Yes, you read that right. I experimented with toothpaste to try to get rid of my blackheads, whether it works or not I will get to that real soon. Of late, I find myself with more stubborn blackheads which I resorted to just using my fingers to squeeze them out but they leave scars and I have to remind myself to keep my itchy fingers off my face! For that, I decide to share with y'all on the 3 methods I tried in getting my blackheads off.
The first method is using the Biore Cleansing Strips with bamboo charcoal, something I already own but have not been religiously using. To use, you would need to damp your face prior to sticking the strips. This helps secure the strips better on your face and getting all the whiteheads and blackheads and impurities off your pores.
On the day, I was simply targeting the pores on my nose but other times I cut the strip to several pieces and stick them on troubled areas.
The strips are easy to use and they do remove whiteheads, sebum and impurities. Occasionally they work in getting my most stubborn blackheads out, unfortunately not all the time. I noticed that once you pull out the strips, it leaves a mint-y feel for a while, possibly due to the menthol present as part of the ingredients.
~♡~
I have been visiting Innisfree stores a lot to get my cleansers and usually when I am around, I'll browse through their other stuff and happened to come across the Innisfree Blackhead Goodbye Finger Tip Silicon at just RM10. It took me awhile before deciding to purchase it together with Innisfree's eco facial blotter.
These silicon tips are a no brainer to use, you just slip it into your fingers and massage your skin with it. According to the instruction, the soft, rounded projection is to rub across your face. I read up while you're at it, you can use skin exfoliator or facial cleanser while massaging. On the other hand, the striped projection works to remove whiteheads or impurities, think of it as 'pinching' the heads from the pores except that this is gentler than your fingernails.
I like how the silicon fits nicely, stay on your fingers without slipping and they are gentle to your skin. While I can see some white impurities remained on the silicon tips after massaging and the silicons felt oilier (from my facial oil), it took a whole lot of effort to remove stubborn blackheads! One way that worked for me is to 'pinch' the troubled area with the striped projection and alternating the angles to force the blackheads out.
Icky things including the stubborn large blackhead I managed to remove! Yuck, ikr.
I have been using the softer side with my cleanser and found that it works amazing. My face feels cleaner after washing! I can assume, these fingers silicon tips are just the smaller version of the now trendy silicon facial cleanser you can find from Sephora or in Malaysia pharmacies.
Moving on to the third method, the toothpaste experiment which I came across in one of a beauty hacks video on Facebook. For this, I simply use some toothpaste together with Innisfree Blackhead Goodbye Finger Tip Silicon all over my nose. The article I came across recommends using a new toothbrush but since I had the silicon tips, might as well put them to good use.
With a bit more online reading, I found toothpaste works to remove blackheads because it contains ingredients which can dry out the skin. "Triclosan, an active ingredient found in many bathroom products, is an antibacterial agent that is particularly effective at drying out excess oil trapped in pores." One article warned that, "this might be a quick fix but in the long run it will cause your skin to produce more sebum because it is being dried out." So be warned and test the it out a bit before converting to toothpaste for solutions, especially more if you already have dry skin type!
With a bit more online reading, I found toothpaste works to remove blackheads because it contains ingredients which can dry out the skin. "Triclosan, an active ingredient found in many bathroom products, is an antibacterial agent that is particularly effective at drying out excess oil trapped in pores." One article warned that, "this might be a quick fix but in the long run it will cause your skin to produce more sebum because it is being dried out." So be warned and test the it out a bit before converting to toothpaste for solutions, especially more if you already have dry skin type!
Not much luck that day. Mostly the toothpaste residues and some whiteheads.
Be warn the toothpaste is so-o gonna sting your eyes. Why didn't the internet mention about this?! Surprisingly, it actually worked! Once I got off the bath (there is no mirror in the bathroom) and checked, I noticed one of my stubborn blackhead were gone. Maybe it is the silicone tip. Maybe, the toothpaste, I cannot be entirely sure.
In conclusion, I think all these products do work in getting rid of both whiteheads and blackheads but only to some extend. While not exactly the best solution, I am starting to love Innisfree's Blackhead Goodbye Finger Tip Silicon mostly because they're definitely the gentler option compare to my fingernails. I definitely advice you to keep your fingers away from your face no matter how tempting it is to get the blackheads off lest you want scars. And if none of the products you use work, simply book an appointment with your dermatologist!
