Those black dots on your nose are nothing but the clogged nose pores. No matter how much you hate them they are most likely to make their appearance quite prominent, unless you take the right care. Our skin has pores, all over, but the ones on the nose and chin make themselves much irritatingly prominent as they tend more to get clogged with debris, dead cells, dirt, grime and other pollutants from the environment.
The primary purpose of the skin pores is to deliver oil to the skin in order to keep it moist and soft. When these pores get clogged with debris and pollutants, they are no more able to deliver the oil onto the skin rather they get dilated, making the pores look bigger and more prominent. On the other hand, the debris clogging the pores is mixed with the oils and as they are oxidized by the air, they take the black color, making the pores even more prominent.
The good thing is that, you can get rid of these clogged pores on the nose and once you get rid of them you can start taking proper daily care of your skin so that the problem does not recur. Unclogging the clogged nose pores is not very difficult but it might be time consuming particularly if you have not cleaned the pores in the recent past. Here are some of the most effective ways to unclog the pores on the nose.
Face steaming to unclog nose pores
One of the most effective ways to unclog nose pores is facial steaming. Steaming helps opening the clogged pores and hence it becomes much easier to clear out the debris stuck within the pores. Here is a step by step guide on how to unclog nose pores with face steaming,
- Remove makeup from your face with a makeup remover or through oil cleansing, whatever is your preferred way. Only make sure that no trace of makeup is left on your skin before you move to the next steps.
- Use a gentle facial cleanser along with warm (but not hot) water to wash your face. Massage your wet face with the cleanser for 1 minute, concentrating more on the nose and the areas where you have clogged pores, and then wash off with lukewarm water. Pat your face dry with a fresh towel. Do not rub the skin.
- For steaming your face you need not to necessarily have a facial steamer at home. A wide mouth pan and a big enough towel can do it all for you. Heat sufficient amount of water in a pan and once the water is bubbling hot, remove the pan from the heat.
- Take the towel from over your head and cover the steaming pan with it. Make sure that your face is placed at the right distance from the pan so that your face gets all the steam but the heat is not very high which can cause scalding.
- Take the steam for 8-10 minutes at the most and then remove the towel. Wash off your face with normal water immediately after you have completed taking the steam. This will wash off the debris clogging the pores.
- After washing your face with normal water, wash off with plenty of cold water. This will remove any remaining debris from the skin and will also help in closing the pores.
- Pat your face dry with a clean towel after washing your face with cold water and immediately follow with a non-alcohol skin toner which will ensure that all your skin pores are well closed. Open pores will only increase the problem of clogged pores. So, it is important to make doubly sure that all the skin pores are closed, right after you have completed the process.
- Finally follow with a light moisturizer because steaming might dry out your skin unless you are using a high quality facial steamer that releases micro-steam and helps in hydrating the skin as well.
Dry brushing for unclogging nose pores
Dry brushing is another mechanical technique that can be helpful to unclog the nose pores. However, if you have very sensitive skin, it is best to stay away from dry brushing as it might irritate sensitive skin. For this procedure you need to have a suitable brush for dry facial brushing. Using just any brush for this process will not only make it ineffective but can also be harmful for your skin. So, always buy the specialized dry brushes for this procedure. The steps are described below,
- Use a makeup remove or oil cleansing for getting rid of every stress of makeup from your face.
- Now wash your face with a mild cleanser and warm water, focusing more on the areas with clogged pores.
- Wash off your face with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Before you start dry brushing, make sure that the brush as well as your face is completely dry, otherwise the process will be ineffective.
- Brush the skin lightly in slow circular yet steady motion. Focus more on the nose and chin area that is prone to have more clogged pores. Do not brush the area near the eyes, as dry brushing might harm the delicate skin of this area.
- Right after dry brushing wash off your face with cold water to get rid of all the debris that might have been clogging the pores and released through dry brushing. Pat dry and follow with a light moisturizer.
Chemical exfoliation for unclogging nose pores
Chemical exfoliation of skin can be highly effective to unclog the nose pores and if you include chemical exfoliation in your regular skin care regimen, it will also stop the recurrence of clogged pores. However, if you have clogged pores it might not get cleared in the first application of chemical exfoliators. You will need to continue with the use of the product and slowly you will see that the clogged pores are removed. Buy a suitable chemical exfoliator and use it routinely according to the instructions provided with the product and you can see results in few weeks.
Scrubbing for unclogging nose pores
A scrubber is also an effective way to remove the dead cells and debris from the nose pores. It helps in skin exfoliation which unclogs the pores. However, just like the chemical exfoliators, the scrubbers will not also show results in a day. If you continue using them routinely, the clogged pores will be cleared in few weeks and they will also stop from coming back. You can use a good quality branded scrubber for this purpose or use a homemade scrubber according to your choice.
Nose pore strips for clearing nose pores
Nose pore strips are the other common mechanical way of removing the debris stuck in the nose pores. These debris form blackheads which are removed through the nose pore strips. Before applying a nose pore strip, wipe the area to sanitize it. Follow the instructions as mentioned in the package of the strips to remove the debris from the clogged pores on the nose.
Physical process for clearing clogged nose pores
There are some specialized tools used for unclogging the nose pores. These tools basically help in pinching the skin around the clogged pores and thus forcing the debris stuck within the pores to come out. This process might also be followed after facial steaming in case the debris are hard and are not coming out easily. Usually this process is followed by the professionals in the parlors.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a mild skin resurfacing procedure that removes the upper layer of cells from the skin giving it deep exfoliation effects. Microdermabrasion can unclog the nose pores effectively and immediately. However, once the pores have been unclogged you need to take up a regular skin care and exfoliation regimen to ensure that there is no recurrence of pore clogging. Microdermabrasion can be carried out only in the high end salons by professionals and this process should not be followed very often as that can harm the skin.
Some effective home remedies to unclog nose pores
Having elaborated on the different processes to unclog nose pores, now we will highlight on some of the home remedies that can be helpful for this purpose.
Sugar, lemon juice and honey for unclogging nose pores
A scrub cum pack made with sugar, lemon juice and honey can be effective to unclog the nose pores and also to prevent future clogging. Grind 4 spoons of sugar and then add the juice of 1 lemon to it along with 2 spoons of honey. Mix all the ingredients together and rub the resulting mixture on the nose for 3-4 minutes and then leave for another minute before washing off with water. Do it daily for best results.
Baking soda for unclogging nose pores
Baking soda can effectively work to unclog the nose pores instantly. Baking soda has excellent skin exfoliating properties. You only need to ensure that your skin is not sensitive to it. Take 1/2 spoon of baking soda and add few drops of water in it to make a paste. Now rub this paste on the nose, focusing the darkened pores, for 1-2 minutes. Leave on for 1 more minute and then wash off with plain water.
Papaya for getting rid of clogged nose pores
Papaya is a rich source of enzymes which can be helpful to digest the pore clogging debris helping you to unclog the pores. Clean your face with water and a mild cleanser and then rub the nose area affected with clogged pores with a cube of green papaya. Continue rubbing for 4-5 minutes, then take a break and again continue the rubbing for 3-4 minutes. Finally leave on for 2 minutes and wash off with water. This process might not clear out the clogged pores instantly, but with regular use the pores can be unclogged in a week.
Fuller’s earth mask for clearing nose pores
Fuller’s earth is a natural clay and a mask of it can be helpful to remove the clogging debris from the nose pores. Soak one spoon of fuller’s earth in adequate water. Once the clay has softened, add few drops of lemon juice to it. Make sure that the pack has a thinner consistency than a paste. Apply a layer of the pack on the affected area of the nose. Let it get dry and then apply another layer. Repeat the layering for 2 more times and then let it get dried completely. Peel off the dry pack from the nose. You can also rub it with dry hands for removing. Finally wash off with water.
Oatmeal and tomato for nose pore unclogging
Oatmeal absorbs the excess oil from the skin and also promotes skin exfoliation. The enzymes of tomato on the other hand help in removing the pore clogging debris through its enzymes. Take 2 spoons of oatmeal and add 1 spoon of crushed tomato to it. Now add some water to make a thick paste. Finally apply the resulting mixture over the affected area and rub lightly for few minutes. Let it get dry for some time and then remove by rubbing the pack with dry hands. Wash off with water.
