How do I treat blackheads?

Believe it or not, blackheads actually have to be there.  The oil of your skin is acidic.  This gives your skin a lower pH, so that bacteria that fall on your skin from the air get killed - it's one of the ways your skin protects your body.  This oil gets a little solid toward the openings of your pores, in order that there is always a little oil staying around to make up the protective layer of your skin.  More accumulates in the t-zone area in order to protect your eyes, nose and mouth.  However, if there is too much oil being produced because of harsh cleansers (the high pH of these cleansers cause the skin to need to rebalance itself by over-producing oil) or too much scrub, there's going to be not only more blackhead material there, but also darkened dead cells in the mix from the slight inflammation that occurs because of the harshness of these two products.  This is why they appear so much blacker.  So, blackheads do need to be there, they just don't have to be so noticeable.  Hydration helps this in addition to making sure the pH of your skin isn't thrown off by harsh cleansers and there isn't too much scrubbing - RULE OF THUMB : The more hydrated your skin is, the more pliable it is.  The more pliable your skin is, the less it holds on to the oil that makes blackheads.  Every blemish starts out as a microscopic blackhead.

Hydration happens not so much with more drinking water, but with alcohol-free toner sprayed on before application of a moisturizer that has ingredients that attract water to the skin and bind it there.  Cleanser must be thorough but gentle, and toner should be used every time you wash, no exceptions.  In addition, use of a clay mask once a week will draw out excess oils and exfoliate your skin so that your oils flow even more freely and there won't be so much build-up in your pores to become solidified blackheads.

:)
Daniela
www.daniela.com