Here are the three steps to get rid of dark spots and blackheads without harsh scrubs and stripping masks. This skincare routine is suitable for anybody at any age.
Skincare should not be age-related; it should be skin type and skin problem-related. So this skincare routine is suitable for anybody with dark spots, blackheads, the occasional breakout, which we all do, hormonal breakouts, really bad skin, regular blackheads and breakouts, everything up to the point at which you’re going to go to your doctor. But before you go to your doctor, this is how you tackle blackheads.
Every single product of this routine can be used by any person, regardless of gender or age. This isn’t about age, this is about solving your skin dilemmas, and your skin dilemmas are blackheads.
So let’s go through this simple routine.
Simple 3-step routine
Cleansing
If you have blackheads, the first thing you need to do is cleanse your face properly every single day, every morning, and every night. And it’s a really simple thing to do.
You don’t need harsh scrubs, you don’t need blackhead strips, you don’t need anything with alcohol in, anything stripping your skin of the sebum. Because you’re producing too much sebum, and these will encourage your skin to produce more and more sebum, which means more and more blackheads on your face.
What you need is an everyday gentle rinse-off gel cleanser. Look for CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating cleansing gel.
These are non-foaming products that cleanse, hydrate and help restore the protective skin barrier to retain skin’s natural moisture. They lift away dirt, oil, and makeup without depleting or stripping your skin, and they are gentle enough for children, teens, and adults.
Team your cleanser with a two-sided microfiber pad or a microfiber face cleansing cloth. If you don’t like microfiber, get an eco-friendly konjac sponge, a natural plant. This is to exfoliate your skin gently while you’re cleansing physically.
Spot treatment
Then what you do is you tackle the actual blackheads and breakouts. There is one acid for you, and that is salicylic. Salicylic acid is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid). It’s a large molecule, however it’s lipophilic, it’s attracted to oil, which means it sits on the surface of the skin, and then dives into every single pore. And it’s the pore that is the basis of the blackhead, it’s blocked, it’s producing too much sebaceous secretions, this is where you need your acid to sit.
Paula’s Choice BHAs come in 3 formulas: Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which is slightly oily, Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Lotion Exfoliant, which is more liquid and light, and Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant, which is more thick and easy to apply on spots and certain areas with blackheads.
Similar product is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, which is a two percent salicylic acid treatment solution that helps exfoliate the inside walls of pores to fight the appearance of blackheads and other blemishes. This is also a go-to for ingrown hairs, any spots anywhere on your body.
Moisturizing
Face moisturizing is absolutely essential, for any person at any age. Especially if you have dark spots, blackheads and breakouts, because your skin extremely needs moisture, that’s why it’s overproducing sebum oil. Hydrate and moisturize your skin every morning and every night.
What you need is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a very light liquid, and it’s a natural moisturizing factor found naturally in the skin, it helps retain skin’s natural moisture, as it can absorb up to 1000 times its weight in water. So look for some HA face serum, like CeraVe Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum, or Neutrogena Hydro Boost hydrating serum.
You can put moisturizer on top of the serum. The moisturizer to choose is CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion, or Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture facial moisturizer, because these products are completely oil-free. This is coming from a dermatologists point of view, who say “no oil at all”. You can gently cleanse your face, you can hydrate it, and you can hydrate it using what’s found naturally in the skin.
That is everything you need to get rid of blackheads and dark spots, or to keep at the back of your bathroom shelf to tackle your occasional breakouts. This is your go-to emergency kit for anybody with blackheads.
I’d like to add, if you do this routine, and things keep getting worse, to the point where they start getting red, and they start leaving marks on your skin, go and see your GP. Because once they start to permanently mark your skin, you are at a level where you need medical intervention.
And you need to stop it, because when acne kicks out again, because it will do, your body will eventually recognize it and kick out again, it could take ten or fifteen years, you’re going to be left with scars, that are so much harder to treat. Try and prevent them.
There are drugs that work topical, antibiotics topical, retinoids, gels, creams, and lotions, and even oral retinoids, that’s the prescription form. Please just take care of your skin.
Hope this simple routine helps you to get rid of blackheads and other blemishes, or to prevent them, and enjoy your healthy and glowing face skin.