Dear Paula,

I am a big fan of yours and always look forward to reading your beauty bulletin.  I have a couple questions concerning my complexion.

I am 18 years old with combination skin (tending a little more towards oily).  Over the last couple months I have been getting blackheads near my nose and breaking out a lot more than normal.  I used to just break out in the T-zone but now the breakouts happen anywhere on my face.  I wash my face at night with a Clean and Clear product and this doesn’t seem to be helping. I was wondering if you could suggest some solutions to this increasingly annoying and embarrassing problem.

Also related to these breakouts is that I have been having trouble finding a foundation that will give me enough coverage to even out and cover up my blemishes.  I recently bought Clinique’s Superfit Makeup and perhaps the formula was changed or something because it does nothing to help hide my breakouts.  I used the product a year ago (in a different shade) and it worked really well, so I’m not sure what happened.  I was thinking of buying Lancome`s Color Ideal hoping it would provide the coverage I want.  I don’t know what to use yet I am tired of buying products that don’t work well.  I would really love it if you could suggest a foundation that gives a lot of coverage!
Eva, via email

Dear Eva,

I get questions about blackheads from women of all ages. Yes, they tend to occur most often during the teen years, but it’s not as though once you’re a certain age blackheads become a thing of the past (wouldn’t that be nice!)

Regardless of one’s age, when blackheads appear the options for minimizing and preventing their recurrence remain the same. The most important thing you need to realize is that it takes far more than a cleanser to address the problem. A cleanser’s action, whether it is a scrub or not, or claims it can get rid of blackheads, are completely false. Cleansing and scrubbing can’t change or address what causes blackheads (though the wrong ones can make matters worse). Despite the way blackheads look, they’re NOT about skin being dirty. You can cleanse your skin every hour during the day and it’s not going to improve your blackheads (but doing so will cause more problems in the long run).

A blackhead forms when increased sebum (oil) production in the pore (caused by hormones) mixes with dead skin cells and cellular debris and gets stuck. As the sebum works its way up to the pore’s opening (the visible part of the pore you see on the surface), this sticky mixture can become trapped and solidify in the pore before it can exit and liquefy. With all of this stuff getting stuck in the pore right at the point it would normally exit, the sebum oxidizes and turns the color we hate to see— you guessed it—black. Again, although blackheads make skin look dotted with dirt, their formation isn’t about cleanliness, and, let me reiterate again, cleansing skin too often or over-scrubbing does more harm than good.

The best way to get rid of blackheads and prevent their recurrence is to start by using a gentle cleanser so you don’t cause irritation which stimulates more oil production by triggering oil-producing hormones in the pore. Next, you need to use a leave-on product that contains 1–2% salicylic acid. Also known as beta hydroxy acid (BHA), salicylic acid, when properly formulated, penetrates the pore lining to break up the clog and dissolve the blackhead. It functions as an exfoliant, working inside the pore lining to keep things flowing normally, thus dramatically minimizing, if not altogether preventing, clogs that lead to blackheads. It also reduces irritation (salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory properties) so it can reduce oil production by calming the nerve ending in the pore.

There are products available that contain salicylic acid, but most of them also contain needless irritants or are not formulated within the right pH range for the salicylic acid to work as an exfoliant. Only a handful of skin care companies offer well-formulated salicylic acid products, and I’m proud to state that my line (Paula’s Choice) is one of them (though there are others you can find on my web site at www.beautypedia.com). Once you start using a BHA product you’ll likely see a quick reduction of blackheads. For example, lots of customers who’ve been using Paula’s Choice CLEAR Targeted Acne Relief Toner twice daily have reported a dramatic reduction in blackheads and acne.

As for your foundation question, Clinique did in fact reformulate and re-launch their Superfit Makeup. I found the update to be very good, and wonder if perhaps your expectations for blemish coverage are a bit too unrealistic. You may also be applying this foundation too sheer or applying it over a moisturizer whose slippery finish prevents this liquid foundation from setting as it should (and the moisturizer wouldn’t be helping your blackheads and breakouts either). In any case, you can experiment with other liquid foundations I recommend in my book and on my Beautypedia Web site.  Lancome’s Color Ideal foundation is a good option, but you don’t need to spend that much—there are lots of great foundations at the drugstore, including L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17, Almay Nearly Naked Liquid Makeup SPF 15, and Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse Makeup SPF 20. All of these are lightweight and provide good coverage while still looking natural.

One more comment: choosing the right foundation shade at the drugstore can be tricky. If you don’t pick the right shade, exchange the foundation for another one. All of the major drugstores (Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS) and stores such as Target allow this, provided you present your receipt. Don’t keep a makeup you don’t like or that doesn’t match your skin!