Blackheads 101

I have read quite a lot this week about blackheads and I felt it would be appropriate to share what I've learned with you. There are some old things I already knew of and some that I learned which were pretty interesting. So I hope this will be a little helpful to all those who are annoyed with their blackheads as well.

A little disclaimer beforehand; If you're looking for a post which is all scienced up and has very technical terms, this is not the post for you I'm afraid. I'll just touch on some general facts as I've never been good at science :D

• Blackheads are caused by your hair follicles getting clogged. 

• They are most common around the nose but they can also appear on someones chin, ears, back and shoulders/arms. 

• They can range from a yellowish colour to black. They don't always have to be black. 

• The difference between a blackhead and a whitehead is that the whitehead is underneath the skin. When the area is open(blackhead) the oil reacts to oxygen which turns it brown/black. Like when you bite an apple and leave it outside, it turns brown.

• Contrary to popular belief a blackhead is not dirt. The main action is going on under the skin so if you're cleaning your face daily it's not because your face isn't clean enough. 

CAUSES

• Food doesn't have an effect on blackheads. Unhealthy, sugary or oily foods aren't the cause of your acne. 

• As I said, the action goes on under your skin so not cleaning your face enough isn't the source either. On the opposite, if you cleanse your face more than necessary it might irritate your skin and worsen your blackheads.

• It's proven that smoking can worsen blackheads.

• Touching your skin a lot during the day may also be the cause.

• In some cases over-using foundation, sunscreen and moisturisers can also create blackheads as you block your pores and create a surface for a blackhead to develop in. 

HOW TO STAY AWAY FROM BLACKHEADS

• Wash your face twice a day; when you wake up and before you go to bed. 

• Look for cleansers, exfoliators and other products that contain salicylic acid, glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Exfoliators with these ingredients work more effectively than usual exfoliators with a grainy texture. 

• Clean your phone and your laptop(any gadget you use daily) daily. Otherwise the dirt and oil on the gadget will be on your face.

• Try keeping your hands away from your face. This is something I do a lot, I always touch my face or rest my head on my hand and that is just the first ingredient for a blackhead recipe. Stop.

• Try using makeup and skincare products that are water-based and oil-free. 

I hope this helped you in the tiniest way, I'm not the skin expert of the blogging world but there are certain things we should all remember to do to have a clean unclogged face :D 

If you have any thoughts on the subject feel free to tell us in the comments and also if you have any tips on how to get rid of them. Have a lovely day :)

Essence PureSkin Purifying Nose Strips

I was never quite bothered with my blackheads. I do occasionally squeeze them but I never used a specific product to remove them. I tried a nose strip when I was 12 but it wasn't that effective so I figured all the strips were the same. That was until I tried the Essence PureSkin Purifying Nose Strips (look at me talking as if I'm in a commercial...).

Essence's PureSkin range came out recently and I decided to give the nose strips a whirl first. The range is specifically designed for younger girls with very budget friendly prices. The strips were €1.89 which is a complete bargain. 

It comes in a tiny envelope-like case which contains 3 strips. On the back it says it is designed to unclog pores, remove excess out and lift away blackheads. It also states that if you use it on a regular basis, it will prevent new blackheads. Quite a bold statement to make in my opinion. 

As I said, the pack contains three individual strips which are also packed as shown above. You just tear it from the top or bottom and you are left with this;

The strip is stuck on a clear rectangular paper and to apply all you have to do is;

1. Make sure your nose and your hands are clean
2. Slightly wet your nose
3. Pull off the strip from the plastic
4. Place it on your nose
5. Rub it on your nose
6. Wait 15 minutes
7. Rip it off gently
8. Wash the excess.

One thing you have to remember is to not remove it in one go. You have to do it slowly and definitely don't do it from one side. Pull off the right side first, then the left side,  for the bridge of your nose remove it from the bottom pulling upwards. That is more effective and I learned that after my second try. 

If you use that method you are left with almost %70 of your blackheads looking disgusting on the used strip. I couldn't believe I had those tiny disgusting things blocking my pores. You are then left with open pores and a very smooth nose :D 

This is from my first try in which I only pulled it from one side. As you can see, on the left which is where I started to pull got all the blackheads but the rest wasn't so effective.

I definitely recommend this product and I will try other products from the PureSkin range as soon as possible.

I have read quite a lot beforehand about blackheads so I'm thinking about writing a whole post just about blackheads and what causes them/how to get rid of them. Do tell if that's something you would like to read about. 

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely day :)