Overview

Blackheads are a result of natural skin oils combining with dead skin cells and cosmetics to clog pores. According to Medical News Today, blackheads, or closed comedones, are the first stage of pimples. When the clogged pore is infected with bacteria, pimples, also called whiteheads or open comedones, can erupt. Keep blackheads from becoming pimples by removing them at home.

Step 1

Cleanse your face with a mild facial soap and hot water. Pat your skin dry with a clean towel.

Step 2

Boil 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan on the stove. Pour the water into a cup.

Step 3

Add 1 tsp. of Epsom salt and three drops of iodine to the water in the cup.

Step 4

Saturate several cotton balls with the iodine solution when it is cool enough to touch.

Step 5

Pat the iodine solution onto your blackheads. Repeat several times, every five minutes, until your blackheads are soft enough to remove.

Step 6

Position the blackhead removal tool so that the blackhead shows through the hole in the bottom of the cone. Press gently to remove the blackhead from your skin.

Step 7

Rinse your face with cold water and apply a salicylic acid toner to close the pores and prevent new blackheads from forming.