How To Get Rid Of Blackheads On Your Nose With 10 Simple Habits

It’s time to prevent the appearance of blackheads

We all know that prevention is the best cure and for some of us, the need to prevent the appearance of blackheads on our noses is the most important part of caring for our skin. Here are 10 tips to ward off clogged pores that will keep your skin fresh and clear of blackheads.

Good skincare habits.

1. Keep it clean, but don't over-do it.

Washing morning and evening with a soap-free cleanser that rids your skin of excess oil is enough. Over-do it, and your skin is in danger of being stripped of its sebum (its natural lubricant). As a result, your skin can become dehydrated and prone to dry patches or flakiness. The important thing is the regularity. Try not to be tempted to dash out in the morning before you have done your cleansing routine and definitely resist crashing into bed at night without using some cleansing wipes or some kind of non-soap cleanser. Regular washing with products that contain salicylic acid, which is known to combat excess sebum, twice a day, is just right.

2. Take off your makeup!

If you wear makeup, it is especially important to remove all traces of it at night. Makeup left on overnight inevitably clogs pores, so there is nowhere for your natural sebum (which is at peak production at night) to go. Unfortunately, sebum production is particularly active around the nose area and this is where blackheads tend to appear. When your pores clog up with sebum, the surface, which is in contact with the air, becomes oxidised and turns black. For normal makeup, a gentle cleanser is all you need, but if you use waterproof makeup, your cleanser needs to be a specialist oil-based makeup remover.

3. Keep your makeup clean!

Sometimes, a good makeup remover isn’t enough. Even if you keep your skin scrupulously clean and well looked-after, it's quite possible for makeup applicators to become clogged. Foundation sponges, for example, sometimes become caked in old makeup and, even more significantly, with oil and debris from your skin. This builds up a little more each time it comes into contact with your skin. So, wash any pads or sponges that come into contact with your skin regularly. The same goes for face cloths and flannels.

4. Exfoliate.

The skin on your face does much more than keeping the outside out and the inside in! Your skin is more of an interactive protective zone, rather than an impenetrable barricade. As the lower layers of skin constantly grow and replenish themselves to produce new skin cells on the surface, the old ones die and get discarded. Here is where another pore-clogging danger arises because simple washing may not remove all the dead skin cells on your face. Make sure to use an exfoliating gel or exfoliating scrub two or three times a week to make sure all the impurities are swept away.

5. Moisturise.

Even if you naturally have dehydrated oily skin, it is still important to moisturise. This helps to retain the skin's natural moisture and protect it from outside irritants in the atmosphere. The concept of feeling comfortable in your own skin is about more than just mood. If the skin on your face feels uncomfortable after cleansing, it's a sure sign of the need for a light moisturiser. For naturally oily skin, a moisturiser combined with a micro-exfoliator containing salicylic acid could be all that you need. If your skin is dry, use a heavier duty night cream.

6. Protect your skin.

Day-to-day, UV rays from the sun are the most obvious damaging agent, but other atmospheric pollutants in cities, the ravages of the wind and changes of temperature can all take their toll on your skin. These factors often lead to a build-up of debris that clogs your pores. Luckily, a simple moisturiser is probably all you need, combined, of course, with your daily cleansing routines and the occasional exfoliating regime. If your lifestyle means you are outside a lot, invest in a moisturiser containing SPF. That way there will be no extra steps to remember.

7. Hydrate on the inside, as well as on the outside.

Your skin can start to suffer from the effects of dehydration well before you feel thirsty! It really is crucial to keep well hydrated so that your skin's self-moisturising system doesn't become sluggish. A good turnover of cells is what we need to avoid blocked pores and prevent the appearance of blackheads. This can only happen when your skin is healthy, clean and hydrated. Make drinking plenty of water a daily habit and an essential part of your skincare routine.

8. Take a look at your diet.

Your hormones are the major factor in dictating how much oil your skin produces and there is not a lot you can do to influence them. But, other factors come into play as well, such as diet. A diet that includes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, (replete with natural antioxidants) has a major impact on skin quality. Green leafy vegetables and berries are particularly good.

9. Get some sleep!

It may sound obvious, but nothing works as well as it should if you're short of sleep. This is particularly important when trying to keep your skin looking fresh and free of blackheads. When you sleep, your skin is not only busy producing the sebum necessary for your skin's elasticity, it is also working to renewing itself. If these essential processes are interrupted by a lack of sleep, your skin will be the first to tell you when it becomes dull and lifeless. If you want to be extra vigilant with your skin, you could always use a night cream before you enjoy your beauty-sleep.

10. Don't worry about it!

Stress can come from a lot of different sources, so don't let yourself be one of them. Surprisingly, stress does have an impact on your immune system and your hormonal levels. Both of these will affect how well your skin deals with fighting off bacteria and pollutants. Always try to make time in your life for relaxation. Don't worry so much about how to get rid of blackheads on your nose if your emotional wellbeing will suffer; it’s actually counter-productive to what you're trying to achieve!

The more you incorporate these 10 daily habits into your life, the more they will become second nature. If you slip up once in a while, forgive yourself and move on. Your (mostly) good daily habits will stand you in good stead for the future.