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How to Remove Blackhead From Skin with Baking Soda

Do you have blackheads? If so, you’re not alone. Blackheads are a common problem, especially for people with oily skin.

But first, what is a blackhead?

Well, scientifically speaking… 🤓

A blackhead is a type of acne that forms when your pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. The oil turns black when exposed to the air, hence the term “blackhead.”

There are two types of blackheads: open and closed. Open blackheads have a wider opening at the skin’s surface, which is why they’re black. Closed blackheads, on the other hand, have smaller openings. This is why they often look like white bumps under the skin.

Whatever you do, don’t try to remove them with your nails!

We know, we know… it’s so tempting to try and squeeze blackheads out with your fingers. 

But please resist the urge! This can make things worse by spreading bacteria and causing more inflammation.

Blackheads are annoying and difficult to get rid of. This leaves people to try many different types of DIY methods to remove blackheads, including the use of baking soda. But don’t worry, there are a few natural ways to safely get rid of blackheads. 

Is Baking Soda Safe to Remove Blackheads?

Baking soda is often touted as a natural way to remove blackheads. But is it actually safe?

The short answer is yes, baking soda is generally safe for most people to use on their skin. However, it’s always a good idea to do a patch test before using any new product, just to be sure you’re not allergic.

Baking soda is a type of salt that’s made from sodium bicarbonate. It’s a white powder that’s often used in baking as a leavening agent.

Baking soda can also be used for cleaning and has even been shown to have some medical benefits. When it comes to blackheads, baking soda can help to dry out the excess oil that’s clogging your pores. However, if you use baking soda too much or too often, you can dry out your skin. 

How Does Baking Soda Affect Skin?

Baking soda is a gentle exfoliant. This means that it can help remove dead skin cells from your face, which can unclog pores and prevent blackheads from forming.

In addition, baking soda has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can help soothe irritated skin and fight off acne-causing bacteria.

And last but not least, baking soda can help to balance the pH of your skin. This is important because when your skin’s pH is off, it can lead to dryness, redness, and even breakouts. If you have extremely sensitive skin you may notice irritation, and should stop using the baking soda immediately. This will be much more common for your face than other parts of your body like your legs, chest, or under your breasts.

How to Use Baking Soda to Remove Blackheads

If you’ve decided to give baking soda a try, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First, it’s important to use baking soda that’s meant for cooking, not for cleaning. This is because baking soda that’s meant for cleaning is often harsher and can be drying to the skin.

Second, you should always mix baking soda with water before applying it to your face. This will help to prevent irritation.

To make a baking soda face mask, simply mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of water. Apply the mixture to your face and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Want to do a spot treatment instead of an entire face mask? Simply wet your face and then massage a small amount of the baking soda into your skin.

To remove the baking soda from your face, simply splash your face with lukewarm water and use your fingertips to rub the paste off in circular motions. Rinse your skin with cool water to close your pores post blackhead removal.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s skin is different. What works for one person may not work for another. If you find that baking soda irritates your skin, discontinue use immediately.

Do this once or twice a week as needed!

Best Face Wash for Blackheads

Before resorting to baking soda, I highly recommend taking a hard look at your current skincare routine. Ensure that any cleansers, moisturizers, or other skin care products in your repertoire are not contributing to blackhead breakouts. I recommend using a cleanser specifically designed to target blackheads. Face washes for blackheads usually contain ingredients that help to exfoliate the skin, unclog pores, and remove excess oil. If you’re not sure where to start, I check out the GoodGlow team’s post on the Best Face Cleansers For Blackheads!

The GoodGlow team spent several weeks reviewing the 10 best cleansers on the market. The cleansers included have products suitable for every skin type and budget. 

Other Natural Alternatives To Baking Soda For Blackheads

Although baking soda can be an effective blackhead treatment, there are safer ways to clear your skin that are also more long-lasting than weekly baking soda treatments. 

If you want to get rid of blackheads, it’s important to start changing your lifestyle to prevent them from forming in the first place. This means eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress.

  1. Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for your skin. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid processed foods, sugar, and too much caffeine.
  1. Washing your face twice a day is essential for keeping blackheads at bay. Be sure to use a gentle cleanser and warm water. Avoid scrubbing your skin too hard, as this can irritate the skin and make blackheads worse.
  1. Getting enough sleep is important for both your physical and mental health. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t have time to repair itself. This can lead to a number of problems, including blackheads.
  1. Stress can cause several types of skin problems, including blackheads. To reduce stress, try yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. You can also try using a cold compress on your face to reduce stress and blackheads.

There are plenty of blackhead removal options and tools out there. But, remember, changing your lifestyle is one of the best things you can do for your skin before buying devices and products that are likely only offering a temporary fix.

If you want to learn about the ultimate acne protocol, you should check out my book, Unmasking Acne.

Unmasking Acne is the GoodGlow team’s ultimate guide to clearing acne through nutrition. 

This book is not some fad diet, it is a comprehensive how-to guide that will help you to change your lifestyle so you can get the clear skin that you want.

The book is designed to help everyone achieve clear skin, despite their acne type, the current state of their skin, age, gender identity, dietary protocol, or other medical complications.

Unmasking acne will show you how to get quick wins from the start, using a mix of nutrition, lifestyle adjustments, and supplements to repair your skin.

With Unmasking Acne eBook, you can learn about:

  • The 3 Root Causes Behind All Adult Acne
  • The 3 Worst Food Groups For Acne
  • 7 Fasting Strategies for Rapid Results
  • 170+ Foods/Drinks Ranked for Clear Skin
  • Why Acne Products Only Make Things Worse
  • The Ultimate Guide to Clinically Proven Supplements
  • And much more!

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to get your skin back on track!

Get started today and see the results for yourself!

Need more help? Ask our team!

I’ve helped over 2,500 people clear their acne naturally. If you cannot easily find an answer to your question on the website, please reach out to me by email ([email protected]) or send me a message on Instagram or Twitter. I will reply within 24 hours.

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Unmasking Acne eBook

Everything you need to beat acne at the source. 250-Page eBook, Clear Skin Food + Drink Database, and Members-Only Content

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sam wood is GoodGlow's Chief Editor
Analyzed by Sam Wood
Hi I’m Sam Wood. I’m the chief editor, lead acne expert, and health coach behind GoodGlow. I’m also an author of one of the top selling acne books on Amazon, a husband, father of two, and a pretty good cook!

I’m so glad you found GoodGlow and hope the information I have spent the last 10 years cultivating will help you clear your skin and improve your overall health.

I began experiencing acne breakotus as a sophomore in high school, but unlike most of my friends, my acne actually got worse as I got into my 20s. I exercised regularly, ate healthy (or so I thought) and spent hundreds of dollars a month on high end skincare products and supplements to help clear my skin. Despite these measures my acne breakouts and scarring only got worse as the years wore on.

This greatly wore on my self confidence and mental health. Simple things like taking pictures or going out with a large group made me feel self conscious. So I avoided these situations whenever I could help it.

As a last ditch effort I decided to try an extremely restrictive diet recommended by a close friend with an autoimmune disease. After following this diet for about two months my skin started to clear for the first time in over 8 years. The good news is that this restrictive diet is not actually necessary for 99% of people to permanently clear their skin, and over the course of a few months I was able to add back about 90% of my “normal diet”.

After clearing my skin I spent the next 4 years self experimenting on myself with different diets, supplements, skincare products to try and find a pattern for what was triggering my acne breakouts. I even tried different meditation, ice baths, and accupuncture to try and isolate the root cause of the breakouts.

In the end I realized that an extremely restrictive diet was not necessary for clear skin. The most important thing to do is to avoid inflammatory foods in your diet. Some common examples of this are fried foods, alcohol, sugar, and dairy.

Most impoirtantly I stopped reading trendy websites for skincare advice and began reading medical journals authored by dermatologists and nutritionists. Although the information in the articles was great the information was not easily understandable to most readers (including me). I spent hours dissecting individual posts and looking up terms I did not understand. Over the next 6 months I gradually began to understand these journals and started self experiemting some of the research on myself.

After experiencing quite a bit of success personally, I started sharing my research on forums and with close friends struggling with acne. When I shared the research it was in easy to understand, plain English. Everyone I talked to loved what I had to say and kept asking more and more questions. So I decided to start a blog so I could just send someone a link when they asked a question instead of rewriting something I had sent 100 times before 😅

While the same directional principles apply to everyone, acne is very personal and should be treated on an individual basis. That’s ultimately why I created GoodGlow. To help everyone reverse engineer the root cause of their acne and clear their skin permanently.

To date I’ve helped over 2,500 people clear their skin using a natural, holistic approach. If you are unable to find an answer to your question in any of the articles my team has written please reach out and I will do my best to guide you to the proper information and resources so you can make a thoughtful, informed decision. Read more of Sam's articles.

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