How do you open the pores on your face to get blackheads out?
Pores don't open and close like a door: what you're really doing is softening the oil that clogs them. Wash your face with warm water or have a hot five-minute shower, as the steam softens the sebum. Pat your face dry, apply the scrub to dry skin, add a little water and massage gently, then rinse with cold water and moisturise. To get blackheads out, don't squeeze them with your fingers: exfoliating twice a week gradually clears them without leaving marks.
More and more men are taking care of their appearance, but there are still plenty who don't. And when it comes to skincare in particular, a lot of men simply don't know how to keep the pores on their face clean.
The truth is, clogged pores are one of the biggest skincare problems men face. When the pores on your face get blocked, you can end up with breakouts and a whole range of skin issues that knock your confidence and your looks.
If you're one of the many men wondering how to minimise the pores on your face, don't worry: here are the steps to follow to keep your skin healthy.
Unfortunately, most men think washing their face every day is enough to keep their pores clear. In reality, that's only a small part of it. Here's what you need to do to deep-clean your skin and keep your pores clear.
If, on top of blackheads, your face gets shiny as the day goes on, you may have oily skin: here's why it happens and which routine keeps it in check in our guide to oily skin in men.
What are clogged pores and blackheads?
Excess oil, dead skin, product residue, bacteria, pollution and other everyday grime all contribute to clogged pores. The pores on your face are the openings of hair follicles, each linked to a sebaceous gland.
These glands secrete sebum, an oily substance that hydrates and protects your skin. Sebum is essential for keeping skin healthy and supple, but too much of it can clog your pores – and that's when you need to know how to unclog them.
Too much sebum can mix with dead skin cells and other substances that block pores. The result: clogged pores on your cheeks, nose and other areas of your face.
With all that in mind, knowing how to deal with visible pores is key to keeping your skin clean and healthy.
The tool that helps most here is exfoliation, two or three times a week. FETĒN's Face Scrub for Men uses mineral salts and sugars to lift away the dead skin and oil that clog your pores.
Can you "close" your pores?
So how do you clean your pores and make them smaller? The first thing to know is that all pores are open. Large, visible pores are often called "open pores" because of how they look, but pores can't actually be sealed shut. What you can do is improve their appearance and make them less visible.
Here's how to clear excess oil from your pores and make them less noticeable:
Use a topical retinoid
If you're not sure how to minimise your pores, start with a topical retinoid. These skincare products contain vitamin A and work by exfoliating the top layer of skin, which has been shown to help minimise the look of enlarged pores.
However, topical retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun and cause redness and dryness, so we recommend using them no more than once a day.
Try a clay mask
As we said, plenty of men don't know how to clean their pores and make them look smaller. This is where clay comes in: a natural ingredient that does two jobs at once – it draws oil out of your pores and makes them look smaller.
In fact, skincare experts often recommend a clay mask to tighten the look of pores, as clay can help calm inflammation and make blemishes less visible.
Clay masks also absorb excess oil, leaving skin feeling firmer and pores looking tighter.
Exfoliate regularly
Not every man is used to exfoliating, but exfoliating your face clears away built-up debris along with the top layer of dead skin.
That means exfoliating helps stop your pores getting clogged. Do it regularly and your skin will look softer, smoother and firmer – and before long, you'll notice it feels more supple too.
That said, exfoliating every day can actually increase oil production, as well as drying out your skin and stripping away its natural oils. So whatever your skin type, aim to exfoliate once every three or four days.
After exfoliating, always moisturise: when skin is left dry, it tends to produce more oil. If your skin is oily, go for a light moisturiser with a matte finish. You'll find the scrub and the moisturiser together in our Men's Blemish Kit.
How can men get rid of blackheads?
Most of the methods men tend to use to get rid of blackheads are far from ideal. Yes, we're talking about when your partner or best mate insists on squeezing your spots and blackheads. Don't let them! As we explain below, it can lead to broken skin and scarring.
How do you unclog your pores?
Now let's look at how to unclog the pores on your face. Enlarged pores can show up in different ways, but the methods for clearing out the oil and unclogging them are much the same.
Follow these tips to unclog your pores:
Don't squeeze
For some men, cleaning their pores means squeezing their skin to get the dirt out. But squeezing or pinching your pores to get rid of sebum can leave scars. It can even make your pores bigger or, if you're prone to spots, trigger new breakouts. Very often, it's the blackheads on men's noses that bear the brunt of this all-too-common habit.
You risk damaging your skin if you try to get rid of blackheads or whiteheads with your fingers, tweezers or any other tool. So this really isn't the way to deal with blackheads.
Use a salicylic acid cleanser
Salicylic acid can work wonders for men with clogged pores and oily skin. A salicylic acid cleanser acts as a chemical exfoliant, working its way deep into the pores.
As well as clearing excess oil from your pores, salicylic acid helps prevent breakouts and encourages dead skin cells to shed, so your pores stay clear.
And because it's oil-soluble, it can cut through sebum and reach right down into the pores.
Bicarbonate of soda: handle with care
Finally, how else can men clear blackheads? Some people swear by cleaning their pores with bicarbonate of soda, a fine crystalline powder that can gently cleanse and exfoliate the skin.
Just use it sparingly (once a week at most): bicarbonate of soda is alkaline and, if you overdo it, it upsets your skin's natural pH and dries it out.
Face Scrub for Men, Anti-Blackhead
For the pores that water alone can't clean.
Take a look →
How to Unclog the Pores on Your Face
How do you open the pores on your face to get blackheads out?
Pores don't open and close like a door: what you're really doing is softening the oil that clogs them. Wash your face with warm water or have a hot five-minute shower, as the steam softens the sebum. Pat your face dry, apply the scrub to dry skin, add a little water and massage gently, then rinse with cold water and moisturise. To get blackheads out, don't squeeze them with your fingers: exfoliating twice a week gradually clears them without leaving marks.
More and more men are taking care of their appearance, but there are still plenty who don't. And when it comes to skincare in particular, a lot of men simply don't know how to keep the pores on their face clean.
The truth is, clogged pores are one of the biggest skincare problems men face. When the pores on your face get blocked, you can end up with breakouts and a whole range of skin issues that knock your confidence and your looks.
If you're one of the many men wondering how to minimise the pores on your face, don't worry: here are the steps to follow to keep your skin healthy.
Unfortunately, most men think washing their face every day is enough to keep their pores clear. In reality, that's only a small part of it. Here's what you need to do to deep-clean your skin and keep your pores clear.
If, on top of blackheads, your face gets shiny as the day goes on, you may have oily skin: here's why it happens and which routine keeps it in check in our guide to oily skin in men.
What are clogged pores and blackheads?
Excess oil, dead skin, product residue, bacteria, pollution and other everyday grime all contribute to clogged pores. The pores on your face are the openings of hair follicles, each linked to a sebaceous gland.
These glands secrete sebum, an oily substance that hydrates and protects your skin. Sebum is essential for keeping skin healthy and supple, but too much of it can clog your pores – and that's when you need to know how to unclog them.
Too much sebum can mix with dead skin cells and other substances that block pores. The result: clogged pores on your cheeks, nose and other areas of your face.
With all that in mind, knowing how to deal with visible pores is key to keeping your skin clean and healthy.
The tool that helps most here is exfoliation, two or three times a week. FETĒN's Face Scrub for Men uses mineral salts and sugars to lift away the dead skin and oil that clog your pores.
Can you "close" your pores?
So how do you clean your pores and make them smaller? The first thing to know is that all pores are open. Large, visible pores are often called "open pores" because of how they look, but pores can't actually be sealed shut. What you can do is improve their appearance and make them less visible.
Here's how to clear excess oil from your pores and make them less noticeable:
Use a topical retinoid
If you're not sure how to minimise your pores, start with a topical retinoid. These skincare products contain vitamin A and work by exfoliating the top layer of skin, which has been shown to help minimise the look of enlarged pores.
However, topical retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun and cause redness and dryness, so we recommend using them no more than once a day.
Try a clay mask
As we said, plenty of men don't know how to clean their pores and make them look smaller. This is where clay comes in: a natural ingredient that does two jobs at once – it draws oil out of your pores and makes them look smaller.
In fact, skincare experts often recommend a clay mask to tighten the look of pores, as clay can help calm inflammation and make blemishes less visible.
Clay masks also absorb excess oil, leaving skin feeling firmer and pores looking tighter.
Exfoliate regularly
Not every man is used to exfoliating, but exfoliating your face clears away built-up debris along with the top layer of dead skin.
That means exfoliating helps stop your pores getting clogged. Do it regularly and your skin will look softer, smoother and firmer – and before long, you'll notice it feels more supple too.
That said, exfoliating every day can actually increase oil production, as well as drying out your skin and stripping away its natural oils. So whatever your skin type, aim to exfoliate once every three or four days.
After exfoliating, always moisturise: when skin is left dry, it tends to produce more oil. If your skin is oily, go for a light moisturiser with a matte finish. You'll find the scrub and the moisturiser together in our Men's Blemish Kit.
How can men get rid of blackheads?
Most of the methods men tend to use to get rid of blackheads are far from ideal. Yes, we're talking about when your partner or best mate insists on squeezing your spots and blackheads. Don't let them! As we explain below, it can lead to broken skin and scarring.
How do you unclog your pores?
Now let's look at how to unclog the pores on your face. Enlarged pores can show up in different ways, but the methods for clearing out the oil and unclogging them are much the same.
Follow these tips to unclog your pores:
Don't squeeze
For some men, cleaning their pores means squeezing their skin to get the dirt out. But squeezing or pinching your pores to get rid of sebum can leave scars. It can even make your pores bigger or, if you're prone to spots, trigger new breakouts. Very often, it's the blackheads on men's noses that bear the brunt of this all-too-common habit.
You risk damaging your skin if you try to get rid of blackheads or whiteheads with your fingers, tweezers or any other tool. So this really isn't the way to deal with blackheads.
Use a salicylic acid cleanser
Salicylic acid can work wonders for men with clogged pores and oily skin. A salicylic acid cleanser acts as a chemical exfoliant, working its way deep into the pores.
As well as clearing excess oil from your pores, salicylic acid helps prevent breakouts and encourages dead skin cells to shed, so your pores stay clear.
And because it's oil-soluble, it can cut through sebum and reach right down into the pores.
Bicarbonate of soda: handle with care
Finally, how else can men clear blackheads? Some people swear by cleaning their pores with bicarbonate of soda, a fine crystalline powder that can gently cleanse and exfoliate the skin.
Just use it sparingly (once a week at most): bicarbonate of soda is alkaline and, if you overdo it, it upsets your skin's natural pH and dries it out.
Face Scrub for Men, Anti-Blackhead
For the pores that water alone can't clean.
Take a look →