How to Remove Blackheads | Wastefree

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Before embarking on my zerowaste journey, I used pore strips to remove blackheads. These are actually terrible for your skin and are extremely wasteful, especially if I use them once a week!

I have combination oily skin and the pores around my nose are huge! They get clogged often and there are even whiteheads which will come out from the pores if I do not do a deep cleanse. In this blog post, I share a waste free method of removing blackheads. I have used this method for 2 years and it works!

You will need:

  1. Clay mask (I use Lush’s Mask of Magniminty)
  2. *Cleansing Oil (I use Innisfree Green Tea Cleansing Oil)
  3. *BHA Exfoliant (I use COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid or Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial)
  4. *Comedone extractor
Tools for blackhead removal

From left to right: clay mask, BHA liquid and comedone extractor

What to do:

  1. In the morning when you wake up and before washing your face, dab your BHA product onto the area where your blackheads or pores are most visible. Because BHAs are oil soluble, they’ll be able to penetrate deep into the sebum filling up your pores. The BHA will loosen the gunk to make it easier to remove. Wait approximately 15 minutes to allow the BHA to do its job.
  2. Without washing off the BHA, apply the clay mask all over your face. Allow the clay mask to dry completely.
  3. Rinse off your clay mask with water. Do not use hot water as both your BHA and clay mask can be quite drying. Dry your face.
  4. Apply your cleansing oil on your dried face. The oil will help to lubricate the surface of your skin, and also allow the sebum in your pores to loosen further or sometimes even rise to the surface! Wait for 15 minutes for the cleansing oil to perform its magic. (If you’re impatient like me, 7 minutes is fine)
  5. At this point you’ll start to see or feel tiny little whiteheads coming out of your pores. These are sometimes referred to as “grits,” and getting grits out of your face is wondrously satisfying. Massage for approximate 2 mins then use your comedone extractor to draw the sebum out. Do not apply too much pressure to your skin. Doing so can result in broken capillaries, and those can’t be fixed without pricey laser treatments. Don’t worry if you don’t see or feel the grits. Even if you don’t feel any coming out, this process is still clearing your pores and reducing their appearance.
  6. Wash the oil cleanser off your face and follow up with your regular skincare routine. I have an almost zerowaste 10-step Korean skincare regime which you can read here.

Because of Singapore’s intense humidity and my skin condition, I tend to this at least once in two weeks or on a weekly basis. If you have dry skin to sensitive skin, you won’t need to do this process as often as I do but it’s important that you still use the BHA product in your skincare routine at least once a week.

Do not overuse BHA as it is a chemical exfoliant which may cause adverse effects to your skin.

I hope this has helped and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!

Love,

Felicia

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