The most important thing to know about blackheads is that they don't discriminate. Whether your skin is oily and acne-prone or dry and sensitive, pretty much everyone gets them. Unfortunately, aside from physical extractions, blackheads are pretty hard to get rid of. The best thing you can do to prevent new ones from forming is keep your skin clean, which is why regularly exfoliating with one of the best face scrubs for blackheads is a good idea. While a blackhead-fighting face scrub might not make an immediate visible difference, they will help clear out your clogged pores over time — and they'll definitely help prevent new blackheads from popping up.
There are a few other measures you can take to help prevent blackheads from forming. Try and avoid oil-based skin care products, as they'll only wind up clogging your pores further. Instead, invest in a water-based cream or lotion (gel moisturizers are a good example of this). Perhaps the most important thing you can do is incorporate a chemical exfoliant into your routine — try using an acid-based toner after cleansing. You can also use a cream that contains salicylic acid, which deep cleans pores of blackhead-causing dead skin and sebum, or retinol, which encourages skin cell turnover. Retinol typically only comes in cream or serum form, so when shopping for a scrub or cleanser, a formula with salicylic acid will be your best bet.
A few more tips on how to get the most out of your blackhead-fighting face scrub. First, please don't rub your skin too aggressively, as this can only cause further irritation. Also, you probably don't need to be cleansing your face with a scrub every day. In fact, most face scrubs are only formulated to be used two to three times a week.
Now that you know how to properly use your scrub — and how to fight off blackheads in the long run — it's time to get shopping. Below, find five of the best face scrubs for unclogging those pesky pores.
1A Seaweed-Infused Face Scrub That Leaves Skin Soft
Made with wild-harvested seaweed from Ireland, this mineral- and vitamin-rich scrub does much more than just clear out blackheads. It uses jojoba beads and olive-based granules to unclog pores and exfoliate dead skin cells, leaving you with a bright, polished complexion. Seaweed is a natural, oil-free moisturizing source, so this is a great option for anyone looking to get some non-greasy hydration. It's also an eco-friendly formula, being cruelty-free, GMO-free, and made from locally sourced, fair-trade ingredients.
"I swear by this stuff. It's the only face wash I've found that leaves zero residue on your skin. It's perfect for very oily skin and leaves your skin feeling soft smooth and oil free," writes one reviewer. Another reviewer said using it at night has helped reduce her morning redness and inflammation.
2A Drugstore Classic For Acne-Prone Skin
You might have used Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub in your high school days to help clear up hormonal acne. But even now, it holds up. It contains two percent salicylic acid, a powerful BHA that penetrates deep into pores to remove all that blackhead-causing dead skin and oil. There's also vitamin C in the formula, which helps reveal a brighter, clearer complexion. This is definitely not a scrub you'll want to use everyday — a few times a week should do it. And dry or sensitive-skinned folks should steer clear — this stuff is pretty heavy-duty and ideal for use on oily, acne-prone skin.
"My skin is so happy about this product!" one reviewer says. "It cleared up my hormonal acne, so I do not have to take any meds anymore." Another shared a similar anecdote, writing, "[My] son uses this product for his face and it is the only product, outside of prescriptions which are very costly, that keep his acne under control."
3A K-Beauty Favorite That Uses Volcanic Lava To Exfoliate
The Face Shop has an incredible range of blackhead-fighting products that use volcanic ash from Jeju Island to purify skin. This scrub-to-foam combines that ash with gritty particles to deep cleanse pores and sop up excess oil, and it also has properties that help protect your skin from pollution. The formula also contains the extracts from orange, lemon, and grapefruit to further help brighten and detoxify skin, as well as glycerin for a touch of moisture.
"I've always been plagued with blackheads on my nose, this certainly reduces them," shares one reviewer. "With proper care and this product once every other day my nose is smooth and looking clearer than ever."
4A Professional-Grade Exfoliating Scrub In A Travel-Friendly Bottle
If you're looking to take your pore-cleansing with you on the go, stash this bottle of dr. brandt's PoreDermabrasion in your toiletry kit. It's a powerful exfoliator that combines physical exfoliation (the grittiness of the scrub) with chemical exfoliation (the salicylic acid in the formula). The result? Cleaner, less noticeable pores and smoother, more even skin. Of course, you might want to make it your go-to exfoliator at home, but its 2-ounce bottle makes it the perfect travel companion.
"The only thing that cleans my pores and improves my blackheads," says one reviewer. Another says it helped get rid of their milia. "I have a few milia across the top of my cheeks and under my eyes. Nothing I have tried has gotten rid of them, except this ... After the second time I used it I sat down and noticed two of my milia looked like they were above the surface. And sure enough, I gently squeezed them and they popped out like a tiny bead."
5A Non-Abrasive Scrub In Powder Form
For a gentler alternative to a scrub, try this exfoliating powder. It still has a hint of grittiness for that physical exfoliation, but because it turns into more of a foamy milk when wet it has less of a chance of irritating sensitive skin. The formula contains baking soda to unclog pores and even out texture; green tea powder, which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants to further brighten and even out skin; and coconut-derived surfactants to leave skin moisturized and soft.
One fan raves, "Best product ever on the planet earth. I have been struggling with stress adult acne, and I have been using this for a week and a half and during my period time, this cleared my face so fast, it is amazing."
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