Removing blackheads can badly damage our skin especially if we are removing deep-rooted blackheads.
But it is possible to remove even deep-rooted blackheads gently.
And better still it is possible to tackle the causes of blackheads and prevent deep-rooted blackheads with simple home treatments.
So in this guide I'll share key tips on deep rooted blackhead removal at home but first I'll take you through :
- How harsh OTC blackhead treatments damage skin
- Key causes of blackheads
- Blackhead prevention diet
- A gentle cleansing routine
- DIY blackhead removal steams
- DIY blackhead removal masks.
If you need to remove a deep rooted blackhead fast, jump straight to the deep-rooted blackhead removal tips.
Table of Contents
How Blackhead Removal Damages Skin
Many popular blackhead removal treatments damage our skin and shock it into over reaction.
Blackheads Popping
Popping blackheads damages skin cells causing scarring and more spots from spread infection.
Homemade Pore Strips
Pore strips yank out blackheads but also healthy skin cells & hair follicles. The shock triggers inflammation.
Exfoliating Face Scrubs
Exfoliating face scrubs are more likely to damage healthy skin cells than actually remove blackheads!!
Skincare For Acne
Blackheads are not acne and many acne treatments, contain drying benzoyl peroxide, which triggers excess oil and more blackheads.
Chemical Peels
AHA & BHA chemical peels remove blackheads in layers of "dead" skin but don't give our bodies any of the nutrition needed to regenerate cells. The peels also destroy the infection fighting balance of our skin leaving us more prone to blackheads!!
The big problem with all these harsh blackhead treatments is they don't tackle the causes of blackheads.
What Causes Blackheads?
Frequent & deep-rooted blackheads are a sure sign our digestion and hormones are unbalanced. The root causes of blackheads are typically:
Sluggish Metabolism
A sluggish metabolism usually goes hand in hand with constipation.
Uncleared waste shows up as a dull complexion pitted with blackheads. It also plays havoc with hormones triggering excess oil and more spots.
Slow Cell Renewal
Our body needs iron, protein and vitamins A, E & C to renew skin cells. Many women are deficient in the last four so our skin doesn't renew itself and leaves blocked pores in place.
Poor Infection Response
Iron, B12, vitamin D and great gut bacteria are key for fighting skin infections. Deep rooted blackheads are often a sign we are deficient.
Excess Oil Production
Blackheads are clogged up oil in our pores which blackens in the sun.
Erratic hormone surges trigger high oil production by sebaceous glands. Surges are common during puberty, periods and stress but not a given.
They are a red flag of deficiencies in:
- Magnesium
- Protein
- Healthy fats
- Complex B vitamins.
These root causes of blackheads can be fixed fast with a simple blackhead prevention diet that actually helps clear deep-rooted blackheads.
Blackhead Prevention Diet
Quick diet tweaks truly can keep blackheads away and help our body heal the most deep rooted spots.
First stop saturating yourself with :
- Sugar
- Sodas including sugar-free
- No-nutrition junk food.
Then scan this list for any skin nurturing food you go short on :
- Water : don't get dehydrated.
- Iron : if you don't often eat red meat, up your other iron rich food.
- B12 : red meat, oily fish, eggs & mussels are good sources. Vegans must take B12 supplements.
- Leafy green veg : two helpings every day rapidly renews skin cells.
- Rainbow rotation : cover the rainbow weekly e.g. tomatoes, radish, strawberry, sweet potato, carrots, red cabbage, melon, blackberries, kiwi, pumpkin.
- Nuts & seeds : a handful daily feeds skin with key minerals & fats.
- Great fats : oily fish, olive oil, avocados, eggs, pasture fed dairy.
- Whole grains : ditch refined white carbs for a mix of whole grains.
- Green tea : a little cup daily is medicine for self-healing skin.
Enjoying all these tackles the causes of blackheads fast. But one group is a real miracle worker for problem spots and that is leafy green vegetables.
Leafy Green Vegetables For Clear Glowing Skin
2 helpings of leafy greens daily not only gets skin glowing but also clears deep-rooted blackheads easily.
If you struggle to eat your greens try this glowing skin green smoothie :
Or this delicious green juice for clear skin :
Or make green soup with leftovers :
And there are lots more quick ideas for yummy green side dishes here.
As we fix our diet we need to adopt a gentle cleansing routine for spots.
Gentle Oil Cleansing To Remove Blackheads
Gentle oil cleansing - unlike harsh cleansers and exfoliating scrubs - helps remove blackheads without :
- Stimulating excess oil
- Damaging skin cells
- Triggering inflammation.
It's a key step in Korean skincare.
The Best Oil Cleansers For Blackhead Removal
You needn't fork out for fancy oil cleansers. Use any of these :
- All skins types : safflower, argan, grape seed, jojoba
- Oily : rose hip, castor, primrose
- Dry : olive, almond, sunflower, apricot, avocado, coconut
- Mature : avocado, coconut.
A bottle of good quality oil costs less than £10 and will last months.
How To Use Oil Cleansers For Blackhead Removal
To gently cleanse blackheads away :
- Rub a few drops of your chosen oils together in your hands.
- Massage for a good few minutes all over your face and neck.
- Really relax into the massage.
- Once a week - prior to a gentle blackhead removal mask - continue massaging problem areas e.g. nose and chin for 15 minutes. You will see tiny blackhead plugs or "grits" coming out on your fingers!! Wipe away and continue massage.
- Gently rinse off with a warm cloth.
Follow up your oil cleanse with a simple DIY toner for blackheads.
DIY Toners For Blackheads
Simple toners rebalance our skin's PH and microbiome so it can protect itself from blackhead infections.
You can make gentle herbal tea toners to use all over your face from :
Simply make a cup of tea, strain and store in a jar in the fridge for a week.
Or make one of these slightly stronger toners to help heal deep-rooted blackheads on nose & chin :
Daily oil cleansing and toning really can clear blackheads. Combined with a gentle steam and DIY mask weekly you can shift deep-rooted blackheads without popping and squeezing.
Purifying Blackhead Removal Steams
Gentle - not scorching - steams dislodge excess oil clogging skin cells without abrasion or popping.
To prepare your gentle steam :
- Half fill bowl with just boiled water
- Add a handful of purifying herbs :
- Put towel over bowl
- Let herbs infuse for 5 minutes
- Carefully pop head under towel and stay under for 5 minutes.
It is tempting after a steam to try and pop blackheads but resist it. We need to apply a quick mask before starting any manual blackhead removal.
Gentle Blackhead Removal Masks For Deep Spots
Simple DIY masks clear blackheads without damaging skin cells and can be made quickly and cheaply with home supplies plus bentonite clay:
- Clay, ACV & Turmeric Mask
- Green Tea & Aloe Vera Mask
- Matcha & Coconut Oil Mask
- Oatmeal, Green Tea & Honey Mask
Some Korean skincare routines recommend keeping masks on all night but most need only 20 minutes and will over dry skin left longer.
*Always do a small 5 minute patch test using a new mask.
Clay, ACV & Turmeric Mask
This anti-inflammatory & bacterial mask is great for young skin with blackheads, inflammation & acne ...
Green Tea & Aloe Vera Mask
This green tea and aloe vera mask is good for older skin which may be oily but still needs some hydration.
Matcha & Coconut Oil Mask
I love this quick mask which is just:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil plus
- 1 tablespoon matcha power or contents of a few green tea bags
- And ½ tablespoon water.
It is naturally antibiotic and calming.
Oatmeal, Tea & Honey Mask
This oatmeal mask with green tea and honey is nourishing if your face is tired and stressed out. It uses essential oils but I would skip them:
Once you have your mask on:
- Just sit back
- Relax for 20 minutes
- Before gently rinsing it off
- Without scrubbing or yanking!!!
OK we are finally at the point where we consider manual removal of deep-rooted blackheads.
Deep-Rooted Blackhead Removal At Home
Manual removal of deep-rooted blackheads can badly scar skin.
So we should only attempt careful removal after 10-14 days of :
- The blackhead prevention diet
- Oil cleansing
- Anti-bacterial toning
- Weekly blackhead removal steam
- Weekly blackhead removal masks.
This routine will clear most blackheads and make any deep rooted spots easier to remove.
What You Need To Remove Deep-rooted Blackheads
You need one of these two types of deep blackhead removal tools :
Before using either tool :
- Disinfect tools with rubbing alcohol
- Cleanse face
- Have steam & mask
- Or cover face with a clean, warm, wet cloth for 15 minutes
- Place removal tool around spot and slowly apply pressure
- The tweezers let you pinch and pull out the spot's contents
- Only continue removal as long something is coming out of the blackhead with gentle pressure
- Only press for a few minutes
- Apply toner after extraction.
Remember work with your skin. If we try to force spots out, inflamed skin will hold onto them like splinters.
We are for more likely to remove a deep-rooted blackhead that hasn't responded to gentle pressure with oil cleansing than with brute force.
And don't under estimate diet. Good nutrition - especially green veg - gives our skin the power to see off spots and renew itself, so we have a glorious glowing complexion, that is beautifully blackhead free.
I do hope these blackhead removal tips help you. For more simple health & beauty remedies read these posts :
- Cold Sore Remedies
- Dandruff Treatments
- Frizzy Hair Remedies
- Athlete's Foot Treatments
- Verruca Remedies
- Sunburn Remedies
And follow me on Pinterest ...
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