Blackheads are a scourge for some people, often affecting the T-zone of the face. They're a warning sign of acne, sometimes due to poor skin hygiene, and they're never pleasant to see. Fortunately, it is possible to prevent them and get rid of them without leaving any after-effects on the skin.
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Lots of Blackheads? What Do They Say About Your Skin?
Summary
- Blackheads or Open Comedones, Synonymous With Oily Skin?
- Practical Solutions to Prevent the Appearance of Blackheads
- How to Clean Blackheads
Published June 23, 2021,
updated on August 8, 2024,
by
Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
5 min read
Blackheads or Open Comedones, Synonymous With Oily Skin?
Open comedones, the term used to refer to blackheads, are the result of the formation of a plug in the skin pores (or hair follicles) for various reasons. Indeed, the accumulation of dead cells, impurities, and sebum favors their appearance. When these clogged pores are opened, oxidation occurs in contact with the air and the impurities trapped inside the pore turn brown, forming a blackhead. However, certain factors can contribute to increasing the chances of developing lots of unsightly blackheads.
This is the case, for example, when the skin begins to produce a large quantity of sebum, greater than normal, caused by a disorder of the sebaceous glands. This excess of sebum also causes an enlargement of the pores, thus favoring the entry of bacteria, pollution particles, toxins, etc… Thus, combination to oily skin is a good place for blackheads to appear, as it is prone to secrete an excessive amount of sebum. However, hormonal disorders; the use of certain medications (corticosteroids, lithium, or androgens); poor skin hygiene; the use of unsuitable skin care products; a build-up of dead skin cells, etc. are also to blame and promote the overproduction and accumulation of sebum.
Practical Solutions to Prevent the Appearance of Blackheads.
Like all skin imperfections, even lots of blackheads are far from being a fatality. You can prevent them from appearing in the first place by cleaning your face thoroughly and regularly with a cleanser for oily skin and blackheads. First, make sure you choose skin care products and cleansers that are adapted to your skin type and are non-comedogenic. Indeed, the wrong choice favors the formation of blackheads by clogging your pores. To guide you step by step in this process, we offer you a personalized skin analysis to determine the skin care products that best suit your skin type and meet your needs.
How to Clean Blackheads.
Since blackheads are a common skin problem, they can be cleaned and eliminated in various ways. In addition, if left untreated, blackheads can develop into pimples. Therefore, proper care is needed to unclog pores. This includes the daily use of a cleanser, such as a cleansing gel or a purifying cleanser, for targeted cleansing.
Salicylic acid-based products are also recommended for deep cleansing of your face. They allow softening the cells which block the pores of the skin thanks to their exfoliating virtues. In this category, we propose our serum for blemishes as well as our purifying tonic lotion, two formulas concentrated in antibacterial actives.
It should be noted that people with combination to oily skin are often subject to blackhead problems. To get rid of them, it is advisable to use zinc-based sebum-regulating products for their anti-inflammatory and sebum-regulating properties. Our purifying moisturizing cream with 4% zinc PCA and bamboo extract is suitable for this purpose.
Products with fruit acids (AHA) are also recommended for eliminating lots of blackheads. They help to loosen dead skin cells and increase desquamation. We offer you our gentle peeling mask. This mask contains red fruit acids and PHA which provide a gentle chemical exfoliation to renew the skin surface and remove dead skin. You also have a range of glycolic acid or lactic acid products. These chemical agents are known for their keratolytic properties. Also include in your skincare routine our purifying mask with charcoal and organic nettle, which regulates sebum production, reduces imperfections and tightens pores, while purifying the skin.
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