What Causes Blocked Skin Pores and Simple Tips to Clean Them

Clogged pores are a problem for many people. It can be difficult to handle, especially when there seems to be a lot. Clogged pores can also result in breakouts or they can aggravate acne.

Causes of Clogged Skin Pores

Clogged pores can be a result of a number of things, they include:

• Dead skin cells – the skin sheds layers of dead skin cells on a regular basis, these can clog the pores causing comedos and pimples.
• Lack of Exfoliation – related to the first cause, a lack of exfoliation can lead to clogging
• Oily skin – some people have hyper oily skin, this can aggravate the condition
• Dirt – This is a contributing factor, but it is not the main cause of clogged pores. Blackheads may look like they are caused by dirt, but the black color comes from the oxidation of white head

Tips to Clean Skin Pores

• Daily Gentle Exfoliation
  • Exfoliating regular is important because it gets rid of the dead skin cells and the dirt on the face, which can clog pores.
  • Gentle exfoliation can be done once a day, during bath time with a moist towel.
  • Exfoliate only when the skin has been moistened and softened from the bath in order to avoid irritation
  • A warm towel can be used followed by a cold water rinse

• Harsher Exfoliation
  • This can be done once a week every two weeks.
    It is not recommended to do this on a regular basis as it can damage the skin when done too often.
  • There are ready made scrubs that can be used for this purpose
  • It is also possible to use home-made scrubs with sugar and honey or sugar and oils

• Washes Designed for Unclogging Pores
  • With regular exfoliation, the pores can be kept clean, but sometimes it may be necessary to use medicated washes
  • There are over the counter facial washes that contain certain acids that can help to unclog the pores.

• Extract Blackheads Manually
  • This can be done at the dermatologist office to help reduce the damage to the skin
  • Certain equipment is used to help draw the blackhead out of the pore

What to Expect from Cleaning Pores

When cleaning pores for the first time, there are a few things that can be expected:

• Breakouts – as the skin gets used to the treatments, breakouts can happen. These go away as soon as things normalize
• Signs of irritation – This can happen as a person figures out the type of treatments that work for them.