Overview

Blackheads form when oil on the surface of your skin--both your natural sebum and the oils from cosmetics, cleansers and moisturizers--oxidizes and hardens. The hardened oil blocks further oil flow from the clogged pore. Blackheads can be removed by squeezing, but this can leave you with acne scars. To unclog pores and prevent new blackheads from forming, you must remove the dead cells and excess oils from the surface of your skin. This can be done with a proper cleansing routine.

Step 1

Wash your face with a gentle, glycerin-based soap and warm water. Massage your face in small circles with your fingertips. Rinse well with warm water and dry with a clean towel.

Step 2

Boil a large pot of water. Add 5 drops of tea tree oil, a natural antiseptic that can help heal oily, acne-prone skin.

Step 3

Lay hot pads on your bathroom counter to protect it from the hot cooking pot. Set the pot on the hot pads and steam your face for 15 minutes, making a tent over your head with a bath towel to keep the steam from escaping.

Step 4

Squeeze the blackheads from your pores using a clean blackhead removal tool. Gently push until the root of the blackhead comes all the way out of the pore.

Step 5

Wash your face with an exfoliant cleanser containing salicylic acid. The exfoliant will remove any remaining dead skin cells, and the salicylic acid will help dry oil left inside the pore and prevent new blackheads from forming.

Step 6

Finish with a cold water rinse to close the pores.