Treatment of Blackheads (I know, I hate the word too)
(21 posts) (13 voices)-
JustinKN
MemberHey Guys (and Gals),
Since going paleo about 8 months ago my acne has pretty much cleared but one thing that still bothers me are the blackheads on my nose. I've had them for years and they seem to be going nowhere fast. What is the best way to get rid of these devils once and for all? Now that I'm eating clean I'm sure once I get them gone I can keep it that way, but it's just that initial step. I bought some of those pore strips and made the mistake of using one. I have very sensitive skin and it left my skin red and irritated. I tried to soothe it with some coconut oil, and that worked alright, but my nose is not happy at the moment. Please aid me, I am very serious about fixing this and will try anything, no matter how much dedication is required.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
Baglady
MemberI used to have them real bad and had received a facial as a gift. I went and had that, the gal did all kinds of things to my face, I guess to soften the skin and then she squeezed them all out. it's been 6 months and they have not returned and now that I eat primal my skin is even clearer. If you can afford to have someone else do it, I vote for that method. The girl got more than what I could see in the mirror and the process was real relaxing.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
MMS131
MemberWhatever you do, DO NOT try to squeeze them out yourself. It will leave your pores damaged and red and horrible looking for days (been here, done this!).
I have had a deep cleansing facial, similar to what Baglady is describing, and I also had good success with this. Be prepared however, it is kind of painful. Your face might be red for a day or so, but it's much safer than trying to do it yourself.
I'm a big fan of Neutrogena Deep Clean for a daily cleanser (it's not girly, don't worry... However, not primal either, if that is a concern...), and I also use a Clinique exfoliating product a few times a week. This seems to do the trick - I rarely get them now.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
JustinKN
MemberI did the whole skin care routine religiously for about 6 years. I think it hurt more than it helped.
Then, after going completely paleo for a month or two I stopped it all cold turkey. The results I like very much, except for the persisting blackheads (not new ones, just the same old same old). I'm hesitant to start the normal "routine" of exfoliating, benzoyl peroxide, etc, again because all this did was leave my skin dry and red. There's got to be a way to naturally get rid of blackheads without Johnson and Johnson products full of ridiculous chemicals?
@stoneagequee: what do you mean by exfoliate? Scrape the skin off my noes daily with "microbeads" from the scrubs? This may work for some, but it seems my skin is extremely sensitive to any kind of rubbing. I don't want to have the appearance of rudolph for the next two weeks.
Thanks so much for the replies everyone, it helps.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
StoneAgeQueen
Member@JustinKN If you're exfoliating properly there should be no "scraping" involved. You just need to do it very gently for about 30 seconds. I have very sensitive skin and I never get any redness. If you're worried about chemicals, try using some very finely milled salt or oats. Another thing that would really help is to get a flannel face cloth and use that. It would provide very gentle exfoliation.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
JamieBelle
MemberI've been using ProActiv products (the face wash/scrub and repairing lotion) twice a day every day for the last 4 years. It helps a lot. My skin became a lot more prone to breakouts after I had my son....prior to that I basically had perfect skin. This stuff really works for me, but my skin isn't as sensitive as yours sounds. They do have products for sensitive skin, too.
Posted 2 weeks ago # -
Rozsa
MemberI've found washing my face with castor oil every other day works really well, to clarify: a 1/4-3/4 mix of castor oil & carrier oil (almond, sunflower, macadamia, jojoba, anything neutral that won't spoil unrefrigerated)
Just massage a bit in for a few minutes, wipe off with a warm washcloth a few times.
Seems to de-schmutz much more gently than stripping facewash like Proactiv (used it for 1 year) or mainstream face cleanser, oil-free, exfoliating,or otherwise.Posted 1 week ago # -
I have to say the castor oil thing didn't work for me overall - skin was still gungy/mucky. BUT it was much better than harsh products - previously I was using Clinique's "problem skin" range and my god it was awful, I wound up allergic to it.
I now use Aveda and it's pretty good.
But I have underlying issues causing bad skin so.....
Posted 1 week ago # -
Jess
MemberIs it necessary to use castor oil with the cleansing method? I tried using straight-up coconut oil, but started breaking out after a few weeks. I thought it was correlated to more red meat (hormones?) in my diet, but then I read an article that CO for skin isn't always the best option since the pH isn't right and messes with the oil glands. (Although my skin was much softer!) I've swapped it for EVOO, but I don't mix it with anything..I have an oily/combination skin type..
Posted 1 week ago # -
Rozsa
MemberMy understanding of the whole oil cleansing thing was that the castor oil acts astringent, antiinflammatory, antibacterial and the oil creates a thin film left on the skin after washing that acts as a protective barrier, mimicking sebum, that the skin slowly absorbs. I guess coconut oil might have just been too thick and waxy? If you try again maybe go with something thinner and more like sebum like almond, macadamia, sesame, sunflower...
All I know is this works really well for me, I've only been doing it like, a month or two, but my face never gets shiny midday or dry in the heat.. just balanced.
Posted 1 week ago # -
eurodod
MemberI've used the blackhead remover strips, made by Biore I think. I have tried 2 different ones and they both worked for me. You wet them, apply to a clean face, then when they dry, you remove them. They pull the blackhead out. Like I said, they worked for me. Both on my nose and chin....
Posted 1 week ago #
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