BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Beauty Basics Help me to be cured of blackheads.

I found Neutrogena's deep pore cleanser works well. Sometimes I leave it on overnight to get the pores cleared out. Good luck!

It works for a while and then doesn't. They tend to suddenly get mroe breakouts and mroe oily skin. I don't know if it was a formulation change or what have you. I also question the fact that they now have added more products to their line that inclde Salicylic acid. Why would they need it if the pro-activ worked?

Like I said.. I personally prefer the self-adjusting Arbonne products. I like the Clear and Intelligence line. I have used both and my acne cleared up and now only une the intelligence line. I have clients who I have gotten to switch and only one of the maybe 15 not like the arbonne, but they didn't go back to the proactive either.

It appears no one has said exfoliating your face? Is there a reason or did I miss it? I would have thought if you exfoliated it would help.

Thanks Jase!

I know this is a topic for blackheads but I noticed people mentioned Proactive. I tried that along w/ Retin-a & antibiotics which I will highly recommend people NOT use antibiotics. Your body becomes immune to them. I just firmly believe humans aren't supposed to be this sick; we have way too many superbugs out there & people tend to settle. But what helps me is something that most of us has in our medicine cabinet & is cheap. Aspirin. It contains salicylic acid. I put a few tabs in my hand w/ some water to make a paste, I then put it on my pimples. It does flake off but the residue does stay. If I have a horrendous pimple, I put extra on. By the next day, noticable improvement. I just get the Dollar General aspirin. Another thing I do is not wash my face w/ soap. If you must use soap, use castile or glycerin based (gly makes me break out but I know of others who love it). What I've been doing lately is just cleaning my face w/ table sugar (which also diminishes black heads, can use baking soda too but sugar works best for me) & washing w/ water & lavender essential oil. Topicals are great but you need to get to the Why's. I break out during my period & when my digestive system is screwy. I help regulate my period thru nutrition & exercise & I have less breakouts. Don't eat foods that irritate my stomach & it's less too.
Love,
Reina

Chloe,

I have suffered from acne for nearly a decade. I've tried prescription drugs as well as Proactive and other advertised acne-clearing systems. All that Proactive does is mess up just about everything that keeps the skin in balance on its own and its a pain to get out of. Sure, it will clear your son up for a while, but the chemicals in it are horrible for long term use and your son will end up with a relapse in the end anyway when his skin tries to "fight back." It may be a quick fix, but not good in the long run. It also leaves the skin very dry and uncomfortable. If your son has severe acne that needs such drastic measures, I strongly suggest sticking with oral antibiotics and using a more sensitive-skin-type soap and moisturizer in addition.

I don't know if I just got lucky, but a new facial cleansing system I just started a couple of weeks ago has cleared nearly my entire complexion, no kidding. I have been using Aubrey organics facial care line for sensitive skin. I have tried organic remedies before, but none worked so, I don't know if this one is really better, or if its just the right solution for me individually. Regardless, I am certain that harsh chemicals in those "miracle" acne cleansers do more harm than good. I'd rather have acne than feel like my face is so dry I can't smile (with or without moisturizer), topped off with even more oil production because my skin thinks it needs it. What a miserable experience that all was.

Hi Julie,
You should stay away from the Proactive, it can dry the face, cause skin texture scarring, and cause redding of the skin or weakend capillaries which causes the face and exposed areas to look flushed or red. One or all of those things can happen.

Biore Strips, if you want a quick fix for the Black crust on a black head for pictures or something, use the strips. If you are looking to cleanse the pore, the black head should be completely extracted and then the pore cleansed.

The causes of black heads oil and debris in a pore causing sebum build up and the oxygenation of the oil makes it turn black. The only cure is drying out the face which usually comes naturally as you grow older.

Like I tell all my clients, be happy you have acne now, you'll look younger later.

Biore strips remove the crust and some of the impacted material in the pore but it leaves some in there and the pore is wide open to fill again.

Like some of the others I recommend going to an Esthetician or Skin Care therapist. They will cleanse, extract and immediately make things look better. Then you can talk to her about a skin care regime that suits your skin.

Once you have a cleanser, use it twice daily, am and pm as was suggested earlier. I would like to add to that by saying, cleanse twice each time. The first time removes outer dirt and oils on the face. The second time actually cleanses the now open pores.

If you have very oily skin, as was recommended earlier, a clay mask. The Body Shop makes a great Mask for that. twice a week, it actually sucks up the excess oils in your skin and helps keep your face blemish free. Remember to exfoliate also, something as simple as a wash cloth after cleansing can help slough off dead skin cells. Then when all is done, use an oily skin moisturizer to help with oil control.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but it only takes about 10 minutes a day once you get into a routine and you notice your skin is happy.

As for cystic acne, before you try pills and harsh creams.... I would recommend looking for a SPA that offers High Frequency in their facials. The High Frequency offers a treatment that goes beneath the skin and kills bacteria and such in a non pustule impacted blemish. It's a thermal type of treatment and even though you can't really feel the treatment the acne is noticeably less in a matter of 24-48 hours. Results in less scarring and maintenance is longer.

Talk to the Esthetician, they will know whats right for you. Also, Depending on what state you are in, ask the Esthetician to show you how to extract your own blackheads. Sally's beauty supply has black head extractors (Schamberg loop extractor).

Tracy Morales
Esthetician/Make-up Artist
Complete Wellness Center

You definitely have a point.

Proactiv strips the skin and you get immediate clearing within a few weeks. What happens with extended use is that your skin starts to fight back. Your pores with produce more oil, your skin will not flake off the dead skin cells they will get caught up with the excessive oils and you get the clogging. You will use more product, and it's this vicious cycle that causes more problems than you are really wanting.

There are several product lines that are great for all skin types. There are also others I'm sure but these are ones I use and recommend.

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I've really enjoyed reading the thread about blackheads. Everyone has provided some really good tips about how to address the issue. I haven't had a problem with blackheads so far, and I had no idea they could be so complex.


www.ethnic-beauty-central.com

I'd bet I've spent $20,000 over the last 10 years on a quest to rid myself of blackheads. I'm not even exaggerating. The thing that seems to work best for me is chemical peels, sometimes they call them "mini-peels." If I do those every month, my pores don't look nearly as clogged. I used to also use a glycolic acid based skin care line but I got frequent cold sores as a result, so I stopped. The peels seem to be doing well for me, though.