How to get rid of blackheads on the face?

What are blackheads and why do they appear?

Blackheads are open comedones that form when the skin's pores become completely clogged with sebum, exfoliated keratinized cells, cosmetic residue, and microparticles of dust and dirt.

Most often, blackheads appear in people with oily or combination skin in the T-zone: on the forehead, chin, and nose. They take on a black colour because of the formation of melanin (a product of the oxidation of tyrosine). Put simply, the plug clogging the pore reacts with oxygen, and as a result it turns black.

So why do these wretched blackheads form? There are many causes, among them:

• genetic predisposition;
• increased or disrupted activity of the sebaceous glands;
• hormonal disorders;
• an unbalanced diet (eating fatty, spicy, sweet foods, baked goods);
• bad habits (smoking, alcohol);
• unprofessionally chosen skincare cosmetics;
• improper or irregular facial skin care (irregular cleansing, exfoliation, the use of aggressive cosmetics, soap);
• constant contact of the hands with the facial skin throughout the day;
• a large amount of stress;
• poor, restless sleep.

As you can see, there are quite a few causes. If we determine which of them provoked the formation of blackheads, the problem can be removed fairly quickly and effectively.

Which method of combating them should you choose?

First of all, I recommend reviewing your diet and lifestyle. For some reason, many people ignore these seemingly obvious recommendations. But in reality, a great deal depends on our diet – including the condition of the skin. If you are fighting blackheads, you will have to give up fast food, pastries, ice cream, sweets, sugar, baked goods, spicy and salty dishes, carbonated drinks, and coffee.

On the list of recommended products: fresh vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, berries, herbal teas, fish, seafood, natural yogurt, kefir, various grains, pasta, freshly squeezed juices, smoothies with flax and spirulina. Also follow a proper water-drinking regimen and try to get enough sleep.

As for facial skin care, I recommend following these rules:

• always cleanse your facial skin in the morning and evening, using the Washing Gel or the Phytogel for deep skin cleansing;
• 2-3 times a month use the Peeling (Scrub) or the Peeling Mask with fruit acids and the Pore-tightening Mask;
• under no circumstances squeeze blackheads;
• cleanse the pores from time to time. But (!) Entrust this difficult task to an experienced specialist (on your own you can introduce an infection, provoke broken capillaries, etc.);
• use a moisturising, sebum-regulating serum daily;
• do not touch your face with your hands throughout the day.

Removing blackheads is difficult, but possible – if you arm yourself with patience and the right cosmetics.

Once again I want to emphasize – do not squeeze blackheads, do not rub them with rubbing alcohol!

If you are unable to deal with the problem on your own within about 2-3 weeks, turn to an experienced and trusted specialist for help. They will help you select the most effective products individually for you, and your skin will recover painlessly.