1. Make Exfoliation and Microdermabrasion a Part of Your Weekly Ritual There are so many things you can use to exfoliate and remove blackheads with. All of them are in your cabinets right now. Especially for oily skin and getting rid of blackheads. Nutmeg helps get rid of the oil, offers the scrubby power, and leaves behind really smooth skin. The lactic acid in milk helps break down old skin cells so they disappear when you rinse your face. If you really want to take it up a notch, use buttermilk instead of regular milk (it contains even more lactic acid). You could also use: Baking soda and water, lemon juice and sugar, or salt and sour cream. How you do it: Simply combine your “scrubby” ingredient with your liquid/wet ingredient until you have a thin paste. Starting with a clean face, rinse it once with water, and then begin to apply your exfoliator in light, circular motions. Concentrate on the blackheads, but remember to use a very light touch. Too rough, and you could damage your skin.Do this for 3-5 minutes. Rinse well. Enjoy your clean face.
2. Do a Honey Pat-Down This is only slightly different than the honey face wash, in that you don’t want to wet your face before you start – in any way, shape, or form. (Although you do want to have a clean face before beginning.) Your honey should be very, very sticky if you want this to be as effective as possible. Simply pour a small amount of honey on your fingers and start rapidly patting the areas on your face where you want to remove blackheads. The honey will stick to the stuff in your pores, and pull it out as you remove your fingers. It will also offer gentle antibacterial and antioxidant support, so any small remnants that may be left in your pores won’t oxidize (and turn black) quite as quickly. Continue doing this for 3 or so minutes, and then just rinse your face with water.
3. Use Egg Whites to Pull Out the Gunk Frankly, this is one of my least favorite ways to get rid of blackheads (I don’t particularly like the way eggs on my face smell, and it hasn’t been as effective as the other ways for me). However, hundreds of other people swear by this method, thus I include it for your consideration. It’s a prime example of how one crunchy remedy may work for one person, and not at all for another. You never, ever, ever know until you try. How to pull out the blackheads with an egg white mask: Starting with a clean face, spread egg whites all over using your fingers or a paintbrush. Start first with one thin layer and let it dry briefly. Then spread a second layer over the top and let the whole thing dry completely. You may want to focus on the blackhead areas a third time, even. Allow this mask to dry for 15 minutes. Your face will feel tight and pull a bit. This is good. Then, with a warm, wet washcloth, scrub the egg whites off your face very gently. If nothing else, your face WILL be super smooth and soft. (And probably a little more porcelain (edit: or uniform regardless of skin tone) in color for a while, too, which is a fun bonus.)
4. Use a Cosmetic Clay Mask to Soak Up the Oils If egg whites were my least favorite, clays are my absolute #1 favorite way to get rid of blackheads. You do not have to have a special $50 jar of facial mask clay for this. You do not have to put essential oil into your mask (if you don’t want to, but you can). All you need is cosmetic clay and water (or apple cider vinegar, which is how I like to do it). Where do you get cosmetic clay? Mountain Rose Herbs carries a variety of it at very reasonable prices (bentonite, french green, rhassoul, and fuller’s earth). But if you have a local herb shop, the chances are, they’ll have some there, too. How to make a blackhead-busting mask with clay: Again, you can add goodies like rosewater or a drop or two of essential oils to your clay, but this is not necessary for removing blackheads. So the basics are: Combine 1 Tbsp clay with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or pure water) and stir until you have a paste without lumps in it. Spread over your whole clean face, or just the areas where you have blackheads. Allow this to dry for 15-20 minutes. Take a warm, wet washcloth and press it to the mask for a few seconds, and then slowly and gently wipe off.
