Blackheads are a common issue we see all year round. During the winter, skin can lose its natural lipids and become dry and irritated.

To compensate, the skin goes into overdrive, producing excess oil, which can also cause breakouts. During warmer months, skin tends to become oilier and as a result, the build-up can lead to clogged hair follicles, resulting in blackheads.

Dead skin cells (the cells our skin naturally sheds during the skin cycle) can become trapped and lodged in follicles, causing plugs that lead to blackheads. Plus the products we use on a regular basis such as liquid foundations, concealers, ultra rich face creams etc can build-up in pores and mix with the oil leading to congestion.

One myth however, is that blackheads are black because they’re filled with dirt. The reason blackheads look black is because all the oils in them become oxidised. It’s not the dirt that is black, it is just oxidised oil.

The nose tends to be most susceptible to blackheads since it has many hair follicles and produces more oil than other parts of the face. The nose also has crevices, while other parts of the face are flatter.

There are loads of ways you can get rid of blackheads, however the underlying problem is the excess oil that is being produced so whatever treatments you do, blackheads will always naturally reform every 20 to 40 days.It means consistency is key to keeping on top of the problem and no single treatment can see them off forever.

Make exfoliating a part of your regular routine (everyone’s skin is different, but twice a week is a good place to start). Exfoliation removes that upper layer of dead skin cells. So effectively, you’re preventing everything including old skin cells, dirt and makeup, from getting blocked inside that top layer of pores. Rather than scrubs, which can aggravate the skin, you can also use chemicals to dissolve the upper layer of dead skin cells. For this we recommend our favourite IMAGE skincare Signature peel, the perfect starting place when entering the the world of acids.