Help with blackheads

[mgilleran@earth-co]

I need some suggestions. I have a terrible blackhead problem on my nose & checks, and a few on my forehead. They are driving me crazy! I recently switched to mineral makeup. I only wear it about 2 times a week. It seems like that might be what is causing it. I haven't changed anything else lately. I wash with brown sugar, or honey & baking soda. I use homemade castile soap also (unscented since I have sesitive skin). I am not having pimple flair-ups, just the blackheads. Other than that my skin looks & feels great. What can I do to get rid of them? I'm desperate! I even thought of using some type of BHA-like clearasil pads or something. HELP!!

[solidcitizqueen]

Whoah, first I've ever heard, and wish I had some advice. My only suggestion would be trying jojoba oil after using the oat flour/cornmeal/sea salt concoction posted on here. I had a few blackheads popping by here and there, but never an outbreak like what you're describing. I can't imagine it would be the makeup either, but who knows?
I went back to my daily black soap washing followed by washing w/ honey. Once a week, I use the above mentioned scrub, and one other time per week, I use bs w/ honey as a scrub. Every day, I use jojoba to moisturize, or use unrefined shea at night. I've been using mineral makeup for 7 years, and never had blackheads as a result. My blackheads are random, but the revisted skin routine has taken that problem away for me.
I'm sorry to hear about your issues, and know your frustration.

[mgilleran@earth-co]

Thanks so much. I have never used AB soap. I am going to have to try some. I also forgot to mention that I also use ACV/Water 1:1 as a toner. I hate to stop using the mineral makeup. It is Everyday Minerals. Could it be the finishing powder maybe? I am using the intensive product.

[MerelyGod]

I have had really good luck with clay masks. I buy a Moroccan red clay at the health food store (it's pretty cheap, and you could probably use any dry clay if you can't find that kind) and mix a little with water. Then you just spread a THICK layer over the blackheads and leave it on as long as you can stand it. If it's just one or two, you could spot treat and leave it on overnight (works wonders on pimples too).

It is very drying, so you'll definitely want to moisturize afterward. It sounds like jojoba oil might work well. You could also mix a few drops of jojoba oil in with the clay if you have dry skin.

[Spastica]

When doing the baking soda scrubbing, use warm to hot water to open up your pores and get a heaping teaspoon of baking soda (mixed in with a little water to make a paste) to scrub your face. Use circular motions with the tips of your fingers and this should 'catch' the blackheads and take it out.

Rinse well and tone with apple cider vinegar. With the honey and baking soda, you're probably dissolving a lot of the baking soda so it's not as exfoliating as you need to get rid of the blackheads.

[solidcitizqueen]

Originally Posted by mgilleran@earth-co

Thanks so much. I have never used AB soap. I am going to have to try some. I also forgot to mention that I also use ACV/Water 1:1 as a toner. I hate to stop using the mineral makeup. It is Everyday Minerals. Could it be the finishing powder maybe? I am using the intensive product.

I tried Everyday Minerals recently, and my face didn't LOVE it, so it might be just that brand that isn't agreeing w/ you. I tried Sheer Miracle on here and said it isn't my "it" until I've tried a few more, but it's my fave so far. I'm still gonna hit DeChant's makeup, and then I'll post my opinion. I've used Bare Minerals for over 7 years, and tried others (mannnnny others). So, you may want to try Sheer Miracle from the co-op on here. Their samples will give you a good go w/ it. Coverage is nice, and my face liked it much better than Everyday (which bums me out because Everyday is only an hour a way from me, and a day or 2 for shipping).

[sphinxie]

I've had really good luck with castor oil facials (incidentally while taking epsom salts baths, which would also help indirectly). Since reading about OCM I use cold-pressed castor oil and massage it in for a couple minutes (which eases some of the blackhead plugs out) but it was helping enormously even before I did all of that. And it's super easy. I do wash the castor oil off with soap though, don't take it off the OCM way.

A non-natural remedy is to put some neosporin or polysporin over the afflicted area and just leave it on for awhile. That also works really well.

I've also had good results with the honey-dissolved aspirin-witchazel masks/facewashes that I have been using.

[Lula's Mom]

I never visit this forum, so pleeeeeaaaasse don't flame me if I'm making a major faux pas... but is something wrong with using the pore strips, like Biore? Is it that they aren't a totally natural solution? I apologize if that's the case.

But...

DP has super oily skin, and gets amazing collections of blackheads on his nose, forehead, and sometimes cheeks. We do 'spa night' and use those, among other things. We both love to see the forest of big and small blackheads that are on the strip afterward! Ew! We use Biore Ultra- they stick the best. Getting your pores nice and open beforehand helps too.

[talk de jour]

Originally Posted by Lula's Mom

I never visit this forum, so pleeeeeaaaasse don't flame me if I'm making a major faux pas... but is something wrong with using the pore strips, like Biore? Is it that they aren't a totally natural solution? I apologize if that's the case.

But...

DP has super oily skin, and gets amazing collections of blackheads on his nose, forehead, and sometimes cheeks. We do 'spa night' and use those, among other things. We both love to see the forest of big and small blackheads that are on the strip afterward! Ew! We use Biore Ultra- they stick the best. Getting your pores nice and open beforehand helps too.

I have heard from a LOT of people that they damage your pores -- they pull the pore open when they yank out the blackhead and make it even larger than before, and then it turns into an even LARGER blackhead magnet.

[Lula's Mom]

Huh. That hasn't been our experience at all. I don't even think that would be possible in my DP's case! He has really large pores, all over, and in some areas of his face, they just get plugged. He doesn't have more or bigger blackheads since we started using these, and he was 30 before he'd ever done anything about them.

Maybe it's because we do procedures to open the pores before we put on the strips? We steam, we exfoliate and massage.

[sphinxie]

Oh, the biore strips never worked that well for me. And they seemed like more of a bother than putting something on. Ultimately it seemed like they got the ones that were ready to go, but overall didn't make any difference.

Still, I would like to know more about how you actually do it, if possible...

[truelife]

I'm bumping this thread b/c I'm having the same problem as the OP.

I have horrible blackheads on my nose and only wash my face with honey and can't tell you when the last time was that I put any make-up on my face.

I have heard of egg whites and lemon juice - anyone try that? I am desperate - it's bad!

[darlintxmomma]

i just had a dermatologist appt 3 days ago and i asked her about mineral makeup. yes it may be "all natural" but she said 1. avoid anything with talc and i know the cheap store brands contain that, and its a carcinogen. i dont think bare minerals uses it though......

BUT

they DO use MICA. the doc said to avoid mica at all costs. the powder is SO FINE that it will clog you pores up faster than ANYTHING else on the market. she said to hunt and find a mineral makeup without those 2 ingredients and your skin will thank you. i have found a few brands by googling "mineral makeup without mica" and they are pretty comparable in price. she said too that mica is what gives the makeup the "glow" or "shimmery" appearance, so anything like that most likely has mica as the first ingredient. turns out my physicians formula mineral wear from walmart has it as #1 too.

[mgilleran@earth-co]

I am the original poster. When I saw this topic come back up I thought I would give an update. I am now washing with Grandpa's witch hazel soap. It is castile also. I have very sesitive skin, and this is working fine, no irritation. A few times a week I exfoliate with baking soda. I then tone with witch hazel. About twice a week I tone with diluted ACV /TTO before the witch hazel. I moisturize morning & night with pure jojoba oil. My blackheads have greatly improved. I've been using this regimen for about 2 months. I think the jojoba is the key. My skin is so soft. It supposedly dissolves sebum even. My pres are still larger than I would like, it runs in the family, but they are better than they have been in a long time. I still wear Everyday Minerals about twice a week. I need to check into the talc & mica. I don't think it contains talc, but I'm not sure about mica. Thanks for the info.

[darlintxmomma]

so about that mica...after doing more research, i see that SOME people have sensitivities to it, not everyone, and also that some cheaper cosmetics companies use a lower grade product than others. so maybe the everydayminerals will be better than the stuff you find at wallyworld.
anyways, glad you found a regimin that is working. ive started using jojoba oil too but when i put it on before my makeup, the makeup turns orange on my skin...so i either use the oil and go makeupless or skip the oil and have a normal color face.

[truelife]

Where do you get Grandpa's Witch Hazel soap? I will try just about anything!

Do you use the honey anymore?

[counterGOPI]

:
aple cider vinegar is a toner? what about for super oily skin?well..sombo skin really,super oil in the t zone and dry/normal on my cheeks.

[sphinxie]

With blackheads you want more than just face-cleaning. You want stuff that will

- pull out the impurities
AND
- close up your pores

Clay masks have worked for me but they are expensive and messy.

For a quick and effective solution, I put a thinnish layer of neosporin/polysporin (an antibacterial balm for small cuts etc) on the affected area before going to sleep. The next day, the situation is vastly improved. This is a lot cheaper than anything sold as a cosmetic solution!

Castor oil facials work the best of anything I've ever done. Castor oil draws out impurities from the skin, which is why castor oil packs can be used anywhere on the body for detoxing. It is also strongly anti-microbial.

Anything else that draws out impurities and closes up your pores is good.

[andiamomama]

how do you do a castor oil facial?

[truelife]

Originally Posted by andiamomama

how do you do a castor oil facial?

: ?????