If you want to learn how to get rid of blackheads naturally, you first have to understand why they happen. Remember that our skin has many tiny pores, where the sweat and oils come out. Some toxins from our blood and lymphatic system may also come out through them. But when excessive oils become retained in those pores for a long time, like when you do not wash your face, or during a period of hormonal imbalance, those oils can begin to harden. And when both oils, dead skin cells, and toxins mix together, they become a paste-like substance, which gets oxidized by the air to become black in color.
Now that you know this, you will understand the main goal of every blackhead treatment – to remove the blockage as efficiently and safely as possible. In your home, one great way to do this is to apply a boric acid solution on your face. Put 1 teaspoon of boric acid into 1 cup of warm water. Then, mix thoroughly until you get a pasty substance. Let this cool down, then apply on your skin for about 10-15 minutes. During this time, the acid will work its way through the blockages and remove the oils. Wash your face then with cool water to close the cleaned up pores.
Another thing you can do is to apply lemon juice on the skin. To prepare it, wash and slice a lemon in half. You then squeeze out the juice into a small container that is big enough to dip your fingers in. You can now wash your hands, and dip a finger or two into that container. Massage the lemon juice thoroughly onto your face. It should not sting too much, but if it does, you can dilute it with a minute amount of water before application. And just like the boric acid, you leave that on for 15 minutes before washing with cold water.
You can also try apple cider vinegar, another weakly acidic substance just like the two mentioned above. To prepare it, measure about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a small container. Then, slowly add a bit of cornstarch while you stir the apple cider. The exact proportion is not critical – the goal is simply to achieve a paste-like consistency. This you now apply on your skin. Just like the previous two, the apple cider vinegar will dissolve the oils, while the cornstarch ensures a prolonged contact time between the vinegar and the blackheads. Leave it on your face for 10-15 minutes, then wash off.
After you have tried these methods, you should be able to find one that will work best for you. If not, you can try other weakly acidic substances like lime, tomato, and even grape pulp. However, your battle against those blackheads does not end there. To keep them off, be sure to clean your face thoroughly every day, especially if you have oily skin, and especially on the T-zone of your face, because that is where the oil glands (hence, blackheads) concentrate. You can also exfoliate your face once a week to prevent the dead skin cells from clogging up your pores. If you do these, you can enjoy a truly clean face that people will be happy to look at.
