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According to statistics, comedones, or blackheads, are present in more than 90% of people. Why do they appear? Is it possible to fight them? And if so, by what means? We answer all questions and present the best remedies for blackheads, according to the editors of Healthy-Food.
Causes of black spots
Black dots most often occur on oily and problem skin.
Hormones
The male hormone testosterone is responsible for the production of sebum in the body, so the skin of men is usually oilier than that of women: the higher the testosterone level, the more secret the sebaceous glands secrete.
The cause of teenage skin problems is an unstable hormonal background. The same reason leads to the appearance of acne in women of mature age – a hormonal surge occurs during pregnancy and at the onset of menopause.
Food
According to some reports, eating a large amount of fast carbohydrates can affect the size and function of the sebaceous glands, and therefore accelerate the production of sebum. Direct evidence is still lacking, but many have reported improvements in skin condition when following a low-carbohydrate diet and avoiding sugar.
Insufficient cleansing or exfoliation
Contrary to prejudice, foundation cannot ruin the skin, but illiterate cleansing can. A dense layer of foundation cannot be washed off in one gesture, so it makes sense to distinguish between make-up removal and direct skin cleansing.
Perfect for the first step in your evening cleanse. milk or cleansing oil, as well as micellar water.
Then, wash your face with water using a cleansing product, such as a foaming gel, to remove makeup residue and milk or oil from the surface of the skin.
Among the reasons for the appearance of black dots is the lack of competent cleansing.
Methods for getting rid of blackheads
Do these procedures regularly if you need a quick and obvious result. Competent daily care will help to maintain the effect.
Cleansing masks based on clay, they absorb sebum, mattify oily areas of the skin and prevent inflammation. Apply the mask after a steaming bath for better cleansing.
Exfoliants – both mechanical (scrubs) and chemical (peelings) remove the keratinized layer of the epidermis, facilitating the release of sebum, and help reduce sebaceous plugs. Some scrubs have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Mechanical cleaning – an effective way to quickly get rid of acne and comedones. It is better to perform this procedure with a specialist. The downside is that the recovery period after cleaning can take up to a week.
Composition of cosmetics against blackheads
As part of products aimed at combating black dots, proven “fighters” usually work.
Clay is an excellent absorbent, effectively removes sebum from the surface of the skin. Clay masks prevent the appearance of comedones and blackheads. Read more about clay masks here.
AHA and BHA acids (salicylic, lactic, glycolic) are also among the top three ingredients against blackheads: they dissolve intercellular bonds and accelerate the removal of dead cells from the epidermis, which block the release of sebum.
Zinc kills bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, causative agents of acne and acne.
Sulfur reduces sebum secretion.
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The best cosmetics against blackheads
If blackheads are a nuisance, search the store shelves for the top-rated Healthy-Food beauty products listed below.
Moisturizers
To protect itself, squeaky cleansed but not hydrated skin begins to secrete even more sebum. So don’t forget to moisturize. If your pores are prone to clogging, opt for lightweight gels or oil-free creams.
Oil-Free Moisturizing Gel Cream, Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream, Kiehl’s
A complex of vitamin E, extracts of antarcticin and desert plants protects epidermal cells from free radicals. Glycerin, due to its inherent hygroscopicity, attracts water and retains it in the skin cells, helping to maintain an optimal level of moisture.
Botanic cream “Grape extract” for mixed and normal skin, Garnier
The grape extract in the formula is known for its antioxidant and refreshing effects. It controls shine while moisturizing the skin.
Corrective care double action Normaderm Phytosolution, Vichy
It works on two fronts: it helps to reduce pores and mattifies the skin, while moisturizing and strengthening its protective barrier. Ingredients: salicylic acid at a concentration of 2% (narrows pores), kaolin (reduces oily sheen), vitamin C (antioxidant), hyaluronic acid (promotes hydration) and, finally, a derivative of the probiotic Bifidus strengthens the protective functions of the skin.
Cleansing
Skin care starts with proper cleansing. Make-up, especially thick, remove with a special tool, and then wash your face with water, using a non-aggressive cleanser. To deeply cleanse the skin, use face masks.
Clear Skin Cleansing Gel, Garnier
Due to salicylic acid and zinc, it regulates the production of sebum, removes impurities from the pores, and reduces greasy shine.
Exfoliating
Exfoliation is a necessary step in care, especially for hyperkeratosis. Many people skip this procedure, and in vain: keratinized skin flakes contribute to blockage of pores and reproduction in the mouths of hair follicles of propionic acne bacteria, the primary source of inflammatory processes.
Soft scrub, La Roche-Posay
It is aimed at narrowing pores and improving complexion, combining the properties of mechanical peeling and salicylic acid, perfectly exfoliates the skin.
Facial sugar scrub, purifying, reducing blackheads, L’Oréal Paris
The formula with a warming effect, sugar granules, kiwi seeds and lemongrass oil intensively cleanses the skin of impurities, sebum, dead cells – that is, everything that can provoke the formation of black spots. The scrub can also be used on such a delicate area as the skin of the lips.
Masks for face
Masks for intensive cleansing are a mandatory item in the program in the fight against black dots. Read more about blackhead masks here.
Mineral pore-clearing clay mask, Vichy
The hypoallergenic formula with two types of clay (kaolin and bentonite) effectively cleanses the pores, drawing out impurities from them. Soothing ingredients allantoin and aloe vera prevent skin from drying out, while water from thermal springs saturates it with minerals.
Steaming facial mask “Clean Skin” with zinc against blackheads and oily sheen, Garnier
In just three minutes, it helps to open the pores and intensively cleanses them, including due to the thermal effect, as well as clay and zinc in the composition.
Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque, Kiehl’s Amazonian White Clay Mask
Amazon clay and bentonite fight bacteria and excess sebum in the pores, aloe vera has a softening effect, preventing absorbents from breaking the hydrolipidic mantle of the skin.
Black sheet mask “Cleansing Charcoal. Black Algae, Garnier
Moisturizing, reducing enlarged pores – all these effects are provided by the mask, the formula includes not only hydrants traditional for tissue masks, but also an exfoliating component (LHA-acid) plus an absorbent (charcoal).
Preventive measures
How to prolong the result after cosmetic cleaning and ensure the prevention of imperfections?
The basis for the prevention of black dots is a thorough cleansing.
Don’t forget about make-up remover: no matter how tired you are, washing before going to bed is a must. Contrary to myths, soap in this case is a bad helper. We suggest switching to a two-stage system popular in Asia: first, we cleanse the skin of cosmetic products with hydrophilic oil or micellar water, then we wash our face with water using a cleansing gel or foam.
humidification is the key to beautiful skin. Without regular hydration, the skin not only ages faster, but also produces more oil, which we diligently try to wash off, thereby causing even more damage to the epidermis.
If possible, don’t clean your pores yourself. Removing comedones with your own hands at home, you risk getting negative consequences in the form of rosacea or acne. But if you really want to, use special cleansing strips that are sold at any pharmacy.
Salon procedures
The most effective procedure against comedones in the nose area is a facial cleansing by a beautician. It can be performed manually or with the help of ultrasonic and vacuum technologies. The last method is the most effective, but at the same time the most traumatic for the skin.
After manual cleaning, there is a strong reddening of the skin, which can last up to 7 days. Cosmetics (for example, a mask) with a calming effect provided by panthenol, allantoin, aloe vera and chamomile extracts help to shorten the rehabilitation period.