This Is What Makes Blackheads Look Huge—No, It's Not DIrt

Blackheads: Satisfying to squeeze, but rarely understood. If your pores are feeling a little clogged, a blackhead mask can work to dissolve the gunk and leave you with a crystal-clear complexion. But what exactly forms a blackhead? And why are they, well, black? Both are questions we have all probably asked ourselves when dealing with blackheads. You are not alone.

Let's start from the beginning: Blackheads are caused by an over production of oil in your skin coupled with dead skin cells says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale University. “Within our pores, skin cells shed and combine with a collection of sebum (the oil in our skin) to create a blackhead,” she says. And about their famously dark color? Dr. Gohara explains that it comes from oxidization: “It’s actually not dirt, it’s oxidized oils and skin cells forming a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air that turns it black." But if your basic skincare regimen isn’t enough to rid your skin of those pesky dots, a blackhead mask is a great solution.

Blackhead masks work by using ingredients that help to break down dead skin cells and sebum trapped within your pores. And unlike other types of pimples, blackheads are very receptive to a mask. “A blackhead does not have a thin layer of skin over it like a whitehead does. That’s why in the industry it’s called an “open comedone” because it is open to the outside world,” she says. This allows the active ingredients in a mask to easily penetrate the pore and send your blackhead packing.

Dr. Gohara recommends looking for ingredients like salicylic acid, (aka a beta hydroxy acid or BHA), glycolic acid (aka an alpha hydroxy or AHA) and Vitamin A retinoids, which help to “normalize the shedding of the pore and decrease the amount of sebum the skin produces." They are the gold standard for targeting blackheads and preventing them from popping back up. She also recommends adding products with benzoyl peroxide to your skincare routine to really keep blackheads at bay.

Here are the 8 best blackhead masks that won’t leave a dark pore behind.