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Do you have blackheads, whiteheads, or milia? After reading this article you will have no doubts.
Blackheads, whiteheads, and milia. What are they? Do you have them? How can you treat them? After today you will know the answer to all of these questions.
I feel like this topic is very important because I noticed there is a lot of misinterpretation regarding these skin issues and especially on how to treat them. For example, did you know pore strips are not good for your skin?
Keep on reading to deep dive into this topic and finally get rid of blackheads, whiteheads, and milia.
How to know the difference
What is a blackhead?
A blackhead is a specific type of acne called open comedones. Basically, think of them as a hole that with time is filled with dead skin cells, “dirt”, and excess sebum. Since it is an open comedone, all of the “gunk” inside the blackhead oxidizes and turns black.
What is milia?
Milia is a skin condition that affects about 50% of U.S. newborns but adults can get milia too. In particular, a milia is a white micro-cyst underneath your skin.
Milia vs whiteheads
A milia is different than whiteheads and pustules. How can you tell the difference though?
It’s actually pretty simple, there are three key differences between whiteheads and milia.
- Whiteheads, or pustules, are filled with pus which is a white to yellowy fluid. On the other hand, milia is a hard sack therefore it has a hard consistency.
- Whiteheads and pustules are inflamed meaning they have red around them while milia doesn’t.
- Whiteheads and pustules tend to be acne related, meaning they are more common in acne-prone skin while milia doesn’t since it can be due to genetic predispositions.
Blackheads
Causes of blackheads
These are the most common blackheads causes:
- Increased sebum production
- Increased DHT production (which is the “male” hormone)
- Inflammation
- Bacteria
- Over-hydrating your skin
- A broken skin barrier
- Smoking
- Poor diet
Also, pore strips and those skin-sucking devices are absolutely to avoid. With time you will continuously enlarge and then retract your pores making blackheads or whiteheads bigger than they used to be. So they are a big no-no!
For this reason, I think of pore strips and the use of blackheads removers similar to the one in the picture as causes of blackheads.
How to prevent blackheads
First things first, stick to oil-free products. Avoiding products that contain oils can absolutely help in preventing blackheads. As you can imagine, if excess oil can cause blackheads layering other oils with your skincare routine can lead to even more blackheads.
As a general rule, cream moisturizers contain oils while gel moisturizers don’t. This is why you should prefer gel moisturizers over creams and lotions. For example, the Aveeno calm and restore oat gel is amazingly hydrating but does not contain oils.
Also, using a foam wash regularly can absolutely help to prevent blackheads. This is going to help you balance your oil production so that is less likely for new blackheads to form.
It’s particularly important you use a foaming cleanser at night. I would say if you have really oily skin go twice a day, so use a foaming wash both in the morning and at night.
On the other hand, if you have combination skin, for example, you do not want to dehydrate your skin in the process so only use a foaming cleanser in the evening.
Here are some amazing foaming cleansers you should consider to prevent blackheads:
La Roche Posay Toleriane purifying foaming cleanser
This is unscented and also contains niacinamide and ceramides which are going to help restore your skin barrier and minimize inflammation while regulating sebum production. Also, they make this cleanser super gentle.
This one is also super gentle but can be considered stronger since it contains salicylic acid which is a hero ingredient when it comes to blackheads.
How to treat blackheads
We covered how to prevent the formation of new blackheads but what can you do if you already have them?
Benzoyl peroxide for blackheads
Now, blackheads can also form due to the presence of bacteria in your face which can also lead to the formation of pustules. This is why it’s important to get rid of them.
In order to do that you can wash your face with a benzoyl peroxide cleanser two to three times a week. Do not use it as you would any cleanser, wash your face with it and then let it sit for a few minutes. Usually, I brush my teeth while I let it sit.
Benzoyl peroxide is an amazing ingredient to treat acne but it can be very irritating and drying. I have a few articles where I talk about it and acne more in-depth if you’re interested:
- Skincare routine for acne-prone oily skin
- Skincare routine for acne-prone dry skin
- Skincare routine for acne-prone sensitive skin
I highly recommend these two if you are going to introduce a benzoyl peroxide cleanser into your routine:
Salicylic acid for blackheads
Another hero ingredient for blackheads is salicylic acid. It is a BHA, a beta hydroxy acid, that penetrates deep into your pores and is able to eliminate all of those excess oil and dead skin cells.
Using salicylic acid not only will get rid of blackheads but can also help in preventing them since it keeps your pores clean.
You can use a SA foaming cleanser like the CeraVe one I suggested before or you could use a leave-on product once or twice a week. For example, Paula’s Choice 2% BHA skin-perfecting liquid is an amazing option. This product is super popular for a reason but it can be a little expensive.
If you love skincare products that smell incredible the Glow recipe watermelon glow is the best option for you and is still hugely effective in treating blackheads.
Retinol for blackheads
Retinol products can work wonders for blackheads. If you know about retinoids you know that retinol is definitely not that potent compared to prescription retinoids or over-the-counter options like Differin adapalene.
The good news is that for treating blackheads retinol might be just what you really need, even if it is not potent as retinal or retinic acid it is still effective. Plus, is way less irritating.
If you want to understand what retinoids can do for you and how they can help you to treat blackheads and other skin concerns check out this article about retinoids.
Also, I have a comprehensive guide on how to use retinoids like a dermatologist.
Azelaic acid for blackheads
Azelaic acid is keratolytic, meaning it breaks down keratin that is stuck together so it is able to eliminate dead skin cells from your pores. This is also a wonderful ingredient you may want to explore if you want to get rid of blackheads for good.
Also, it helps to even out your skin tone which is something most of us want for our skin. To introduce this ingredient into your routine I suggest the Paula’s Choice 10% azelaic acid booster.
Milia and whiteheads
Causes of whiteheads
Milia has nothing to do with infection and inflammation while it is the case with whiteheads. In fact, they have pretty much the same causes as blackheads.
In particular, whiteheads and pustules occur when a hair follicle becomes inflamed. Inflammation can be the result of numerous causes including increased sebum production, and abnormal keratin formation (which can also mean an excess of dead skin cells in the pore).
If you want to know more about whiteheads and how to know which acne type you have I have an entire article about this topic!
How to prevent milia
If you tend to get milia frequently being consistent with your skincare routine is absolutely key! Specifically, you need to focus on consistency over intensity.
This concept is particularly crucial. If you end up using products that are too harsh for example you may damage your skin barrier. Having a damaged skin barrier will just facilitate the formation of milia, meaning you will end up having more. You need to be particularly gentle and, as we already said, consistent with your skincare routine.
Now, it might sound counter-intuitive after what I just said but having a chemical peel once a week can actually help in preventing milia. Of course, you don’t want to risk damaging your skin barrier so the peel needs to be on a low percentage for example 4% glycolic acid, an effective but still gentle AHA (alfa hydroxy acid).
Glycolic acid is a great choice for treating milia since it has the smallest molecules and therefore is able to penetrate deeply into your skin.
Another way to prevent milia is focusing on keeping your skin hydrated. Milia is not due to overhydration as blackheads are, actually maintaining a good level of hydration will ensure your skin barrier remains intact.
How to treat whiteheads
Hydrocolloid patches can work wonders for whiteheads and pustules. I particularly enjoy the Hero cosmetics mighty patches since they are discrete (they are not extremely visible) and they do not budge!
With hydrocolloid patches you need to have them on for at least six hours, preferably overnight so it’s important to me that they stick properly.
If you have an area where you have a group of whiteheads I found a trick to get rid of them faster. Start by applying hydrocolloid patches (Hero cosmetics also has hydrocolloid nose strips if you want to cover a large area) to the whiteheads and when time is up remove them and follow with a clay mask.
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