One of the top 5 questions I get are: How do I get rid of blackheads?
First things first; most people don’t have blackheads. They have sebaceous filaments that may or may not be clogged.
True blackheads are a form of acne, but that doesn’t mean every person with acne has them.
What most people call a blackhead is actually a sebaceous filament that has oxidized because the oil (sebum) has been exposed to the air. This is the natural, everyday functioning of your skin. For simplicity’s sake, I often refer to this as a clogged pore. They are often “clogged” because, ironically, we are stripping our skin of its natural oil with harsh cleansers and exfoliating products.
Sebaceous filaments are a part of how your skin is designed to protect itself so you can’t make these go away permanently. What you can do is minimize their visibility with daily cleansing using a cleanser suited to your skin type.
My go-to is the Tuel Deep Pore Cleansing Duo and I have a duo for every skin type. The video on the right discusses the duos and how to use them.
The pores on your nose work like the pores on the rest of your body, secreting oil (sebum) to keep the pH of your skin in balance and preserve your skin’s natural barrier (the acid mantle). Your skin’s natural barrier helps you stay hydrated, moisturized, and contributes to your immune system to name a few.
Your skin’s barrier plays such an important role in your overall health, including your skin, that we don’t want to disrupt it by say, scrubbing off all the oil with harsh cleansers and exfoliants.
Using a cleanser for your skin type is crucial to the health of your skin, and lessening clogged pores and actual blackheads for those who have them.
If you’re having trouble determining your skin type, check out my blog post on determining your skin type.
