HOW TO REDUCE BLACKHEADS

WHAT IS A BLACKHEAD?

Blackheads are small, slightly raised bumps that usually form on the face, but they can also show up on your back, chest, neck, arms and shoulders. These bumps are called blackheads because of their dark color, making them easy to spot on your skin. Unlike some other types of skin imperfections, blackheads are not inflamed so won’t be painful to touch.

WHAT CAUSES BLACKHEADS?

Blackheads occur when the pores on your skin become clogged. In each pore there is a hair follicle and an oil gland. These produce sebum to keep your skin soft and hydrated. If you have an excess of sebum it creates a ‘plug’ in the pore that traps bacteria and dead skin cells. A blackhead appears when the plug is still exposed to air on the surface of the skin.

TIP 1: OPEN YOUR PORES

A warm shower will jump-start your skin-clearing routine. This helps open your pores and enables any products that remove blackheads to work more efficiently. This means you can target any clogged pores and help reduce the appearance of impurities before blackheads form.

TIP 2: CLEANSE AND SCRUB

It’s important to keep your pores clear without stripping your skin of its natural oils. Our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash is enriched with Community Trade Tea Tree Oil from Kenya. It lathers up to help cleanse and remove impurities and excess oil, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and purified. Use daily for shine-free, visibly clearer skin. 

We recommend combining this with one of our face scrubs to gently buff away dead skin cells. This helps to stimulate skin microcirculation and expose the healthy skin underneath to your face cleansers, toners and moisturizers.

TIP 3: FOLLOW A ROUTINE

Tea tree essential oil is renowned for its skin-clearing benefits and is widely used in skincare products that target blemished skin. Our Tea Tree skincare range is infused with Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya and helps to remove impurities and excess oil, leaving your skin feeling clean and refreshed. Our daily Tea Tree routine will help to purify your skin, making it less prone to blackheads. 

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TIP 4: KEEP YOUR SKIN PURIFIED

Using an oil absorbing clay mask at least once a week helps to battle blackheads at the source. Our bestselling, vegan Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask has an exfoliating texture that draws out impurities, refines the appearance of pores and leaves your skin with a healthy-looking glow. It’s enriched with bamboo charcoal from the Himalayan foothills and Community Trade Tea Tree Oil from Kenya. 

After removing make-up and cleansing your skin, apply an even layer of the mask, avoiding the eye and lip area. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Next, rinse off in circular motions to gently exfoliate your skin. Use 2-3 times a week. 

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TIP 5: USE A LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURIZER

Add a lightweight daytime moisturiser to your routine that doesn’t leave skin greasy or pores clogged to help reduce the appearance of blackheads. We recommend you try our Vitamin E Gel Moisture Cream. This non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula locks in moisture and helps protect your skin from environmental aggressors. 

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TIP 6: ALWAYS REMOVE YOUR MAKE-UP BEFORE BED

We can all be guilty of it. When we’re tired, it’s time for bed and you just want to fit in one more episode of that series you’re hooked on, your full make-up removal routine can get squished into 5 minutes (or sometimes not done at all). 

Don’t forget, though, that residual traces of make-up can easily clog your pores. Our Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is a luxurious way to remove every last trace of make-up. Massage it onto dry skin and remove with warm water or a wet muslin cloth to leave skin feeling cleansed, refreshed and softer to the touch. 

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TIP 7: CHANGE UP YOUR DIET

Improving your health from the inside will help your body to look and feel healthier on the outside too. Here’s some changes you can make to your diet to give your skin a helping hand: 

DRINK MORE WATER 

You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again – drinking at least 2.5 litres of water a day will help to hydrate your skin. This is essential for maintaining a glowing complexion. 

EAT FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN A 

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that supports healthy skin cells. Eating a balanced diet rich in vitamin A can help stimulate cell production and protect against cell damage. 

AVOID GREASY FOODS 

Indulging in too much pizza, burgers and fries isn’t just detrimental to the health of your body – it can also affect your skin. Oil particles from greasy foods can clog your pores and cause blackheads, particularly if you have a habit of touching your face.