What Korean skincare can do for blackheads and clogged pores

Korean skincare treats a blackhead as an oil problem and manages it with small, gentle steps. The routine in this guide has three steps: an oil cleanse, a gentle wash and one treatment ingredient. First, here is what happens inside a clogged pore.

What a blackhead is

Your pores are openings for oil glands, and they carry oil up to the surface of your skin. When that oil mixes with dead skin cells and gets stuck, the pore clogs. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains that if the pore fills with debris but stays open, you see a blackhead. If the pore closes up, you get a whitehead instead. The AAD also points out that the black dots aren’t dirt, so scrubbing won’t remove them.

Clogging is one reason pores look bigger. Cleveland Clinic says genetics mostly decides your pore size. Oil, aging and sun damage can make pores look larger too, because skin loses firmness over time and pores can widen.

Why scrubbing and squeezing don’t help

Most people want to scrub a blackhead off. The AAD advises against it, because scrubbing won’t remove the dark dot and can make acne worse. Its advice on large pores adds that scrubbing irritates the skin, and irritated skin makes pores look larger. The AAD recommends warm water for the same reason, since hot water can also irritate skin and make pores look larger. Squeezing pores or using an extractor tool can cause scarring, Cleveland Clinic warns.

You can’t permanently shrink a pore. Cleveland Clinic says you can make pores less noticeable by keeping them clear of oil and debris. The Korean routine below is built around keeping pores clear of oil and debris.

Start by dissolving the oil

A blackhead is mostly oil and dead skin, and an oil cleanser dissolves oil well. That’s why the Korean double cleanse starts with an oil cleanser massaged onto dry skin. It loosens the day’s oil, sunscreen and makeup. You then rinse it off and follow with a gentle wash. A light oil cleanser that rinses off easily suits oily skin or skin with clogged pores. Our roundup of the best Korean cleansers for oily skin goes deeper on picking one.

A mild wash that won’t dry out your skin

The second cleanse, and your morning one, should be mild. The AAD’s large-pores advice is to wash twice a day with a gentle cleanser labeled non-comedogenic, which means it is made not to clog pores. It says cleansing twice daily can unclog pores, prevent clogged pores and reduce oiliness. Many people reach for a strong, stripping face wash when their skin feels oily. That kind of wash can irritate the skin, and the AAD notes that irritation makes pores look larger. A low-pH gel cleanser is made to sit close to skin’s natural, slightly acidic level, which makes it a mild choice for twice a day. Use warm water and wash with your fingertips.

The ingredient that works inside the pore

Cleansing clears the surface of your skin. Salicylic acid, also called a BHA (beta hydroxy acid), is one ingredient that can work inside the pore. It dissolves in oil, so it can get into an oil-filled pore and help loosen the oil and dead skin blocking it. The AAD notes that studies show salicylic acid can unclog pores and that some salicylic acid cleansers are gentle enough for daily use.

A leave-on BHA is stronger than a wash you rinse off. Start with two or three nights a week, as COSRX advises for its liquid, and use it more often only if your skin stays comfortable. If the product dries out your skin or stings, use it less often. Our guide to Korean exfoliating acids explains how salicylic acid differs from the other acids sold alongside it.

Salicylic acid isn’t the only option. For blackheads and whiteheads, the AAD says dermatologists recommend a retinoid, such as adapalene, which you can buy without a prescription. If you want to try one, ask a dermatologist how to fit it in alongside an acid.

A simple routine, and where to start

You don’t need all of these steps at once. If you add several new products together, it’s hard to tell which one irritates your skin. Build them in order:

1. Begin with the nightly oil cleanse and a gentle wash, morning and night.
2. Use those two for a couple of weeks and see how your skin responds.
3. Add the BHA two or three nights a week.

Wear sunscreen every morning, since acids can make skin more sensitive to the sun. Don’t squeeze, scrub or pick at your pores. For a full daily routine built around oil control, see our Korean skincare routine for oily skin.

If you have red, swollen spots as well as blackheads, that’s a different kind of acne. Our guide to the best Korean spot treatments covers those. For blackheads, the AAD suggests giving treatment six to eight weeks to work, and seeing a dermatologist if you still have them after that.