Many people may have a face clean from pimples and acne. Yet, they experience sandpaper skin texture on some areas of facial skin, such as the chin, the nose, and the forehead. This sandpaper texture is resulted from the occurrence of rice-grain-like bumps that is similar to blackheads, without the black tip on top. This problem is what is often referred as clogged pores. The white small bumps which are textured like rice grains are the hardened clogged pores, in which the oil from sebaceous glands—or sebum, are accumulated. Numerous teenagers are known to experience this, and some adults even have the same problems, which are said to be triggered mostly by hormones, age, and excessive skin cleaning.

Problems with clogged pores

Clogged pores occur when the skin pore structure is changed. This change can be triggered by hormones, chemicals, and improper facial treatments. There are a lot of people who used to have flawless skin start to find grain-like white bumps all over the face after undergoing facial treatments, or applying skincare products. White bumps which are filled with hardened rice grain-like hardened sebum may be located on your chin, in between eyebrows, on the forehead, or all over the face. In most people, clogged pores may not be easy to get rid, since the real problem lies beneath the open pores. Therefore, to get rid of clogged pores, these hardened sebum needs to be extracted from the skin in the first place.

Home remedies to get rid of clogged pores

When untreated, clogged pores, which may be triggered by oil, dry skin cells, and dirt may lead to acne and blackhead problems, which is not only unhealthy, but also less aesthetical. Therefore, it is important to minimize the effect by cleaning them regularly. Fortunately, you do not always require a high-tech treatment for getting rid of these clogged pores, as some home remedies are proven effective in improving skin with clogged pores.

• Steaming

Whenever you are having a professional skincare treatment, steaming process is always involved. This process is important as it helps loosening the skin pore edges, so that extracting the hardened sebum from skin pores is easier. Steaming the skin properly also minimize the possibility of infection caused by squeezing the skin too hard to get rid of trapped sebum. You can do steaming at home to start the process of getting rid the clogged pores.

• Wash your face using lukewarm water and mild facial soap. Be sure to remove all cosmetic leftover on the face thoroughly.
• Boil water in a medium-size pot and move it into a large bowl to perform the treatment.
• Add herbs, such as parsley or thyme, slice of lemon, green tea, peppermint tea, or chamomile tea into the bowl. This will nourish your facial skin and give the benefits of astringents.
• Place a towel over your head and lean over the steaming water. Let the steam soak into your face for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Try to find an ideal distance from the bowl, so that the heat from the steam does not feel burning on your facial skin.
• Rinse the face with cool water and apply moisturizer which prevents the skin from over-drying.
• Steam your face at home twice a week to help unclogging the pores.

• Dry brushing

Dry brushing has gained popularity as cellulite eliminating treatment. This is actually an ancient technique which gets rid of dry skin and excessed facial oil and debris. You can do dry-brushing once a week to get rid of dead skin cells which clog the skin pores.

• Only use a facial soft-bristled brush. Avoid using any brushes for the body as it may aggravate your facial skin.
• Wash your face with warm water and mild facial soap. Pat dry, and make sure the brush and your face are not wet at any degree.
• Start to brush the skin with clogged pores, such as on your nose, forehead, and chin. Be careful to the skin around the eyes.
• When done, rinse your face with cool water and apply oil-free moisturizer.

• Scrubbing

There are many commercial scrubbing products which are aimed for clogged pores. You can buy one of the mild products and do the scrubbing as directed. However, many people prefer to make their homemade, natural facial scrub and use it for unclogging clogged pores.

• Mix a spoonful of sugar with enough raw honey to make the consistency of a paste.
• Wash your face and pat dry.
• Apply the sugar mask onto the area you would like to scrub and gently massage in circular motions. Avoid scrubbing too hard, as it may irritate the skin and aggravate the clogged pores.
• Rinse the skin with cool water and moisturize.

• Masking

Facial masks is also an effective home remedies for clogged pores. Both clay and peel-off masks have an effective role in removing hardened sebum from your pores. If you prefer to make the homemade mask for this purpose, an egg-white mask will work best. Apply the mask twice a week after you do light scrubbing to the clogged pores for maximized effects.

• To make facial egg-white mask, choose organic eggs.
• Beat the egg and mix the white with a teaspoon of cornstarch. You can also add oatmeal for more benefits.
• Apply the mask onto the clogged pores and let it dry within 20 to 30 minutes.
• Rinse with water and pat dry. You can apply aloe vera after the treatment to preserve skin elasticity and moisture, or simply apply your daily facial moisturizer.

Preventing clogged pores

Since permanently getting rid of clogged pores is not a simple thing to do, it is important to prevent them from occurring at all. There are some of our daily habits which can be modified in order to do this prevention, so that you are able to maintain your flawless skin and minimize the possibility of developing rice grain-like sebum on the face.

• Avoid washing your face excessively. Limit how often you should wash your face—twice a day is recommended, and what products to use to wash it. Avoid using harsh products which may irritate your facial skin and cause the pores to shut down.
• Do not over-scrubbing your face. While scrubbing is one part of exfoliating treatments which is important for getting rid of clogged pores, over-scrubbing will cause the pores to dilute and be easily clogged.
• Wipe your face clean after outdoor activities or cooking. Greasy oil in your hands from cooking can be transferred to the face, causing clogged skin pores.
• Start to use oil-free cosmetics. If you have already got oily skin, cosmetics containing oily substances will add excessive amount of oil to the facial skin, which may end in clogged pores. Also, be sure to always remove your make-up before sleeping. Cosmetics which are not removed completely will clog the pores, and with bacterial infestation, it is able to develop into acne and pimples, which are harder to get rid of.
• Do steaming, scrubbing, and moisturizing regularly to get rid of clogged pores. Also, wear sunscreen to prevent sunlight exposure which may cause clogged pores.