Jo and Sarah answer real questions from readers: to put your query, go to beautybible.com
Q I’m 19 and still have some blackheads on my nose and down the side of my face, which really upsets me. My mum has scars from digging hers out with a hot needle so I don’t want to do that. What’s the best way to deal with them?
A Your comment about your mum triggered squawking from us as we contemplated the pit in Sarah’s upper lip from her mother gouging out a blackhead decades back. The message from that is be very, very careful how you extract these unsightly little devils.
Blackheads (aka comedones) occur when pores in the skin get clogged with dead skin cells and sebum, the oily substance that protects our skin but can be over-produced. The skin around the clogged pore opens and air gets in causing the tip of the plug to turn black, or sometimes yellowish. They’re seen most often on the face, back, neck and chest, and sometimes arms and shoulders, where there are more hair follicles.
Although they can occur at any age, blackheads are most common during puberty, when changing hormones cause a spike in sebum production. Blackheads are not due to trapped dirt and trying to scrub them away with harsh cleansers can make the situation worse by stripping the skin of sebum, which then compensates by producing even more.
You know not to dig or squeeze out your blackheads. The only way is gently and Clinique’s new oil-free Blackhead Solutions Self-Heating Blackhead Extractor, £22 for 50ml, looks like just the ticket. When you mix the product with water, it becomes warm (that’s down to Thermal Active Technology, according to the blurb) so it opens clogged pores and loosens the plug. You massage the site with the nifty applicator for 15 to 30 seconds before rinsing thoroughly.
The formula contains salicylic acid and glucosamine, which get to work clearing away dead skin cells on the surface, plus a combination of gentle exfoliating ingredients to smooth out the surface.
PS It’s worth getting a magnifying mirror so you can spot the tiny villains and take measures.
L’Oréal Age Perfect Anti-Ageing Radiant Foundation , £12.99
Beauty Bible loves… L’Oréal Age Perfect Anti-Ageing Radiant Foundation, £12.99. Over the years we have formed the opinion that foundation is one area that you really need to splurge on. (To wit: we regularly shell out over £60 on our favourite serum foundation, and consider it worth every penny.)
But this turns that whole idea on its head.
L’Oréal Age Perfect Anti-Ageing Radiant Foundation joins the age-defying line-up within L’Oréal’s No.1 brand for mature skin. It, too, is a serum-style foundation: a wonderful, skin-friendly texture that blends beautifully and really seems to ‘melt’ into skin. It feels incredibly lightweight, but it’s comfortable – and the effect is quite outstanding.
Infused with light-reflecting pigments, it truly works to blur lines and imperfections – over and above the usual job of brilliantly evening out skintone. To wit: you can apply it to lined areas, and instead of emphasising them (as many foundations do), it softens. A little goes a long way, and it’s not over-rich, drying swiftly to a radiant but not shiny finish that doesn’t (in our experience) need powdering.
It’s part of an entire line-up of make-up joining the Age Perfect range (we’ll report back when we’ve tried some of the other innovations).
And the 10 shades – spanning Golden Ivory to Espresso – cover a laudably wide spectrum of skintones.
A fantastic foundation ‘find’ for anyone on a budget. 10/10, L’Oréal.