Blackheads are a nuisance. They are brought about by clogged pores with oil, dead skin, and sebum. When they are exposed to air, oxidation makes it black, hence, the term blackhead. When this happens, acne could follow. They are often noticeable and appear not only on the face, but also on the other parts of the body such as the chest, back, arms, and shoulders.

Removing them requires more than just pricking, or suctioning. To permanently remove them, one has to remove the entire blockage and not just the black oxidized part.

There are many ways to eliminate blackheads at home! We’re sharing different home remedies to completely eradicate them.

Blackhead Removal Strips

Applying a hot compress to your skin to open the pores. Dip a soft cloth in hot water for a few seconds. Leave the now hot soft cloth on your face for 5-10 minutes. After that, simply apply your blackhead removal strip or pad, like this Blackhead Removal Dual Sheet. Apply it while your skin is still damp from the hot soft cloth. When you are confident that the strip or pad is already bonded good enough onto your skin, you can now proceed to pull it off.

It is only normal that there will still be some residue left. When faced with this dilemma, gently squeeze out the remaining blackheads using your fingers. Be mindful to wash your hands properly before doing this step to make sure you won’t irritate your skin. For stubborn blackheads, simply apply a hot soft cloth again and try one more time.

Lastly, apply salicylic acid cream or paste, which you can easily buy from your drugstore. Salicylic acid is scientifically found to be effective in breaking down oil and sebum.

Steam, Compress and Extract

When we plan to remove blackheads, we have to understand that they’re pretty wedged into the pores. Therefore, what we need to do is loosen them a bit and the best way to do that is to steam them. Steam does not “open” the pores, they don’t open and close on demand (though that does sound like a neat party trick). However, pores can be influenced to expand when the skin is warm and dampened with warm water.

The first step is debatable whether you want to steam or take a clean cloth dampened with warm water. However, there is a third option and that is to do both. What you want to do is take a bowl of hot water and a clean towel. 

Hover your face above the bowl, cover the towel over yourself to trap the steam and heat for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, the water will be warm and not scorching hot like before. Take the towel and dampen it before gently pressing it against your skin.

Now here is the tricky part that we advise you to be very careful with. You are going to extract blackheads using an extraction tool- not a tweezer. Clean it with an alcohol swab before gently pressing against a blackhead where it will easily push out. We strongly advise you to watch videos on how professionals do it to ensure you are not causing unnecessary harm to your skin.

Finish off with your skincare routine (skip any products with exfoliating chemicals and active ingredients) and make sure to use a nourishing and soothing moisturiser.

Baking Soda and Water

Okay, let’s get crafty! We’re using baking soda and water for this recipe and it sounds kind of basic but it’s still effective nonetheless. Baking sodas are great at neutralizing the skin’s pH level. You won’t see an instantaneous result but when done regularly (2-3 times a week) you will start to see slight improvements.

All you need to do is take 1 spoon of baking soda and mix lukewarm water until it becomes a spreadable paste. Apply this against your skin and leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing it off and applying moisturiser. Simple as that to say bye-bye to pesky blackheads.

Priyanka Chopra’s Homemade Face Mask

If we had to get personal about home remedies, I follow Priyanka Chopra’s homemade face mask. Her skin is absolutely beautiful and clear and during an interview with Harper Bazaar, we got to find out her secret! It all lies in a DIY face mask incorporated through a traditional Indian and Pakistani mixture using turmeric and natural ingredients.

She explains that it’s a great way to cleanse, detox and hydrate the skin while it also helps to remove and prevent blackheads. It is super simple to make:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • A pinch of turmeric
  • A few drops of lime juice
  • Enough full-cream yoghurt to turn it into a paste
  • Rosewater (optional)

All you need to do is combine all the ingredients and apply the paste to your skin where you then leave it for 15 to 20 minutes to dry. Once the time is up, you’ll need to gently rub the dried mask off the skin which in turn will remove fine hair, dead skin and blackheads.

Incorporate Skincare Products That Contain Exfoliating Acids

Did you know that removing blackheads is as easy as applying toner or cleansing your face? These days, many skincare products contain ingredients that help prevent blackheads and whiteheads from occurring. This is because it is a huge demand in the market where everyone wants flawless skin where their complexion is absent of blackheads.

Here are some popular acids that you can check through your existing skincare products or ones you’re desiring to buy.

  • Salicylic Acid
  • Glycolic Acid
  • Lactic Acid
  • Azelaic Acid
  • Citric Acid
  • Malic Acid
  • Mandelic Acid
  • Retinoic Acid

These acids will truly help you get rid of blackheads and only leave clear glowy skin. They may take time but as long as you’re consistent in using it, you’ll eventually find your skin absent from any recurring blackheads!

Milk, Honey and Cotton Strips

This is a method I’ve done when I was younger and surprisingly, it works like a charm! Milk naturally has lactic acid and if you read our point above, it’s great at combating blackheads. Though this might be a little painful to some but think of it as using a nose strip, just DIY-ing it really.

All you need is to mix milk and honey and pop it to heat up for about 10 seconds- too hot and it might scald you and nobody wants that! We suggest you steam your face while waiting for the mixture to cool down. Afterwards, simply apply the mixture onto your blackheads and place a strip on top.

Now, the fun part. You need to peel the strip from bottom to top and marvel in the icky whitehead and blackhead that was successfully extracted. Afterwards, rinse your skin and apply moisturiser right after.

Aesthetician Approved Cleansing Oil Routine

Who knew simply using oil could do the trick? Well, one aesthetician who posts videos on YouTube shared her cleansing oil routine and how she uses it to remove blackheads! Oftentimes we use cleansing oils for the sake of removing makeup and sunscreen after a long, tiring day.

However, this aesthetician is teaching the internet all about using oil to loosen and push out blackheads. At first, many didn’t believe it but when we tried it ourselves, we were shocked to see tiny seed-like specs all over our oily fingers!

All you simply need to do is massage your cleansing oil onto your skin for 5 to 10 minutes. By that time, your blackhead should be seen at your fingertips. It is truly a hack worth knowing!