Everyone has seen those ridiculous TikTok hacks that promise to get rid of pimples in less time than they popped up, or Instagram ads for a miracle acne product. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent countless hours mixing up secret concoctions trying to figure out the solution to an issue that has plagued us for so long: blackheads. The most stubborn type of acne, it seems, and my personal least favorite. Why, no matter what I do, won’t they budge?
Enter: a life-changing discovery. The cure for blackheads?
I rarely give credit to a “life hack” I see on TikTok. But after trying the method for a few months, this may very well be the only technique I’ve found that I want to keep in my arsenal for good.
So, how do I do get rid of my blackheads?
Blackheads usually form when a pore or a hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin cells or sebum, a type of face oil. Once this combo solidifies, it takes on the dark color that brought about the term, “blackhead.”
Many of the most popular techniques for treating blackheads rely on the idea of yanking out whatever is clogging the pore. Think blackhead strips and abrasive scrubs. However, using products like these can be bad for your skin in the long run, and usually demonstrate questionable results.
This method relies on a basic scientific idea: oil attracts oil. With this in mind, beauty gurus have developed a technique to treat this type of acne that might seem counterintuitive at first. By using a facial oil, although the specific type isn’t a critical decision, it is believed to attract the oils in our pores and offer a potential way to gently remove blackheads.
How should I use the oil?
Using any type of cleansing oil, or a natural, non-comedogenic oil such as jojoba oil, apply a liberal amount to your face.
The critical step is taking some time, think at least 20 minutes, to rub the oil into your skin. Gently massage the oil into your face for the whole time, focusing on areas that are particularly prone to blackheads. Feel free to apply more oil if you feel that your hands aren’t gliding across the skin smoothly.
In my experience, at about the 15 minute mark, I can literally feel the blackheads rolling out onto my fingers, leaving a smooth, plump, and very relaxed post-massage face. There are other benefits with this method, but I have incorporated it into my regular routine mostly thanks to the immediate and significant reduction in blackheads. Having oily skin myself, I was worried about putting even more oil on my face. But the science seems to check out! Simple, easy, and very effective. Repeat once every week to two weeks to avoid overdoing it.
So, stop fighting those persistent buggers with techniques that aren’t so great for your skin. Experiment with an oil treatment, and hopefully, you can banish those blackheads for good!