Sadly, the answer’s no.
To do so, you’ll have to remove or seal up all your pores – of which both can’t be done without killing your body’s largest organ. But should you still bother with clearing your skin of blackheads? Yes.
“Large, stubborn and ignored blackheads will keep growing into giant comedones, and they won’t be easy to extract. In some cases, minor surgery is required, and that’s likely to leave a scar,” says Dr Liew Hui Min, specialist in dermatology and consultant at Raffles Skin & Aesthetics.
Here’s how blackheads form: Sebum from the skin mixes with dirt, sweat, dead skin and pollution to form a clog in the pore which then oxidises and turns black.
To manage the blackhead battle, skincare products with salicylic acid is recommended. It’s a betahydroxy acid, so it’s gentle on skin. It’s also oil-soluble and gets right into pores as a deep cleanser to dissolve the clog and reduce sebum production.
Click on to check out our favourite salicylic acid-based skincare products:
PHOTO: @heyluminous / Instagram
This story first appeared in the August issue of Her World magazine.
There are two kinds of salicylic acid in the Murad Clarifying Cleanser. One cleanses and the other remains in your skin to continue unclogging pores – even after it’s washed off.
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This is a non-foaming cleanser. It’s so gentle that it won’t dry out or irritate sensitive and/or troubled skin.
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This cleanser has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients to treat blemishes and problem skin.
ALSO READ: HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SALICYLIC ACID IN SKINCARE
This product de-congests pores and repairs the skin to prevent scarring.
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Fans of this treatment gel love how easy it is, with this product, to “pop” a stubborn blackhead. The gel softens and “unglues” clogs over a few days so that they can be easily extracted.
ALSO READ: HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SALICYLIC ACID IN SKINCARE
Apply the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ daily on blackhead-prone areas and blemishes to draw out clogs and keep them from returning.
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The toner is hydrating enough for blackhead-prone oily-dry skin. It dissolves clogs without drying out skin.
ALSO READ: HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SALICYLIC ACID IN SKINCARE