Also known as open comedones, blackheads occur when oil, sebum, dirt and dead skin cells build up in the pores and create a plug. When the plug is exposed to the air, the area turns black, which gives the blackhead its name. Blackheads closely resemble the head of a pin dot and can be difficult to remove unless intervention to clear the pore is performed. A number of at-home remedies using products from your own kitchen can be used to create a treatment that clears plugged pores.
Epsom Salts and Iodine
This treatment utilizes the sanitizing properties of iodine with the exfoliating abilities of Epsom salts as a means to remove blackheads quickly. Warm, but do not boil, water in a microwave and mix with 1 tsp. Epsom salts and four drops of iodine. Let the mixture cool, then dip a cotton ball or cotton swab into the mixture and dab onto the blackhead. Let dry, then remove the solution with a clean, wet cloth, says the Natural Home Remedies website.
Lemons
The acidic properties of lemon make it ideal to cut through the oil and dirt in a blackhead. This also leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth, says the Nose Cosmetic website. A number of home remedies containing lemon can be mixed together. These include mixing 1 tsp. lemon juice with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon powder. Apply to any affected areas and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Gently remove with a wet towel.
Another solution that can be mixed includes equal parts lemon juice mixed with rose water. Apply with a cotton ball or swab. Leave on the skin for 30 minutes daily to remove the blackhead.
Honey and Cinnamon
Honey possesses antiseptic properties, which helps to kill bacteria and other harmful contaminants found in a blackhead. Create a paste made of 3 tbsp. honey and 1 tsp. cinnamon mixed in a bowl. Gently apply this paste to a blackhead with either a cotton ball or swab and leave on overnight while sleeping. The next morning, rinse the paste away with warm water. Apply this as often as necessary until your blackhead goes away.
You also can apply simply a solution of warm honey, says the Natural Cure Guide website. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash away with warm water.
