Out of all the things that have gone viral on social media, the least pretty and most surprising have been pimples and blackheads. More specifically extraction clips* From Dr Pimple Popper who has made a name for herself for being able to extract the gnarliest of imperfections, to the so close what is that video that accrued 21 million views, floss removal hacks and most disturbingly the interconnected black head removal clip.
The real question is how you get rid of blackheads before they turn into things that require the level of extraction that begets its own video, life and zip code.
To find out we turned to two professional skin therapists currently working magic on Feige’s skin and tried out the latest peel off Blackhead mask.
1. Cleanse, Cleanse, Cleanse
Colette from Skinsense Day Spa says the best way to prevent blackheads is to have a good skin cleaning routine and be disciplined with it. Blackheads are a result of your pores getting clogged with dead skin, oils, and dirt, so by being religious about cleaning and deep cleaning you will help prevent them from forming.
Every now and then she recommends a deep cleaning facial, like those offered by Skin Sense Day Spa.
2. Extract
According to Nicoline from pHformula, once you have blackheads you need to extract them, else they just sit in the skin and potentially worsen. Extractions should preferably be done by trained specialists who leave you without any scars.
3. Blackhead masks
Forget pore strips, full face blackhead masks are much more efficient. We recently tried out the new Pilaten Face Peel-Off Mask by Brinea Beauty and they make the perfect at home beauty treatment to remove blackheads.
After steaming your face you spread the black mask over your face and let it dry. It has a goopy texture, not unlike white craft glue, but with no overwhelming smell and is easy to apply. After 10-15 minutes it dries and you can actually feel it start to tighten on your skin.
Then comes the fun part, peeling it off! It dries into an almost plastic like consistency making it easy to pull from the edges and peel away. It feels like you are pulling a plaster off your skin, so you need to pull slowly. Once off your face, the underside reveals all the blackheads it has extracted.
Afterwards, my skin was a bit red for 5 minutes and felt tight but super clean. I like that it peels off, which is less messy than most face masks and that you’re able to use it wherever you have blackheads instead of being restricted to your T-Zone as most pore strips do. In terms of blackhead removal, although it definitely did extract a lot of small blackheads and whiteheads, it didn’t extract all of them.
How the Pilaten Face Peel-Off Mask works is that the Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH) inside it binds it to blackheads and other skin impurities to grip them, and pull them out at the root. Glycerol is added as a lubricant which allows the POVH to get thin enough to stretch across the offending areas. Glycerol also provides extra moisture as it is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs moisture and disperses it evenly.
They’re available here and here for R220 a pack or tube.
4. Exfoliate
This last tip came from Pharell Williams, but the man is 43, looks 20, has the skin of anewbornn, and I’m positive has never had a blackhead or pimple in his life. This, he claims is the result of an intense exfoliation routine. “When you exfoliate and you drink a lot of water, that does good for you. To me, the key is just exfoliating, like a monster. There’s a lot of dead skin. All the time.”
*All extraction videos should be viewed on an empty stomach with one and half eyes closed. Click these links with caution…
