Blackheads are a great concern of every woman. They make you feel unconfident about your look and worried when being around other people. Blackheads are becoming more and more popular these days, especially to teenagers and pre-menstrual women. Don’t worry! The content below will give you a picture about blackheads and provide you some effective home remedies to get rid of it.
What are blackheads?
As you might not know about, blackheads are known as small bumps which appear on your skin when pores are blocked by oil and dead skin cells. They are a mild type of acne and often be found on the area around your nose, which can become inconvenient and annoying sometimes. However, they can also appear on your back, neck, chest, shoulders and arms.
What are the causes of blackheads?
Blackheads occur when your pores are blocked through this process:
- The sebaceous glands release too much sebum (the oil that keeps your skin soft)
- The sebum clogs the hair follicle along with dead skin cells, producing a bump called a comedown.
- If the someone is closed by skin, it is called a whitehead. On the other hand, if the someone is opened and released to the air, it would turn into black and that is a blackhead.
Moreover, blackheads can also be caused by some other factors:
- Too much oil on your body
- Acnes bacteria
- Hormonal changes
- Using some types of drugs like androgens, corticosteroids, or lithium.
*Notes: Some people still misunderstand about the reasons why blackheads occur. They are not related and caused by:
- Poor hygiene
- Infrequent face washing
- Greasy foods, dairy products, and chocolate
Symptoms of blackheads
Although blackheads do not hurt you because it is not irritated like pimples, they still make girls worry because they can be noticed easily due to their dark color. In addition, blackheads are often raised gradually and appear on the skin around your nose.
How to treat blackheads by yourself?
Luckily, all of the concerns about blackheads mentioned above can still be solved easily at home. Here are some simple and all-natural remedies to help you remove blackheads and have a nice skin:
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Egg White Mask
Egg white mask can tighten your pores, remove your blackheads and prevent them from coming back in the near future. Egg white mask is full of nutrients, which is really good for your skin and also less drying than some of home remedies for blackheads.
How to use:
- Separate the egg yolk from the white, then apply a thin layer of the white to your face carefully
- Keep it on about 2 minutes until it dried, then add the second layer of the remaining egg white to your face
- Leave it there for about 10 – 15 minutes to dry, wait until you feel your skin is tight when touching it.
- Wash it off with warm water
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Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an amazing and familiar ingredient to all of us. This grain contains plenty of nutrients, which can solve many skin problems very well, including best treatments for back acne, blackheads or irritated area on your skin. Oatmeal can be used as a natural cleanser and scrub to loosen your blocked pores. In addition, it is also loaded with antioxidants and some anti-inflammatory elements, which helps remove dead skin cells and redundant oil to make your skin become brighter.
How to use:
- Cook just enough amount of oatmeal in order to cover all the blackheads on your skin, use distilled water to make sure there are no harmful elements in it
- The oatmeal should be at room temperature before you rub it on the areas on your skin which is affected by blackheads
- After applying oatmeal to your blackheads, leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes
- Wash it off with warm water
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Lemon Juice
Lemon juice comprises alpha–hydroxy acid (AHA) citric acid, which is one of the most perfect ways to get rid of dead skin and clogged pores. It is also loaded with vitamin C, an antioxidant which produces collagen to make your skin healthier and minimize scars from acne.
How to use:
- Wash your face carefully with light and natural cleanser
- Add a teaspoon of lemon juice from an organic lemon to a glass or a bowl
- Dip a cotton ball into the lemon juice and apply it to your blackheads
- Keep it on for at least 10 minutes to dry
- Wash it off with warm water or leave it overnight and then wash your face in the morning.
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Green Tea
Another great home remedy to get rid of blackheads is using green tea. It contains vitamins and antioxidants that can remove redundant oil, reduce inflammation on your affected areas and help you avoid any damages on your skin in the future.
How to use:
- Boil the water and then dip 2 bags of tea containing about 2 teaspoons of organic green tea into the hot water for 1 hour
- Pour this liquid into a glass or a bowl and wait until it becomes warm
- Apply it to your blackheads and leave it on for at least 10 minutes to dry
- Wash off with cool water, let it dry and then follow up with your moisturizer
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Cinnamon
Cinnamon can become an aromatic face mask because it is an anti-bacterial ingredient. It has many benefits to your skin, such as removing blackheads and flaky skin. You can also use it as a body scrub.
How to use:
- Mix a tablespoon of honey with a half teaspoon of cinnamon
- Rub a thin layer of this mixture on your blackheads
- Leave it on for at least 15 minutes
- Wash it off with an all-natural cleanser, use a moisturizer afterward
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Honey
Has always been appearing on the list of home remedies for skin-related problems, honey is also a wonderful ingredient to help you get rid of blackheads. Honey has antibacterial, healing and moisturizing properties. Therefore, it can help kill bacteria causing acne and blackheads as well as hydrate your skin.
How to use:
- Boil the raw honey and let it cool down until warm
- Apply a thin layer to cover the blackheads areas
- Let it stay for 10 minutes before cleansing your face.
- Apply your favorite moisturizer as usual.
- Alternatively, you can put a few drops of lemon juice into honey for a better