Top 12 Home Remedies for Clogged Pores

Our body pores help us stay clean by throwing out all the waste elements including dead skin cells. The sebaceous glands under our skin secrets the oil called sebum which most often clings to dead skin cells. The dead skin cells then get excreted from body through pores. This keeps our skin healthy and glowing. However, certain build-up, sometimes due to dirt or some other things like makeup residue pollution, etc. lead to clogged pores. The sebaceous gland anyway keeps on producing sebum oil but it doesn’t get released out of skin. This causes infection that we know as pimples, acne and blackheads. Sometimes hormonal changes also lead to extra oil production by sebaceous gland that may cause clogged pores on your face or other body parts. There are however, simple ways to get rid of clogged pores so that your skin remains free of any waste product and glow forever. Here are some home remedies for clogged pores that will help them stay open and clean.

Home Remedies for Clogged Pores

1. Steaming – The Best Way to Get Rid of Clogged Pores

And the most easy one too! Steaming helps your skin by opening up the pores in a gentle way which in turn, let’s all impurities to be removed. It is also the cheapest option when it comes to clogged pores remedy!

Get this:

• Hot water- 1 bowl
• Towel

Do this:

• Clean your face by wiping off any make up that may be on it. Splash lots of water over your face to get rid of any dirt or make up residue.
• Take the bowl or basin with hot water and place it on an even place like a table with comfortable height.
• Sit down and lean over the bowl covering your head with towel. The steam coming out of the hot water should be directed towards your face and the towel should prevent the steam from escaping.
• Take the steam on your face for about 5-10 minutes, giving breaks in between whenever you feel it’s getting too hot to tolerate for your skin.
• Once you are done with steaming, pat your face dry and relax for a couple of seconds.
• Apply toner if your skin is oily. You may also use witch hazel. Those with dry skin can directly moisturize without using any toner.
• Now moisturize your face.
• You may always use few drops of any essential oil to make steaming some more effective. Tea tree oil is a great option but you can use any other oil to get the sense of relaxation.

Precaution: Avoid over steaming. It leads to drying of skin. Seaming your face once a week or at the most twice a week is what you need.

2. Exfoliating- Another Great Way to Open up Clogged Pores

When you exfoliate your skin, you help slough off the impurities and dry skin cells. Exfoliating, like steaming, is one of the best ways to get rid of clogged pores. There are many options to exfoliate your skin. One of the oldest methods is dry brushing with a dry facial brush. However, the facial brush you use should have soft bristles made with natural fibers. Never ever use any other brush, not even body brush to exfoliate your facial skin. The skin on your face is fragile and sensitive and these body brushes are too harsh for it. Whenever buying face brush, ensure that it is made specifically to be used on face

Get this:

• Facial brush (read the above mentioned specifications when buying facial brush)

Do this:

• Clean your face using make up remover and then wash it.
• Pat dry your face properly. Your face as well as the brush should be completely dry and this is the essential requirement for dry brushing.
• Now hold the facial brush and gently brush in circular motions.
• Focus more on such facial areas where the skin is more dry.
• Exercise caution when brushing around eyes because this is very thin skin and you need to be extra careful while brushing here. Become some more gentler when brushing these areas.
• After brushing, wash your face with cool water.
• Moisturize your face finally.

If you are not comfortable with dry brushing, you may also use facial scrubs to exfoliate your skin and unclog pores. One of such scrubs is the sugar scrub, our next remedy.

3. Sugar Scrub to Unclog Pores of Skin

Scrubs that contain tiny particles help exfoliate your facial skin. While you can always buy scrubbing gels and creams, it’s better to stick to homemade scrubs for your sensitive facial skin. Sugar is by far the most popular and safe scrubbing ingredient when it comes to facial skin and opening up the pores. Sugar is one of the best natural exfoliating agents that help break up scar tissue and also unclogs skin pores excellently. You can always add one or more ingredients to the basic sugar scrub to make it more effective and for fine tuning your pores. Here are two recipes; one is the basic sugar scrub and the other one uses honey and green tea along with sugar.

1st Sugar Scrub Recipe for Clogged Pores- Basic Sugar Scrub

Get this:

• Sugar- 2 tbsp
• Fresh lemon juice- from 1/2 a lemon
• Water

Do this:

• Crush sugar to get its powder.
• Add lemon juice to the powdered sugar.
• Mix enough water to get a thick paste.
• Apply this sugar paste on your face or wherever you have clogged pores on skin.
• Massage gently in circular motion for about 5 minutes. This exfoliates skin.
• Wash off with cool water.
• Moisturize your skin.

2nd Sugar Scrub Recipe for Clogged Pores- Sugar-Honey-Green tea Scrub

Get this:

• Sugar- 1 tbsp
• Prepared green tea- few teaspoons
• Honey- 1 tbsp

Do this:

• Take few teaspoons of brewed green tea in a bowl and let it cool down.
• Once it cools down, add the sugar and honey to this and get a paste like consistency.
• Clean your face and apply this scrub.
• Gently massage in circular motions, focus more on dry areas.
• Do this for about 5 minutes and then wash off your face with cool water.
• Moisturize your face.

Exfoliating your face once a week is enough to open up or prevent clogged pores.

4. Fuller’s Earth Mask for Clogged Pores

Clay masks for clogged pores are always a good remedy. One of the clay, the fuller’s earth has excellent oil soaking properties. It literally soaks up oil and removes dense properties, not only from skin but from any material! It is therefore most useful for those who have oily skin and continuously battle with clogged pores. Not only does it opens up the pores but also makes your skin smooth and glowing due to its bleaching and skin whitening properties.

1st Fuller’s Earth mask Recipe for Clogged Pores- with Rosewater

Get this:

• Fuller’s earth- 1-2 tsp (or more)
• Rose water- enough to make paste

Do this:

• Mix fuller’s earth and rosewater to make paste
• Clean your face and apply this mask on it.
• Leave it to dry.
• Once it dries off, wash it off with water.
• Do this once a week.

2nd Fuller’s Earth mask Recipe for Clogged Pores- with Oatmeal

Get this:

• Fuller’s earth- 1 tbsp
• Oatmeal- 1 tbsp
• Water

Do this:

• Mix fuller’s earth and oatmeal with enough water to make a paste.
• Clean your face and apply the mask
• Let it be there for about 15 minutes.
• Wash off your face, pat dry and apply moisturizer.
• Repeat once every week.

5. Egg Mask for Clogged Pores

Egg white has amazing skin tightening properties and thus helps keep your pores in check. They have excellent skin-toning properties and also make your skin soft and supple. If you have an acne prone skin, you must use egg white or even whole egg masks to tighten your skin as well as the pores.

Get this:

• Egg white- from 1-2 eggs
• Honey (optional)- 1-2 tsp
• Egg yolk (optional)- 1-2

Do this:

• Clean your face.
• Now take some egg white and apply this to your face. If you like, you can add honey to this.
• Let it dry. Once dried, wash off the mask with water.
• Pat dry.
• Now this is an additional step that you may or may not follow. Whip the egg yolks and apply this to your face for further tightening and providing whole nourishment to your skin.
• Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and then wash off.
• Pat dry and apply moisturizer.
• Do this once a week.

6. Parsley for Clogged Pores

Parsley is one of the healthiest foods of our times. Regarding its skin beneficial properties, parsley helps balance excess sebum secretion. Thus, having parsley on regular basis can be a boon to those having oily skin that leads to clogged pores too. In fact, parsley helps keep your pores clean and clear due to its natural astringent properties. When applied directly on skin, it pulls out toxins from skin and thus removes anything that might give rise to clogged pores. It not only controls acne breakout but parsley also reduces skin redness and acne scars.

Get this:

• Parsley- few sprigs
• Boiling hot water- 1 bowl
• Wash cloth

Do this:

• Wash and clean the parsley properly.
• Soak it in the hot water.
• Let it be there and allow the water to cool down completely.
• When the parsley soaked water cools down, dip the washcloth in it.
• Take it and wring out the excess water.
• Apply this cloth to your face for 10-15 minutes.
• Repeat this daily.

7. Baking Soda Exfoliate to Open up Clogged Pores

Baking soda can become an excellent (cheap too!) deep pore cleanser for your skin that gently exfoliates and help you get rid of clogged pores. As an exfoliating agent, baking soda not only removes dead skin cells, dirt and other impurities but also helps regulate the pH balance of your skin. This makes your skin look younger and smooth than ever!

Basic Baking Soda Exfoliate Recipe for Clogged Pores

Get this:

• Baking soda- 2 tsp
• Water

Do this:

• Mix enough water with baking soda to make a smooth paste.
• Apply this to your skin and gently massage with it in small circular strokes.
• Then let it sit on your skin for few minutes.
• Wash off with water and pat dry and then moisturize well.
• Do this once a week.

Baking Soda- Honey Mask Recipe for Clogged Pores

Get this:

• Baking soda- 2 tbsp
• Honey- 4 tbsp
• Lemon juice- from 1/2 a lemon
• Cinnamon powder- 1 tsp

Do this:

• Mix baking soda, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon powder well.
• Apply this mask on your face.
• Leave it for 5-8 minutes.
• Wash off with water.
• Do this once a week.

8. Lemon Juice Remedy for Clogged Pores

Lemon juice is yet another excellent natural astringent that can tighten your pores and also clean the skin. It is in fact one of the best remedies for blackheads and clogged pores. The citric acid present in lemon juice acts as an exfoliating agent and clears off dirt or oil that clog your skin pores. This acid loosens the intermolecular bond that makes the plugged material break down and come out naturally.

Ways to Use Lemon Juice for Clogged Pores

1. Cut a lemon in half. Rub one of the lemon halves over the affected skin. Now leave it there to sit for about 5 minutes. Wash off your face with lukewarm water.
2. Pour some lemon juice onto a cotton ball. Wipe your face or the affected skin with this and then gently massage the area in circular motion.

9. Bentonite Clay Mask for Clogged Pores

Clay masks are popular remedies for clogged pores and not so without a reason. Clay pulls out the toxins from the skin and unclogs the pores in natural and effective ways. Other than fuller’s earth, bentonite clay is also very effective for clogged pores. This clay is a volcanic ash and behaves like a sponge when you apply this to your skin. It just draws the impurities from your pores making them clean and clear.

Get this:

• Bentonite clay- 1 tbsp
• water- 1 tbsp
• Oatmeal- 1 tbsp

Do this:

• Combine the bentonite clay, oatmeal and water to make a paste.
• Apply this clay mask to your face or affected skin.
• Let it sit there for about 10 -15 minutes or till it gets completely dry.
• Wash off with water and pat dry.
• Moisturize your skin well.
• Do this once a week to keep your clogged pores open.

You may even add some activated charcoal (a medicinal charcoal) with bentonite clay. It is also a great agent that absorbs skin impurities excellently.

10. Honey for Clogged Pores Remedy

Honey has always been recognized as one of the best remedies for acne due to its natural antibacterial properties. But did you know that honey is also good to clear your clogged pores! Honey in fact, opens up pores excellently and makes it easier for them to unclog. It also reduces excessive oil on your skin to tighten the skin pores. Honey is also a great moisturizer that helps your skin hydrated to give you a glowing smooth skin.

Ways to Apply Honey for Clogged Pores

1. Just use raw honey massage your skin gently and leave it to sit there for some time. Then wash off with lukewarm water. Repeat 2-3 times a week to get rid of clogged pores.
2. Add 1-2 tsp of cinnamon powder to about 3 tablespoons of honey. Apply this honey mask on your skin and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water. Repeat 1-2 times a week to keep your pores unclogged.
3. Make an exfoliating scrub by mixing two tablespoons of honey with 1 tbsp of baking soda. Apply this to your skin and rub gently. Wait for 10-15 minutes before you wash off the mask. Repeat 1-2 times a week.
4. Make a honey mask using 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 tsp of olive or jojoba oil and 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Mix them well and apply to your face. Leave for 15-20 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Do this once a week.

11. Jojoba Oil for Clogged Pores

Jojoba oil resembles your own sebum, the oil secreted by sebaceous gland under your skin. Sebum is composed mainly of gycerides, free fatty acids, wax esters and squalenes. Talking about jojoba oil, it is composed of wax esters and fatty acids and that’s why it closely resembles human sebum. Due to its almost same composition, it may actually help reduce sebum production. For the same reason, jojoba oil also mixes with hardened sebum plug and dissolves it to unclog pores. However, it is not a quick fix remedy, jojoba oil takes some time to unclog pores but that is sure to last for long. You may not see any improvement in first couple of weeks but then your skin will become smooth and without clogged pores.

How to use jojoba oil for clogged pores?

Just apply some of this oil to your affected skin daily. That’s it; you need not mix it with anything or make a mask out of it. Simply apply a thin layer of jojoba oil where you face the problem of clogged pores.

12. Hemp Seed Oil for Clogged Pores

Hemp seed oil is a very good cleanser and moisturizer, natural one. Some of you with acne prone skin might be scared of using oil on skin but this oil is safe to use even on acne prone skin and it never clogs your skin pores. It actually helps balance excess sebum produced by your sebaceous gland thus helping you get rid of clogged pores. Hemp seed oil has just the right amount of essential fatty acids that also gives your skin the linoleic acid. When there is a lack of linoleic acid, your sebaceous glands produce sebum containing oleic acid. This oleic acid is drier and harder than the actual sebum. It can thus plug your pores and give rise to blackheads and whiteheads. Good ratio of linoleic acid in hemp seed oil helps your gland make healthy sebum that won’t clog pores.

How to use hemp seed oil for clogged pores?

Do this:

• Wash your face with lukewarm water.
• Take a good amount of hemp seed oil onto your palm.
• Apply this to your face.
• Gently rub the oil into your skin for just a minute.
• Now wash off with lukewarm water. All the oil will not go off though and that’s all right.
• Pat your face with a towel. It will take off most of the oil that has been left there.
• However, if you feel too dry after doing this, apply a little hemp seed oil again on your face.
• This oil will be soon absorbed by your skin to leave your skin hydrated and soft.
• Repeat 1-2 times a week.

All these home remedies for clogged pores will sure help you get rid of them. Try out one or more of these remedies and glow with a happy and healthy face!