3 Best Home Remedies For Blackheads

Removing blackheads is not an easy task, from frequently visiting salons to using blackhead removal tools, the process of removing them is difficult as well as painful. But, fortunately, some home remedies for blackheads provide convenient solutions to getting rid of them. 

How does one get blackheads?

In spite of popular belief, blackheads do not represent dirt on your face. Blackheads occur when pores in the skin cells become clogged with dead cells and sebum (oil produced by the skin to keep it from becoming dry). When these dead cells in the clogged pores react with oxygen in the air and turn black, it forms a blackhead. 

Blackhead can occur due too much sebum production or due to accumulation of dead cells. Both happen due to hormonal imbalances, which can happen due to many reasons:

• Through medicines that contain corticosteroids, lithium, or androgens.
• During puberty or menstrual cycles
• Due to intake of birth control pills

Blackheads are also a form of acne, so the causes that lead to acne can be correlated to blackheads as well.

Home remedies for blackheads

• Lemon and honey

Lemon is a natural astringent that gets rid of blackheads while honey is a natural antibiotic that pulls out dirt from pores and moisturizes skin.

Steps to follow:

1. Chop a lemon in two pieces
2. Pour 3-5 drops of honey on both the pieces of lemon
3. Apply it gently on the areas with blackhead and wait for 5 minutes
4. Repeat this process twice a week. 

There are also some other ingredients that can be used with honey to remove blackheads, so if lemon does not work for you, you can try the following ingredients:

• Honey, oatmeal and tomatoes
• Honey and egg white
• Honey, sugar and milk
• Honey and sea salt

• Baking soda

Baking soda neutralizes your skin’s pH so that your skin will produce less oil and your pores will unclog, thus removing all the blackheads. It also works as a natural exfoliator to scrub away dead skin cells.

Steps to follow:

1. Form a paste of baking soda with water.
2. Splash your face with warm water so that your pores will loosen up the dirt and impurities.
3. Then, apply the paste on your T-zone and gently rub your skin.
4. Leave it on for a minute, then rinse it off.
5. Finally, splash cold water on your face to prevent dirt from entering pores. 

• Egg white

From home remedies for blackheads to masks for hair care, egg-whites are an ingredient we cannot ignore. Egg white has astringent and exfoliating properties that removes blackheads. They are also rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins that enrich the skin.

Steps to follow:

1. Stir the egg white in the bowl until its foamy.
2. Apply the egg white onto blackhead affected areas.
3. Next, place a paper tower over the area before applying a second layer of egg white and let this dry for half an hour.
4. Rinse your face and remove the excess egg white.

If you want home remedies for acne, then there are also several ingredients like tea tree and essential oils that helps to get rid of acne quickly.

Home remedies you should avoid

• Extractions at home

Extractions are performed by expert estheticians and facialists by pressing and squeezing the skin to unclog pores and pull out dead cells. While extractions do help to remove blackheads, it should not be practiced at home using DIY methods because if the extraction is improper, it can cause irritation, redness and even scarring. 

• Toothpaste and Vaseline

Some people use toothpaste and Vaseline to remove blackheads. Instead of treating blackheads, they can actually make it worse. The pores will remain clogged and the blackheads will return in a week. So, albeit a quick, convenient solution, it is not effective and it just worsens the problem instead of solving it. 

So, these are some home remedies for blackheads that are safe to try out. Do tell us in the comment section if these methods helped you.