How to Get Rid of Blackheads using DIY Facials

The most common reason people go to the salon is for a facial for removal of blackheads. No one likes those pesky bumps that stretch out pores and create those signature black dots on our face. But the reality is that almost all of us deal with blackheads at one point or another in our lives. First, let’s get some background on blackheads so we know what we’re dealing with.

What Are Blackheads?

Blackheads are a type of acne characterized by a dark, oxidized bump in the hair follicle made up of excess oil and dead skin cells. And they don’t only appear on the face–they also be found on the back, chest, neck, ears, and shoulders. The name “blackhead” is a little deceiving since they can be a range of colors from yellow to black. And when a blackhead is extracted, usually just the top of the blackhead is dark in color, which is the part that has had contact with the air. Beautiful, right?

Now that we know what a blackhead is, we can find out the best way to prevent and remove them. Cleansing regularly, twice a day at least, can keep excess sebum (oil) and dirt to a minimum. If you are an athlete, play sports, or work out, you’ll want to be sure to cleanse after exercising as well.

How to Remove Blackheads

These recipe below can help with loosening a blackhead, and may even help remove surface blackheads. However, if you try manual extractions at home, you’ll need to be familiar with some important do’s and don’ts!

Do:

• Always wash your face prior to trying to remove a blackhead.
• Always steam your face in a nice hot shower or with a portable steamer for 10-15 minutes to help open the pores.
• Wrap your fingers with plenty of tissue until you no longer feel your nails through the tissue.
• Gently squeeze the sides of the blackhead in an inward and upward motion.

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Don’t:

• Force anything to come out of any pore, and especially avoid drawing blood.
• Leave any marks. If you see nail indentations on the skin you need more tissue on your fingertips to pad them.
• Work on unclean skin, as you can spread bacteria and cause more acne.
• Try to remove a blackhead that you can’t see (such as on the side of your face). It’s very important to be able to see the blackhead you are trying to remove.

Blackhead Loosening Clay Mask

 This simple two-ingredient mask is designed to draw impurities out of the pores. Most clay masks dry taut; you will feel a bit of pulling on the surface of the skin, which is normal. Mix the clay (Bentonite or Moroccan Red Clay are ideal for battling blackheads) and witch hazel in a small bowl and apply to the affected area with a facial brush. Leave the mask on until it’s dry and then rinse your face with warm water.

• 1 teaspoon clay
• 1 teaspoon witch hazel (we like Thayer’s)

Anti-Blackhead Facial Scrub

 Combine the baking soda and raw milk in a bowl and then gently scrub the areas with clogged pores and blackheads. Apply gentle pressure in a circular motion with your fingertips. If you allow this scrub to partially dry it becomes more of a gommage that you can gently remove in circular motions with your fingertips; remove the excess with warm water.

• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons raw milk

If you tend to have clogged pores or an oily sheen on your face most of the time, the last thing you might think to apply is more oil! However, cleansing your face with oil is proven to strip away dirt, makeup, sebum and other “bad oils.” Oil binds to this surface grime and washes it away with the cleanser. Blackheads are something we all develop, sometimes regularly in areas like our t-zone, but you can help lessen the frequency of them with these simple recipes at home.

*Beware that acne is often not a problem caused solely by surface clogging, but can be a bacterial problem or inflammation caused by hormones. So while these recipes can be beneficial for oily skin, they won’t necessarily treat acne. Some oils such as tea tree can be incorporated into your products however, as they are anti-bacterial.

• Jojoba Oil
• Tamanu Oil
• Frankincense essential oil – 9 drops per 2 ounce container

The ratio is 3 parts jojoba oil to 1 part tamanu oil. For every 2 ounces of oil you will add 9 drops of Frankincense essential oil, both toning for the skin, and reduces the appearance of large pores. Shake before each use and rub gently over forehead, t-zone area, cheeks and chin. Leave on for 1-2 minutes and then remove with a warm, wet wash cloth, lastly a final rinse of warm water.

Deep Cleansing Mask for Blackheads

Regularly using a deep cleansing mask designed to control oil accumulation in your pores is crucial to keeping blackheads at bay. While no mask can remove blackheads, that is done by manual extraction, it can help prevent them from developing. This mask should be applied at night once a week since the lemon juice can make skin photosensitive.

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon clay
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat egg white until fluffy and then add in the clay and lemon juice, mix well. It will form a paste which you will apply in your t-zone area, or any other areas that are prone to blackheads. If it’s a bit thick, which will depend on the type of clay you use, add a 1/2 teaspoon of water. After 10 minutes rinse with warm water.

 

DIY:
Strawberry Honey Acne Mask

Anyone who has ever experience an acne flair up knows that you do not want to irritate your skin anymore than it already is. That’s why, I believe, many men and women who have acne prone skin are turning to organic and homemade remedies to fight the problem. The strawberry acne mask – a mixture of strawberries and honey – can be found in one variation or another, all over the web, but I put a little twist (of lemon…) on mine that I think makes a real difference. The instructions are rather simple with only 3 ingredients and the time it takes to make the mask, from start to finish, is no more than 5 minutes.

What You’ll Need:
5 fresh strawberries, no stems
1 tbls organic honey
1/4 fresh lemon (cut as a wedge)

Benefits of the Ingredients:
Strawberry – A natural source of salicylic acid. SA is a common anti-acne ingredient used to clean out pores and get rid of blackheads without over drying the skin. Also used as a natural exfoliant.
Honey – The antibacterial properties in honey benefit acne-prone skin by reducing breakouts and healing current flair ups. It’s also a natural humectant so it locks in necessary moisture to keep skin hydrated and soothed.
Lemon – A natural astringent that tightens pores and brightens the complexion (because lemons are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants).

Also an ingredient commonly used to even out skin tone (good for minimizing the appearance of acne scarring).

Instructions:
Cut up the strawberries into fine pieces and place on a paper plate. Using a fork, smash the strawberries to excrete the juice. Do this until the strawberries are of a mushy consistency. Pour pulpy strawberry mixture into a bowl. Firmly squeeze your lemon wedge into the bowl and add your tablespoon of organic honey. With a spoon, stir quickly until all of the ingredients have combined together. You can also use a whisk to bind the ingredients together. If you’re mask is looking a bit too liquidy for your liking, add some more honey and stir again. If the mask is too thick for your liking, add more strawberry and lemon juice, and mix.

How To Use:
You’ll want to use this mask immediately because the ingredients are most potent within minutes of mixing them together making the benefits the strongest. You can either refrigerate for 10 minutes prior to applying so that the mask is cold and thus will feel more soothing on the skin, or you can apply straight from the bowl. Leave on skin for 7-12 minutes. Wash off with tepid water. Dispose of the any remaining mixture. You can use this mask 2x a week but you must make a fresh mask for each application.

Hello Glow

Summer Favorites that Help you Stay Hydrated

 

Everyone’s favorite time of year is here – summer time! Enjoy a trip to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and take advantage of this season’s produce that is chock-full of nutrients. Find out about fruits, veggies and pantry staples you should add to your diet to stay hydrated and healthy all summer long.

Kale

In case you needed any more reasons to get on the kale bandwagon, it’s packed with vitamins A, C, K as well as lutein. Lutein is one of the carotenoids that gives kale its dark green hue. Eating kale which has a high level of antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin, may also reduce the risk of macular degeneration. These nutrients support heart health so be sure to load up on this super food this summer.

 

Tomato Paste

This pantry staple is affordable and you’ll find it in any grocery store! A new study from Greece says that supplementing a diet with tomato paste for two weeks may improve the function of blood vessels in healthy adults. Concentrated products such as tomato sauce and paste deliver even more lycopene per bite. Enjoy with your favorite pasta or try adding some to a chilled tomato gazpacho this summer.

 

Green Tea

Green tea is considered one of the world’s healthiest drinks and contains the highest amounts of antioxidants of any tea. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that drinking two cups a day of brewed green tea significantly reduced inflammation and redness after UV exposure compared to controls. Cool off this summer with a pitcher of iced green tea lemonade!

 

Blueberries and Strawberries

A study done by Harvard Medical School suggests that berry consumption can help improve heart health. Blueberries and strawberries are particularly rich in chemical compounds called anthocyanins. Research suggests that anthocyanins lower blood pressure and they make blood vessels more elastic. Enjoy this high fiber, vitamin C and manganese packed fruit at only 80 calories a cup.

 

Watermelon

Watermelon contains about 40% more lycopene than raw tomatoes. It’s a great source of vitamin B-6, folate, potassium, zinc and it’s made up of 92% water. At 44 calories a cup, you can indulge in this summer food favorite!

 

Chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are the main ingredient in delicious, nutritious hummus. In many cultures, chickpeas are a diet staple because they are a good source of protein and carbohydrates. They contain fiber, folic acid and riboflavin and can be enjoyed as a side dish with any meal.

Gazpacho

Research shows that regular consumption of a low-calorie, broth-based cold gazpacho soup can help to battle high blood pressure and cut heart disease risk. Gazpacho has a high content of carotenes, vitamin C and polyphenols because of its main ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and olive oil.

The Multiple Health Benefits of Berries

 

Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries—the list goes on and on. Along with having one of the highest antioxidant capacities of all foods and being loaded with phytonutrients, berries taste great. That’s why I recommend incorporating them into your healthy diet plan. Let’s take a closer look at the many health benefits of berries.

Raise Beneficial HDL Levels and Lower Blood Pressure

Raising your beneficial HDL cholesterol level is not the easiest thing to do. Exercising more, consuming heart-healthy fats, and smoking cessation can help. But if you’re looking for a simple way to boost HDL cholesterol, berries are a great option.

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists found that people who ate a moderate amount of berries weekly over a two-month period had a 5.2 percent increase in their HDL levels. (The control group’s HDL rose by only 0.6 percent.) Furthermore, their systolic blood pressure went down by 7.3 points.

Enhance Memory and Overall Cognitive Function

Numerous studies have shown that one of the health benefits of berries is protection for your brain.

Inspired by studies showing improvements in short-term memory, balance, and coordination in aging rats, researchers enrolled 50 people, aged 50 to 84, in a two-year study to see if blueberries could retard or reverse age-related memory loss. Study subjects were instructed to eat 10 pounds of raw blueberries a month (about one cup a day), and they were periodically evaluated with memory tests, such as word recall. At the study’s conclusion, errors on memory tests declined by an average of 12 percent, suggesting that blueberries did indeed enhance memory.

Similarly, in a larger-scale analysis of data from the renowned Nurses’ Health Study, researchers discovered that participants who ate blueberries and strawberries on a regular basis had a 2.5 year slower decline in cognitive function compared to those whose berry consumption was much lower.

Prevent Urinary Tract and Other Infections

When it comes to the health benefits of berries, cranberries and cranberry juice are widely recognized for their ability to ward off urinary tract infections in susceptible women. But the beneficial compounds responsible for this feat, which are called proanthocyanidins, are effective at preventing other types of infections as well.

Improve Night Vision

Dark berries, especially bilberry and black currant, contain anthocyanosides. These phytonutrients have been shown to improve night vision because they enhance light/dark adaptation and reduce glare.

Other Benefits of Berries

Although not as common as the benefits of berries I just told you about, consuming berries on a regular basis can also result in improvements in mood, energy, and hearing; lower PSA levels; and stronger fingernails.

Best Ways to Obtain These Benefits of Berries

Enjoy strawberries and blueberries while they’re at their peak throughout the summer months, or buy them frozen for year-round use. Aim for about a cup every other day or so.

Regular cranberry juice is full of sugar, so I recommend the unsweetened varieties. They are very tart, but you can sweeten them with natural sweeteners such as stevia or xylitol.

You can obtain some night vision support by eating bilberries and black currants. But for the full research dose, you should also take them in supplement form. The suggested daily doses are 30 mg of bilberry extract and 200 mg of black currant extract.

Now it’s your turn: What’s your favorite type of berry?