And have fresh, clean looking skin!
Do you know that not every clogged pore is a black head?
Sometimes you can see ‘dark stuff’ in your pores just because they’re full of what pores naturally secrete-oil and dead skin cells- mixed with a lot of normal skin germs.
Other times, that black stuff in your pore is really a true blackhead, meaning it’s a hard plug of dead skin cells that gotten stuck in the pore, just like a cork stuck in a bottle. Most of the time this is due to acne. Sometimes, however the hardened ‘blackhead’ material is due to little milia cysts that opened up and look like blackheads.
If you have clogged pores then just washing your skin won’t get the pores cleaned. Whether you have blackheads or not, you’ll need special products and some simple treatments to get that stuff out of your pores so that your skin looks clean, healthy and beautiful. The good news is that you can do a lot of effective skin treatments yourself, without seeing a doctor. But warning, this topic is a little gross.
Steps to clean and unclogged your pores to get your skin looking it’s best!
1. Cleaning Out Your Clogged Pores That Don’t Have Blackheads
This involves giving your skin a regular good cleaning and occasional gentle massage to express the pore contents (yes this sounds gross).
The first step is cleansing in a way that gets down into your pores a little bit. The best, and simplest way is with regular use of the Clarisonic brush and a gentle cleanser. The sonic waves get the cleanser into your pores and gently massage your skin. You may want to use a slightly gentler cleanser with the Clarisonic because cleansers can be irritating and they penetrate more deeply into your skin when you use them with the Clarisonic.
Click here to see the Clarisonic System
My cleanser choices:
- For normal to sensitive skin does best with a cleanser like Calming Zinc Soap or Toleriane Cleanser or a simple glycerin bar soap (my favorite is Whole Foods 365 brand).
- For tolerant to oily skin that needs help with exfoliation does well with a glycolic cleanser like Glytone Mild Gel Wash.
- For acne prone skin benefits from both glycolic and salicylic acids like OTB Oil Off Cleansers, or benzoyl peroxide as in OTB Medicated Cleanser #1.
For deep pore cleansing, we sell the more powerful, professional version Clarisonic Plus. Another simple exfoliating option is to use an exfoliating facial sponge like the Buf Puf Facial Sponge. Use one of the cleansers I mentioned and cleanse your skin with a very gentle massaging motion.
If your pores still don’t look empty and clean after several weeks with the Clarisonic or Buf Puf sponge, then the process can be helped along with a little gentle manual massage to get the stuff out (yes this part sounds even grosser). Think of your pores like little tubes of tooth paste, filled with the stuff they secrete (oil and cells that look dark and dirty inside your pores) instead of toothpaste. Normally, this stuff comes out nicely on its own, but it can be hurried along with a little gentle squeeze. 
This is what a professional skin care specialist does during a facial. They VERY GENTLY compress small areas of skin together to get the pore contents out, like squeezing toothpaste out of the tube! For example, on the nose, gently pinching about 1/2 inch of skin together will cause the material in the pores to come out if it’s soft and ready. It’s important that the skin never be pinched so hard that it’s injured or bruised. Of course, the best way to do this is to have a regular facial by a good aesthetician, and let them take care of the pore cleaning and extractions. They even have a little instrument that does a really good job. Getting a facial every 6 to 8 weeks is ideal to keeping pores really clean.
2. Cleaning Out Your Clogged Pores That Have Blackheads
Whether the stuff in the pores are truly black heads or just normal secretions that have hardened up over time and are acting like blackheads, it’s important to use products called ‘keratolytics’ to soften them up. Keratolytics loosen the material that holds the dead cells into a firm plug inside your pores. The ingredients in skin care products that act as keratolytics include glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retinoids like tretinoin in Retin A. The simplest treatment is to use them in a cleanser form to wash your skin. If your pores are badly clogged then the ‘leave-on’ products work best. These include gels, lotions and creams. I recommend picking products with one or more of these keratolytic ingredients and using them according to the instructions for a month or so. By softening the material in the pores your body may be able to gradually dissolve the plug. You may also be able to then get it to come out with the gentle massage technique I mentioned above. My favorite keratolytic options include OTB SKIN Acne Kits and Glytone Mild Gel Wash and Exfoliating Lotion.
If keratolytics don’t unclog your pores, then you’re going to need professional help to get the pores cleaned up. A series of facials that include extractions, done every 6 weeks is good for most people. For really tough clogged pores, it may be necessary to have medical extractions done in a dermatology office by the doctor or the nurse.
If you’re prone to blackheads, you’re going to need to continue using keratolytics to keep new blackheads from forming once you’ve unclogged your pores.
What’s the bottom line for unclogging your clogged pores?
My product choices to keep pores clean and healthy for people prone to clogged pores:
If you have acne prone or tough oily skin I like my OTB SKIN Acne Kits which contain the entire 3 non-prescription pore cleaning keratolytic ingredients.
Click here to see more about OTB SKIN Acne Kits
If your skin needs exfoliation, but isn’t prone to pimples (pustules) I like glycolic acid products to keep the pores clean and unclogged. The best glycolic acid products for the job are in my Glycolic Acid Facial Kits.
Click here to see my Glycolic Acid Product Kit for oily skin.
Click here to see my Glycolic Acid Product Kit for Normal Skin
If you have acne prone skin but are allergic to salicylic acid or have skin that is too sensitive for glycolic acid I like products with benzoyl peroxide alone as in OTB SKIN Medicated Cleanser #1 used with a Clarisonic Brush or Facial Buf Puf, and then the OTB SKIN Bacteria Removing Lotion.
If you have clogged pores on your back and chest I recommend my OTB SKIN Back Acne Kit.
Click here to see more about my OTB SKIN Back Acne Kit
Some people also need prescription products and professional skin care treatments to really unclog stubborn pores. For my patients who need prescription products to unclog their pores I usually prescribe tretinoin/Retin A. Professional procedures like mild chemical peels will help to control clogged pores too. Talk to your skin care professional to see if you are a good candidate for these procedures.
Clogged pores are frustrating and common. No one likes them, and with the right products and techniques it’s possible to have clean, healthy looking pores and great looking skin that you’re proud of!
If You Found This Information Helpful, You May Want To Also Read:
Facial Skin Care For Problem Skin With Rosacea, Seborrhea And Clogged Pores
Common Reasons Why Your Acne Treatment Might Not Be Working
Back Acne & Chest Acne: Will They Ruin Your Summer?
Photo Attributions:
This was so helpful! Most of the day I’m working on my company Financially Digital from behind a desk and on the phone. But when I do have meetings I am constantly worrying about keeping my skin clean and even. This post really put to bed some myths about how to take care of my face and I loved the recommendations. Thanks!!
Nunzio, I’m glad this was useful. Cheers, Cynthia Bailey MD
I am pretty sure I fall into the “1″ category. I am a poor graduate student, so I’d rather not buy the brush (and I’m a guy so I’d rather not keep it in my bathroom and have to explain it to everyone who comes by), but I am interested in the facial exfoliating sponge. How often should I use it: every other day? twice a day? Only at night? How vigorously should I apply the sponge?
Hello John,
The Buf Puf facial sponge is a great way to exfoliate. Like with any skin care product, you need to figure out what your skin can tolerate in terms of frequency and pressure. I usually tell people to start with it in the morning because the skin has a nice clean buffed look after use and it’s nice to wear that for the day. Use gentle pressure and your facial soap or cleanser. After a week you can increase to twice a day if you think your skin can tolerate it.
The Buf Puf sponge is the most economical way I know of to get effective exfoliation. I like to remind people to be sure it dries out between use. Don’t let it get dirty (ie sit on the shower floor etc). You can try ‘reviving’ it to extend it’s useful life by throwing it in the washing machine, but most people replace their sponge when it finally flattens out and looks like it’s ‘done’.
Regards, Cynthia Bailey MD