Blackheads: What are they and how do we deal with them?
As a normal to oily skin type gal, I am “lucky” enough to deal with the most common skin disorder out there, blackheads. Before I really got into skincare, I thought that blackheads were actual little hairs that you just had to deal with, unwanted tiny hairs that decided to grow all over your nose. So I never did anything about it. But once I started to really get into skincare, the first thing I looked into were blackheads.
Blackheads are hair follicles clogged by dead skin, bacteria, and sebum to such an extent that the pore becomes irritated and opens, leading to oxygen changing the color of the sebum to black. They are also referred to as open comedones, which are the opposite of closed comedones, or whiteheads.
Once I knew that blackheads are angry, clogged hair follicles, I figured that the best way to avoid this issue is to exfoliate the area. Now, I’m someone that truly loves to exfoliate, but I prefer chemical exfoliation rather than physical because we can get carried away with physical exfoliants by rubbing our skin too hard, while chemical exfoliants work at a cellular level and can be more effective. I’ll go deeper into this preference of mine in another post.
In order to tackle my blackhead predicament, I started using various chemical exfoliants, but the one that I’m currently using and enjoying is the Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Serum. The reason I love this formula is because of its high concentration of salicylic acid and niacinamide, which are fantastic ingredients on their own, but together they become the perfect pore cleansing duo.
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, and beta hydroxy acids (BHA) are exfoliating chemicals that are oil soluble, which means they penetrate deeper into the skin than alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). Because salicylic acid is a BHA, it goes deep into your pore and cleanses it from within, dissolving dead skin cells, sebum, and getting rid of bacteria all at once. It’s really one of the best ingredients you can use to get rid of blackheads, or whiteheads for that matter. Like most BHAs, you don’t want to overuse salicylic acid, as it can lead to skin sensitivity and irritation.
Niacinamide is actually the water-soluble vitamin B3. It minimizes and tightens pores, helps improve uneven skin tone, it repairs the skin barrier, and also acts as a fantastic aging-gracefully ingredient by softening fine lines and wrinkles. Niacinamide does it all. It works well with many ingredients, so it’s great for sensitive skin as you don’t need to worry about increasing sensitivity due to prolonged use.
Because both salicylic acid and niacinamide target the pores so precisely and effectively, the Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Serum has become a staple in my skincare routine when dealing with blackheads. I use it in the morning or night, depending on what I plan on doing that day. It took about a week to see results, but within the first couple of days of use, I got a couple of new whiteheads. This period of ‘purging’ was expected, so I just kept using it and found that my breakouts and blackheads started going away within the week. Like anything related to skincare (and life for that matter) you have to be patient with results, we all have different skin and how it reacts to ingredients varies per person. I’ll be on the lookout for more salicylic acid serums, but so far I’m pretty happy with this one and highly recommend it.
