound

Anti-comedogenic substances in cosmetics serve several purposes. They need to dissolve the plug in the skin pores, draw it to the surface, and make the skin smooth and matte. An effective remedy for blackheads must contain at least a couple of components from this list.

• — Salicylic acid – at a concentration of 2% it dissolves the contents of pores and has a delicate antibacterial effect on the skin.
• - Glycolic acid - acts similarly, but only on the surface of the skin.
• — Zinc – fights oiliness, mattifies well, prevents inflammation.
• — Plant extracts – some of them mattify, while others visually reduce pores and soothe the skin.
• - Clay and charcoal - they are loved for their absorbent talents, their ability to draw out impurities from pores, reduce and lighten blackheads.
• — Mild abrasive additives – exfoliate the epidermis and polish the skin, restoring its smoothness and softness.

Properties

Cosmetic ranges, whose formulas are based on active ingredients, are produced in entire “families” - so one set of cosmetics for problem skin will replace all your usual care. In these ranges, each product has its own specificity, but together they go towards the same goal.

• Moisturizers. Oily and at the same time dehydrated skin – does this happen? Even so, if there is no moisturizing product without comedogenic substances in your care.
• Cleansing. They are the main ones here: they work in the pores, renew the epidermis, remove impurities and excess sebum, gradually reducing the number of clogged pores.
• Exfoliating. Created for regular skin renewal. Those with blackheads, as a rule, have a slower exfoliation of dead cells - this cannot be done without outside help.
• Toning. By enhancing the effect of cleansers, they soothe the skin and even prevent the appearance of oily shine throughout the day.

Why does this problem occur?

Each of us, dear ladies, has pores on our skin - they serve as ducts for the sebaceous glands.
When the secreted fat oxidizes, it darkens - this is why blackheads appear on the face (scientifically they are called comedones). Sebum oxidizes when it cannot flow freely out of the pores. This happens in the following cases:

• too much fat is produced and it is thick;
• keratinized particles of the epidermis do not peel off well and block the sebum exiting the ducts;
• Inflammatory processes occur in the skin, which disrupt the normal functioning of the glands.

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What else can cause blackheads to appear? Hormonal changes. For the first time, comedones appear, as a rule, at the stage of puberty, but women often suffer from them during pregnancy and menopause. This problem is also caused by dietary flaws - excessive consumption of sweets, fatty foods, and starchy foods.

However, in order to get rid of blackheads on the face, most often it is enough to use cosmetic products that reduce the amount of sebum, exfoliate dead skin cells of the epidermis, and relieve inflammatory processes.

Types of cosmetics for blackheads

Now let’s take a closer look at what cosmetic products help against blackheads – and how to incorporate them into your care.

Creams

A special cream for acne and blackheads can be drying, so it is permissible to alternate it with other moisturizing products: for example, in the morning - neutral care, and in the evening - cream with salicylic acid.

Scrubs

The general consensus is that products with scrubbing particles should be used most often - every other day, and ideally twice a week after an acid peel (tonic) or instead of a regular cleansing gel.

Tonics

Lotions and tonics are indispensable in the fight for a beautiful face: they gently exfoliate, mattify and enhance the effect of the care applied after them. Focus on the behavior of your skin - sometimes it is enough to wipe it with toner only in the morning.

Oils

Even oily skin needs ceramides, just in smaller quantities. Look for non-comedogenic oils and apply oil-based products twice a week only to moisturized skin.

Gels

If the gel cleanser for blackheads contains acids, that’s just great! But alcohol at the very beginning of the list of ingredients is undesirable, because the mission of the gel is to cleanse the skin of a mix of sebum and typical urban pollution without overdrying. You can wash your face with this product twice a day with a clear conscience.

Plasters

Not all cosmetologists approve of them. But what could be more effective than a strip that pulls out dozens of “columns” from pores at a time? And if you apply a steaming mask first... Be sure to consult your dermatologist before declaring war on blackheads with such a radical method, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Masks

Aimed at drawing out impurities from pores and reducing skin oiliness. Typically, the mask is applied once a week or more often after washing and only on dry skin, left for at least three minutes, and then washed off. Cleansing fabric masks are also useful as an express remedy.

What components of cosmetic products help get rid of comedones?

• Clay
  . White (kaolin) has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps reduce sebum production. Blue (bentonite) pulls out “plugs” from pores, black (volcanic) removes the keratinized layer of the epidermis.
• Charcoal
  . Frees sebaceous ducts from contents, cleanses the skin of toxins.
• Marine silt.
  Exfoliates the top layer of cells, relieves inflammation.
• Snail mucin.
  Removes keratinized particles of the epidermis, reduces inflammatory processes.
• Witch hazel extract.
  Has an antibacterial effect and normalizes sebum production.
• Brown sugar.
  Used to exfoliate the epidermis.
• Papain.
  Dissolves the keratinized layer of cells, freeing pores.

If in response to the question “how to get rid of blackheads on the nose, chin and cheeks” you are recommended pharmaceutical products, do not rush to buy them. The composition of such products includes alcohol, antibiotics, salicylic acid - ingredients that have a harsh effect on the epidermis and often aggravate the problem.

How to choose the right remedy for blackheads: a mini-guide

It all depends on your skin type. Which one is yours?

The problem is the tendency to become fatty:

• you need comprehensive care: gel, tonic, cream, scrub and mask;
• choose products for daily use;
• Pocket-sized products will come in handy - for example, matting napkins.

Problem – combination skin:

• Enough gel, lotion and mask;
• give preference to textures that allow you to apply the product only to the T-zone.

Problem – dry or sensitive skin:

• your choice – cream or mask for local application (a fabric mask will no longer work);
• avoid drying cosmetics;
• Pay attention to anti-allergenic, non-comedogenic care.

Pumpkin mask DermaQuest

A professional pore cleanser - DermaQuest Pumpkin Mask - pulls out and dissolves sebaceous plugs, eliminates oily skin and impurities in just 10 minutes! Performs the function of atraumatic cleaning.

Dense comedones are difficult to remove by squeezing, and lotions and serums are not able to dissolve the dense contents of the pores.

The pumpkin mask has a steaming effect in combination with a comedolytic effect - deep cleansing. Clear skin and healthy complexion immediately after using it!

Composition of Pumpkin Mask

• 50% pumpkin pulp is a source of active ingredients for the skin: natural vitamin A, antioxidants, natural fruit acids and enzymes, pyrogens - substances that warm the skin, open and cleanse pores.
• 3% mandelic acid is a fat-soluble acid that penetrates into pores and cleanses them. Has an antiseptic effect - prevention of inflammation.
• 3% lactic acid – this percentage moisturizes and restores the skin.
• 3% pumpkin enzymes and lactobacilli - restore healthy skin balance - microbiota, prevent bacterial growth.

Properties of pumpkin pulp

Pumpkin pulp is a unique ingredient due to its active substances:

• Natural pyrogens – increase skin microcirculation, warm the skin, open pores. Due to heating, dense black dots come to the surface, making their removal easier. The active substances from the professional mask penetrate the skin better.
• Natural fruit acids - work as a soft peeling, removing layers of dead cells both from the surface of the skin and inside the pores. Helps dissolve and remove comedones.
• Natural enzymes also work to gently exfoliate the skin and promote better penetration of active substances. Restore skin microbiota - the microbial balance necessary for skin health, prevents the development of the inflammatory process and the appearance of acne.
• Natural vitamin A – normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands, reduces the production of sebum. It is an ingredient in the 1st line for removing blackheads on the face. It has an additional effect - lightens pigmentation and activates collagen synthesis.
• Pumpkin pulp also contains B vitamins, vitamin C, niacin and vitamin E.

The question arises: is it possible to use natural pumpkin pulp to cleanse the skin or are there differences? There are differences. DermaQuest pumpkin mask – professional product:

• contains mandelic acid 3% - comedolytic - dissolves fat plugs, has an antiseptic effect;
• lactic acid 3% - delicate exfoliation and moisturizing of the skin;
• professional pH 4.0 – deep penetration of active ingredients from the mask;

How to clear your face of blackheads using a pumpkin mask

1. Cleanse skin of makeup and surface impurities with a cleanser.
2. Apply a pumpkin mask to clean skin for 10 -15 minutes.
3. For thick, sensitive skin, you can use it under a vaporizer or while taking a shower or bath, this will enhance the steaming and cleansing effect.
4. Rinse with plenty of water. If necessary, remove single comedones without applying much pressure.
5. Finish by applying moisturizing and soothing products to the skin.

Clean pores without blackheads, pores become narrower and less noticeable, the skin becomes smooth, even and fresh complexion.