Blackheads are annoying blemishes that often appear on the nose and face, but can appear on other parts of the body as well. Blackheads are obvious, but difficult to remove. While you can buy a blackhead-removal face wash, a mixture of Epsom salt and iodine can be an easy and effective home blackhead removal solution.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Remove Blackheads
Step 1. Boil your water solution
Boil cup of water on the stove or in the microwave.
The water should be hot enough for the Epsom salt to dissolve in it
Step 2. Mix all ingredients
Mix 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt with 3-5 drops of iodine. Stir the mixture evenly so that the Epsom salt is completely dissolved and the iodine is well mixed.
Step 3. Wait for the solution to cool
The solution should be warm, but cool enough for the fingers to touch it for a while and not overheat it.
The warm solution will cool your face while working on the blackheads
Step 4. Apply the solution on your blackheads
Dip a cotton ball in the solution and apply it on the blackheads. Allow the solution to dry completely (5-10 minutes).
- The cotton ball will absorb a lot of the solution, so be careful not to drip the solution onto your clothes.
- For pimples or blackheads on other parts of the body (back, chest, upper arms), it is better to use Epsom bath salts. That way, you can soak larger areas of your body at the same time.
Step 5. Rinse your face
Use clean, warm water and a cloth to gently rinse the solution and blackhead residue from your face.
Repeat this process regularly for best results
Part 2 of 2: Preventing Blackheads
Step 1. Know the taboos
We tend to be tempted to try different ways to get rid of blackheads, but it's important to treat your face carefully when trying to control acne. More people accidentally damage the skin than it heals when they try to get rid of blackheads.
- Don't pinch or squeeze blackheads. Squeezing or pinching can cause inflammation and infection. Your hands also naturally secrete oil, which can transfer to problematic skin and make blackheads worse. Try softening blackheads by placing a cloth, soaked in hot water and wrung out, on the problem area. After compressing the face for 10 minutes with a cloth, use a spot treatment product to cure blackheads.
- Do not use sharp objects on your skin. These tiny extraction tools actually push bacteria into the skin and can hurt your face if not used properly.
- Don't sleep with unwashed makeup. Makeup contains ingredients that can significantly clog your pores while you sleep (talc, titanium dioxide, etc.). Be sure to clean your face with a gentle skin cleansing product before bed to prevent build-up of oil from your hair, hands, sebum, and chemicals from makeup.
- ' Avoid exfoliating products that are too harsh. Harsh exfoliating products can irritate your skin and make your blackheads and pimples worse, so avoid large-grain exfoliants, such as those with almonds or walnuts. Instead, use a gentle cleansing product (like one made from rice or jojoba) to remove dead skin cells from your face.
Step 2. Wash your face twice a day every day
Use an oil-free face wash to wash your face morning and night to remove dirt and reduce sebum. Sebum is an oily substance under the skin that accumulates and causes whiteheads and blackheads. Just like the rest of the makeup, sebum can also clog pores.
Step 3. Fight acne with certain products
Benzoyl peroxide is an ingredient found in many acne treatment products that can really help reduce acne scars. Benzoyl peroxide can dry out some areas of your face, but you can apply a moisturizer after using it.
- Retinol is also known for its acne-fighting abilities, but the problem is that you need to find a product that contains enough of this ingredient to actually cure blackheads. The dose of retinol that proves useful is about 0.5 or 1.0%. Products with less retinol than that, or products where the percentage of retinol is not listed, may contain only a small amount of retinol and will not be effective enough to treat acne.
- Salicylic acid is a good alternative, but it doesn't really help get rid of blackheads.
Step 4. Wash anything that comes into contact with your face
Wash pillowcases at least twice a month, clean your cell phone and glasses from germs, and other objects that can transfer and collect oil from your face.
