Preventing/Treating Blackheads

WHAT ARE BLACKHEADS?

Firstly, we should dispel common misconceptions about blackheads: They aren’t a sign for dirty skin, nor can they be scrubbed away. A blackhead is, in fact, a hair follicle clogged with skin debris (keratin), bacteria and oil. Your skin produces sebum which lubricates the hair and skin and it usually drains away. However, sometimes the sebum can become blocked and as a consequence, bacteria begins to accumulate. Sebum contains melanin, the substance which gives your skin colour. Melanin turns dark when exposed to the air, hence the blackheads colour! For this reason, blackheads are usually, but not always, found in people with oily skin.

1. STAY CLEAN & FRESH

Be wary of washing your face with harsh cleansers; that’s why it’s best to stick to natural products, not abrasive high street brands! Harsh cleansers can make your skin overreact and produce more oil, which means MORE BLACKHEADS. Steer clear of all skin products with harsh chemicals; they remove too much natural oil from the skin and can give you blackheads, even though they purport to take them away! Here at Oleo we’d recommend  our‘Gentle Facial Wash’.

Our ‘Gentle Facial Wash’ contains some great blackhead busting ingredients:

Lemon Essential Oil – Its antiseptic and astringent properties make it perfect for caring for oily skin prone to blackheads.

Geranium Essential Oil– has a balancing effect on sebum secretion, making it suitable for both oily and dry skin. It’s antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties make it great for the treatment of acne, but also blackheads!

2. JUNIPER BERRY OIL STEAM

Steaming your face once a week can do you wonders by detoxifying your skin, therefore keeping it clear and blackhead free. We recommend using Juniper berry essential oil for its stimulating, astringent and detoxifying properties.  It’s a  good oil to treat clogged and oily skin.

Put a few drops of juniper berry oil in a bowl of hot (steaming) water, cover your head with a towel, making sure the sides are closed, and steam your face for about 10 minutes.  If the blackhead has loosened, very gently squeeze, with scrupulously clean fingers, until the blackhead emerges.  Having done this, a drop of tea tree essential oil, directly onto the squeezed area will ensure that there is no infection.

OLIVIA’S FINAL TOP TIPS

• Wash your face twice a day.
• Keep your pillowcase clean.
• Use an astringent toner that contains witch hazelafter washing your face and before moisturising.  This will help to remove any residual yuk.
• Once every week use the steam facial (above).
• A (gentle) clay face mask (Frankincense & Palmarosa Face Mask) can help to draw out impurities from the skin.  Use this twice a week for oily skin.
• Many people resort to using pore strips to quickly remove blackheads; however, this can be very damaging for the skin as it is only a quick fix and can’t be used long term! In short, using pore strips too often can cause blood capillaries to break around the nose (resulting in very visible red lines) and enlarged pores which will continue to get clogged resulting in even bigger blackheads! Please heed our warning and employ a less damaging routine  (as described above) that can be used regularly.

Do you have any  methods to treat your  blackheads? Have you tried out any of our recommendations?

We’d love to hear from you!