Daily Times

There are indulgent salon visits – the ones where you check in for long, relaxing hair spas, blow-dry’s and massages and then there are the ones with the clean-ups.

Doesn’t matter how skilled your aesthetician is, no one comes out of those two minutes of blackhead extraction thinking, ‘well, that felt great!’. A blackhead is basically a clogged up pore, filled with excess oil and dead skin cells. The best way to counter the problem is to balance the level of sebum on your skin and help it clear debris before it starts building up.

Dermatologists say scrubbing helps, but only when done correctly. If you’re going to use a scrub, it’s always important to use a gentle one. Look for a face wash with gentle scrubbing beads that you can use on your face in soft circular motions for no longer than a minute.

But there is one skincare ingredient that will help you supercharge your cleansing routine, and it’s one you’ve probably used already but for a completely different purpose. Salicylic acid, commonly found in acne-busting leave-on treatments, cleansers and creams, is great at removing all the grease and grime that cause pimples, yes, and also blackheads.

Dermatologists say salicylic acid unclogs pores and aids in mild exfoliation, thus clearing out blackheads. It is recommended to use a salicylic acid-based face wash or cream daily, and avoiding cream-based make-up. Have one of those overnight acne spot treatment gels? Try layering it on your nose at night after cleansing to speed up the process.