How to Get Rid of Whiteheads: 10 Best Home Remedies

Whiteheads spoil our looks. So it is very important to know how to get rid of whiteheads fast to have a blemish-free and a lovely look without whiteheads on your face, nose or cheeks. Whiteheads are more common with the people who have oily skin. At the same time it is also common with those who are undergoing hormonal changes, like teenagers and pregnant women.

Do you know that whiteheads and blackheads both are the types of acne? Just like pimples, they are caused by clogged pores. The sebaceous glands in our body produce oil to moisturize our skin. But when there is excessive secretion of sebum (like during teenage due to hormonal imbalance), oil builds up inside the pores along with dirt and dead skin cells. This trapped oil swells and turns into a white pustule and is known as a whitehead. They are of white colour because they are not exposed to oxygen like blackheads. They generally occur on nose, cheekbone & chin and affect both women and men during teen years and beyond. So how to get rid of whiteheads?

A word of caution is not to pop your whiteheads with your hands, as that will heighten your problem, causing pimples, infection and even scarring.

The best effectual way to get rid of whiteheads naturally is to learn and follow good skin care practices to prevent them. And even if whiteheads appear on your skin, do not worry; you can remove whiteheads successfully by following the tips mentioned in this post which talks about the home remedies on how to get rid of whiteheads. But before that let’s find out what causes whiteheads!

Causes of Whiteheads

As already stated, whiteheads are caused due to blocked pores where dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria get trapped. These whiteheads are formed when the flow of sebum inside the follicles gets trapped close to the surface of the skin. But what is the reason for pores getting blocked? Here are some reasons explain why pores get blocked to form whiteheads:

1. Hormonal Changes

The most general cause of all types of acne including whiteheads is hormonal changes. There are certain stages in our lives which involve many changes in hormonal levels such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. At the time of any such stage, the amount of sebum released in the body increases and this leads to clogged pores and ultimately whiteheads. Women are more prone to whiteheads as they go through many stages of hormonal changes in their life.

2. Medicines

Certain medications that affect hormone levels can also cause whiteheads and other acne. One of the examples is birth control pills.

3. Increase in androgens

These hormones are present in both men and women but the degree of their presence differs in both. Women who undergo hormone-replacement therapy for menopause symptoms may get whiteheads as well as other types of pimples and acne if the drug contains testosterone. Men who consume androgenic steroids in order to build their muscle mass may also get whiteheads acne. These can sometimes get to enormous levels forming cystic acne.

 4. Genes and heredity

Several studies have revealed that the production of sebum is controlled by genes. Genes can change the composition of your skin making it more sensitive to hormones. As a result, similar levels of androgen hormones have different results on an acne-prone skin and the one that is not. If you have acne-prone skin, you are likely to get more whiteheads.

5. Spicy foods

This has been the most debatable question that whether spicy food causes whiteheads acne or not. While studies have not yet proved that spices cause acne or whiteheads but many people suffering from frequent whiteheads believe that spices do contribute to the formation of whiteheads and acne. So, there can be certain foods that may give whiteheads. If so, eliminate that food from your diet.

6. Cosmetics and make-up

A Brazilian study revealed that cosmetics are also the cause of whiteheads. Make-up can especially cause whiteheads on chin and cheeks. They can look like small, whitish bumps, sometimes called ‘grains’, more noticeable when you stretch your skin. Use sheer, water-based, non-comedogenic products to avoid having clogged pores.

7. Lack of proper skin hygiene

If you do not clean your face regularly and properly, you may become prone to whiteheads. Improper skin care doesn’t let the dead skin cells slough off and they get stuck to the sebum, also present in excess amount due to the lack of washing and cleaning the face.

How to Get Rid of Whiteheads – Home Remedies

Here are some easy ways for how to get rid of whiteheads by using some natural ingredients:

1. Steaming

Steaming face is the best remedy to remove your whiteheads. A facial steam helps open up the skin pores. This loosens up the buildup of dirt, oil sebum and dead skin cells.

Do:

• Place the bowl of hot water on an even surface.
• Lean forward so that your face is over the bowl.
• Cover your head with the towel so that the steam doesn’t escape.
• Let your face get steamed this way for about 5-8 minutes.
• Now pat dry your face.
• Do this every day for 15 minutes to get rid of whiteheads naturally. You will see the results in two weeks. Remember not to overdo it.

2. Baking Soda Scrub

You can get rid of whiteheads by giving it a gentle exfoliation. It should be only gentle scrubbing because too thorough scrubbing can make your whiteheads worse. Baking soda is just the perfect gentle exfoliating agent for your whiteheads ridden face. It also helps balance your skin’s pH levels.

Do:

• Add a little water to the baking soda to get a thick paste.
• Apply this paste to your whiteheads affected area.
• Leave it for 3-6 minutes.
• Wash it off
• Repeat 1-3 times a week.
• Caution: If your skin is too sensitive, do not use baking soda.

The best Baking Soda Scrub available is Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub. It is my favourite scrub. Do try it! 

Buy Here

3. Lemon juice and milk

This may sound strange but it’s true that a mixture of lemon juice and milk can help you get rid of whiteheads. In addition, it will also make your skin soft.

Do:

• Take 50 ml whole milk and add it to a mixture of 5 ml lemon juice and dead salt.
• Apply this liquid on your entire face and wash it off with warm water after 20 minutes.

4. Oatmeal Mask

Not only does oatmeal exfoliate your skin to slough off dead cells, it also pulls out all the excess oil to free your skin from whiteheads. Make this oatmeal yogurt mask for your whiteheads remedy.

Do:

• Mix 4-5 tbsp of powdered oatmeal with 2-3 tbsp of yogurt, 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
• Apply this mask on your face covering the whiteheads properly.
• Leave it for about 15-20 minutes.
• Wash off with water.
• Repeat once or twice a week.

If you are looking to buy oatmeal Mask then go for  St. Ives Nourished and Smooth Oatmeal Scrub and Mask

Buy Here

 5. Honey Cinnamon Mask

Honey is the nature’s antibiotic. Its excellent antibacterial properties kill off microbes making your skin disease free. It is also gentle on skin and moisturizes it well. Cinnamon is also good for your skin as it helps boost production of collagen, the vital skin protein and facilitate skin regeneration. Cinnamon also has antimicrobial properties that fight off your whiteheads and acne.

Do:

• Mix honey, aloe vera and a pinch of cinnamon powder to get a smooth paste.
• Apply this to your whiteheads affected area.
• Leave for about 20 minutes.
• Wash off with water.

Caution: Many people are allergic to cinnamon. To check if you are not among them, conduct a patch test before you apply cinnamon to your skin to get rid of whiteheads.

Buy Here

6. Honey Lemon Turmeric Mask

If you suffer from both whiteheads and blackheads then this remedy is best for you. Not only will this mask remove whiteheads and blackheads but will also reduce the patches caused by whiteheads. It also sloughs off dead skin cells and opens up the skin pores.

Do:

• Combine gram flour or rice flour, lemon juice, honey and turmeric powder.
• Mix them well to get a paste.
• Apply this paste all over face or whiteheads affected areas.
• Leave it for 5-10 minutes.
• Taking some rosewater on your palms, start scrubbing off the mask, with gentle hands though.
• Wash off your face.
• Do this once or twice a week.

Buy Here

7. Green Tea

Green tea has the capability of blocking the androgen receptors in your skin. This reduces the damage these hormones do to your skin, one of which is whiteheads and acne. When you use green tea on skin, there is a remarkable reduction in sebum production. So, start having green tea every day. To directly apply it on your face, add some green tea to your daily skin cream or do the following.

Do:

• Steep the green tea leaves in warm water for 5-10 minutes.
• Using a cotton ball, apply this tea to your skin.
• If using tea bag, make the tea by soaking the bag for 3-5 minutes.
• Take the wet tea bag out and dab it on your whiteheads.
• Enjoy the tea to get added health benefits!

Also Read: How healthy is your cup of Tea?

8. Toothpaste

This may sound weird, but toothpaste has many more uses than just cleaning your teeth. The fluoride chemical which is present in toothpaste is very beneficial at curing your acne, whiteheads and blackheads. It is very easy to use and everyone can do this at home to get rid of whiteheads and acne.

Do:

• Apply the paste on your face and keep it for 30 minutes.
• To save time, apply paste on your face while brushing in morning and complete yourmorning chores
• Wash it off with cold water when you go for a bath.

9. Coriander leaves

Let’s see how to get rid of whiteheads with the help of coriander leaves.

Do:

• Grind the coriander leaves with half tea spoon of turmeric and water making it a nice paste.
• Apply the paste on your face for 20 minutes to get rid of whiteheads as well as blackheads.
• Use it twice a week.
• Do not store this paste for more than 3 days.

10. Almond paste

How to get rid of whiteheads with almond paste? Here you go..

Do:

• Take a dozen of almonds and around 1 teaspoon oatmeal, add rosewater and grind it to make a nearly fine paste.
• Apply this paste only on the affected area full of whiteheads
• Rinse it off after 15 minutes.

How to prevent whiteheads?

Here are some tips to prevent whiteheads. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, it would be far better to follow this skin care routine than to think about how to get rid of whiteheads!

• Wash your face using a mild facial cleanser. Do this only twice a day.
• Never use harsh soaps to wash your face. Not only they make your skin dry but also increase sebum production.
• Use a cleanser for whiteheads having salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acids. They are good at opening clogged pores. If you do not use such products, adopt natural ways by using such ingredients as milk.
• After cleansing your skin daily, use a toner to eliminate dirt residues and also reduce the size of your skin pores.
• Do not forget to moisturize your skin daily so that it stays soft and supple.
• Exfoliate your skin at least once a week.
• Try to use non comedogenic cosmetics. These cosmetics do not contain ingredients that clog pores.
• Never forget to remove your makeup before you go to bed.
• Have lots of fruits and green vegetables in your diet to keep your inner system clean. You should especially consume fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin A like broccoli, spinach and carrots, as well as those rich in vitamins E and C like oranges, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, avocados etc. These nutrients help your skin repair and renew itself so that you may get acne free glowing skin.
• Wash your hair regularly. Greasy hair can lead to more oil on your skin surface.
• Drink coffee once a day since coffee is an anti-oxidant and keeps your skin cells fresh.
• Exercise daily. Exercising causes sweat and thus cleaning the oil stuck in pores of your skin.
• Drink lots of water. It will keep your skin hydrated and keep acne and whiteheads at bay.

Taking all these precautions will not only help get rid of whiteheads but will also prevent them from coming back! I hope this post on how to get rid of whiteheads helps you! If you have some more ideas on how to get rid of whiteheads, do share with us in the comments section!