This is an in-depth guide on oil cleansing for blackheads – I recently responded to a post on Reddit asking about clearing constantly clogged and large-appearing pores (blackheads). I resonated with the poster because I had experienced the same thing for years even though in terms of noticeable acne my skin was doing perfectly fine. These pores were just something I could not defeat and were a serious hit on my skin’s overall appearance.
My response got a lot of traction – so I decided to create a full-on post about my experience and about the concept I learned and used to finally clear my pores of blackheads. Don’t worry: I will not be selling any products (although I’ll recommend some I’ve used) – this is more of an overall concept and technique and can be used with a variety of different products.
I will give a quick notice: this is just something that has worked for me, and while I do put an effort into sourcing high-quality information for my content this routine specifically may not work for you or your skin type. I tried out this concept with a cheaper product I already had on hand so I wasn’t going to lose out if it didn’t work – I suggest you do the same.
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Introduction
To clear my pores I’ve tried so many things: a simple skincare routine, adding Tretinoin into my protocol, chemical exfoliants, topical peptides, masks, and physical exfoliation, – nothing worked for my pores (although my skin overall looked healthier from these other things).
One day I stumbled across a video explaining a new concept for cleansing pores: oil-based cleansing and pulling to unclog pores. Like this commenter mentions: it might seem counterintuitive at first but I will explain fully in this post.
Concept
So yes – you may have heard that excess oil plays a role in the production of acne – this is true. However, the concept behind using oil as a cleanser is simple and we can turn to chemistry for the answer. Explained simply, human sebum (oil) is nonpolar just like cleansing oils are also nonpolar – we know that these will dissolve each other (similar substances dissolve each other). That is the fundamental concept behind using an oil-based cleanser or oil solution for dissolving and “pulling” out excess sebum (oil) in the skin. The mechanism is entirely different compared to other cleansers as you might see in a common gel or cream.
You aren’t adding anything disruptive to the skin in terms of acne if the products are formulated correctly – you are just going to be wiping off the cleanser a few minutes after applying it either way. Especially if you engage in a 2-step routine where you use a gel or cream-based cleanser afterwards this is not something to worry about at all.
Other Benefits
Another benefit is the fact that oil cleansers are not as harsh as gel and cream cleansers may be. You likely know skincare is very personal so all of this varies but for some those kinds of cleansers may be too harsh while an oil cleanser works to pull out and dissolve the clogged mess instead.
Method
The method here is very simple – experiment with adding an oil-based cleanser into your routine. In Korean skincare routines, many opt to use a 2 step cleansing routine whereby they first use an oil cleanser to remove all oil, makeup, and any leftover products and then move on to using a gel, cream, or water-based cleanser for the actual cleaning part.
If a 2 step cleansing routine is too harsh for you, you can always try simply using an oil cleanser alone or keep your normal cleansing routines and just do oil pulling on its own occasionally with either an oil cleanser or just an oil itself.
Oil Cleanser Routine
Generally because of how this concept works I find the longer I can sit with the oil for a bit and massage it into my skin the better results I get. Basically – you can apply the cleansing oil to the entire face and then if you want to do something else in your routine like brush your teeth or turn the shower on to let the oil sit for a little, do that. This allows it to seep in and do its job. Next, you can massage the oil in and force things to mix around – you’ll feel stuff come out in a sand-like texture if there’s enough junk clogged into your skin.
For a daily routine, you can do 1-5 minutes of this process overall, whatever works for you to be consistent and how much effort to reward you get. It just varies from person to person.
Oil Pulling Routine
Now if you find that you don’t like doing an oil cleansing routine for various reasons but still want to do oil pulling you can just find a separate dedicated time to do this instead. Maybe like a once or twice-weekly event similar to how people may use chemical exfoliants only once or twice weekly.
You have a little more flexibility here in terms of timing – if you want to try a longer time for the oil to sit on and massage in and do its work dissolving and pulling junk out feel free to try this. I’ve done like 10 minutes of letting the oil seep in and then 5 minutes of massage the pores. You could also try pure oils like Jojoba oil or something similar because you don’t specifically need the cleanser aspect, although an oil cleanser would probably be similar.
Again, to end off you would wash off with warm water or a cleanser of your choice as well.
What to Expect
You will 100% feel gritty dirt when doing this – that is the clogged-up junk we are so used to seeing stuck into our skin. It feels like sand which might sound gross but when you realize what’s happening it’s amazing. I like it when something I do shows immediate results. You might also notice residue from other skincare products which is also interesting, to say the least.
Products
I only have experience with two products so these are the two I will talk about. The concept makes sense on a base level though so really I suggest exploring and experimenting with different products. Maybe an oil-based cleanser for your specific skin type, or a natural oil you are personally interested in?
Jojoba Oil
This is the product I experimented with before moving to an actual oil cleanser. The idea is the same and I did the pulling method for around 15 minutes with this. I felt the same gritty feeling and it pulled stuff out but I didn’t notice any crazy impacts which is why I stopped using it after one test. Looking back this is likely because I didn’t think of using Jojoba Oil every day while for the dedicated oil cleanser I do. If I added a Jojoba or another natural oil into my daily routine I would likely get the same effects. So if you have stuff like this on hand already I would recommend it.
Numbuzin Cleansing Oil
The main product I’ve used is the Numbuzin No. 1 “Easy Peasy” cleansing oil, an oil cleanser. This is the product I used after my initial experiments with oil and is where I noticed a difference. The only negative effect I can state was slightly red skin near my cheekbone/eye areas but I can’t be certain that was anything to do with this product specifically.
As a side note: the product smells amazing.
It is a Korean brand and product which I purchased through a company called “Stylekorean”. I am always hesitant to buy products I put on or inside my body from any source unless I know it’s a legitimate seller. This is why I chose Stylekorean to order through. I read through lots of reviews online and concluded they were legitimate. I think the official Numbuzin website was sold out or something along those lines and I didn’t want to wait. In summary: this was shipped directly from Korea to my home.
You can source this product through Amazon as well if you don’t want to wait, just make sure the product is legitimate. I do earn a commission if you buy on Amazon.
My Experience (Numbuzin)
The results are basically what I’ve outlined in this entire post and this product is the reason I made this post. I will probably post pictures when I make a YouTube video about this. I initially wanted to do a month-to-month comparison but my results were so quick and that Reddit comment got a lot of votes so I decided to write this quickly to share.
I would say I also experienced an interesting “purge”. I have two spots of acne on my cheek near my nasolabial folds where the pores are – I haven’t gotten acne like this in years. So there may be an adjustment if you straight up use something like this. As I mentioned I also experienced the gritty dirt feel which is the sebum and other junk coming out, some slight redness I mentioned, and then of course the smooth “glass skin” effect. Seriously, my pores have never been so clear.
Study
Cleanser vs Oil Cleanser Sunscreen
Final Thoughts
Overall I hope this post informed you about a potentially new method in fighting those pesky pores. I tried everything for mine so having something that works is amazing.
Good luck and thank you for reading!