I decided to make my very first post about this because I realized so many people have closed comedones and/or pore problems, and they just want solutions. I am very fortunate to have been able to work towards that solution now. With that, I will start defining what these problems really are, then move on the to the solutions.

WARNING. MEDJ INTENSELY GRAPHIC YUNG PHOTOS NA TOH

CLOSED COMEDONES

These are the small white bumps on your face, that aren’t pimples. Clogged pores ang closed comedones. Kapag fully blocked ang pore, nagiging whitehead ito, pero kapag partially blocked lang, then blackhead naman. Since masyadong mahaba ang “closed comedones” CCs na ang itatawag ko sa kanila from here on out.

SEBACEOUS FILAMENTS

A sebaceous filament or SFs, kasi masyado ding mahaba yung word, is “a collection of sebum (oily secretion on your skin) and dead skin cells around your hair follicles. Hindi siya blackheads.

CLOSED COMEDONES VS SEBACEOUS FILAMENTS

CCs happen when your pores clogged, and they appear as bumps on your skin. Ang SFs naman ay natural na parte ng skin ng kahit sinong tao. Nagkakatalo lang sa SFs ay yung pag-lessen ng appearance niya.

CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION: AHAs and BHAs

Ok, first of all, wag na wag kayong matatakot sa term na “chemical exfoliation”. Chemical exfoliation ang secret weapon ng Koreans kung bakit sobrang flawless ng skin nila. Majority of them have stopped physical exfoliators, tulad ng microbeads, face scrubs, etc., kasi madalas nakaka-cause ito ng microtears sa skin. Kapag may microtears ang skin mo, mas papasukan ng bacteria, and more bacteria = PIMPLES.

Kahit parang sobrang harsh pakinggan ang term na “chemical”, formulated ito to be mild and safe for even sensitive skin users, and it’s very effective in removing dead skin cells, dark spots, acne marks, and yes, CCs. Since SFs are naturally occuring, we can never remove them completely, but like I mentioned earlier, their appearance can be minimized.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids or AHAs

Maraming klase ng AHAs for skincare: lactic acid, mandelic acid, and yung pinaka common is glycolic acid. Tinatanggal ng AHAs ang dead skin cells mo that can clog pores along with dirt, oil, etc., kaya siya effective against closed comedones. Pinapabilis din niya ang cell renewal ng skin mo that’s why your skin looks brighter and healthier.

According to one of my favorite skincare bloggers ito ang iba pang functions ng AHA:

Brightening skin

Making skin tone more even

Reducing hyperpigmentation caused by acne scarring

Reducing fine lines

Hydrating

Beta Hydroxy Acids or BHAs

BHAs penetrate deeper into your skin making sure your pores are cleared out. Ito yung reason kung bakit nakaka-minimize siya ng appearance ng SFs. Ito rin yung other functions niya:

Clearing dirt, oil, and dead skin cells out of pores, especially the typically more visible ones on and around the T-zone

Reducing inflammation

Long story short, AHAs are for what you already have on your skin, while BHAs will help keep it clear.

HOW TO USE AHAs and BHAs

Unang-una, kailangan mo tandaan na THIS IS A PROCESS. Hindi pwedeng basta-basta gumamit nito. Mayroon silang sinusunod na order of pH dependence and kailangan mo ring i-introduce ito sa skin mo slowly. WAG MO SILANG I-SABAY NG GAMIT NA BIGLAAN.

You need to use a low pH cleanser, kasi gagana lang ang chemical exfoliants kung mababa ang pH level ng skin mo. I use 3W Brown Rice Cleansing Foam. I’ll talk about the importance of low pH cleansers in another post.

I started with AHA, which is what people recommend you start with talaga, and I started by applying it once every 2 days for 2 weeks. After that I used it every other day more than 1 month, tapos saka ko lang ginamit everyday. I started using it October, and December lang ako nag-start gamitin siya everyday. I wait around 15-20 minutes before applying my moisturizer.

I started with my BHA this January lang, and sinunod ko rin yung procedure ng pag introduce ng bagong skincare product sa skin. Every other day na gamit ko ngayon. Sa skincare routine ko ngayon, kailangan unang gamitin ang BHA sa AHA dahil sa pH dependence order nila. I wait around 15-20 minutes before I apply my AHA.

Is it effective?

For me, yes. Sobrang nag-lessen yung CCs ko talaga. Siguro mga 10% na lang ngayon natitira since I started, but you really have to be patient. Hindi ko agad-agad nakita yung results, and dumaan muna ako sa purging.

PURGING

Kapag biglang naglabasan pimples mo, etc., DO NOT PANIC. Tinatanggal ng AHAs and BHAs kung ano yung nakasiksik sa ilalim ng balat mo at inaangat sila para mawala na completely. Purging ang tawag dito. Usually 2-3 weeks ang purging, and 3 weeks nag purge yung skin ko with AHAs tapos 2 weeks nag purge yung skin ko with BHAs.

Purging vs Breakouts

Alam mo kung purging yung skin mo kapag naglabasan yung pimples mo sa areas na may mga CCs and/or affected areas. Kapag kung saan-saan bigla lumabas pimples mo at kalat talaga, then you’re breaking out, and hindi ka siguro hiyang sa product na ginagamit mo.

WHAT I USE

AHA

BHA

I’ll post full reviews on these products next time.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Gumamit ng low pH cleanser because these products are pH dependent

because these products are pH dependent USE SUNSCREEN EVERYDAY . Mas magiging sensitive ka sa light after using these products. And, well dapat naman talaga gumagamit ng sunscreen araw-araw.

. Mas magiging sensitive ka sa light after using these products. And, well dapat naman talaga gumagamit ng sunscreen araw-araw. BE PATIENT. Again, this is a process, and dadaan ka muna sa purging.

YMMV or your mileage may vary. Iba-iba balat natin, so syempre iba-iba rin ang solutions.

Iba-iba balat natin, so syempre iba-iba rin ang solutions. The best way to remove CCs is still having them extracted by a dermatologist. Pero yun nga, minsan laglag soul ang kamahalan nila.

I hope you guys found this helpful. Sinubukan ko talagang i-shorten yung article para hindi super information overload. If you guys have questions naman, you can just leave me comments, or email me. Gusto ko talagang makatulong kaya naman ako nag-start ng blog na toh.

Ganito din ba skin problems nyo? Susubukan nyo ba yung chemical exfoliants? Share nyo sa comments kung naka-try na kayo before! 🙂

Sources:

Star Ingredient(s): AHAs and BHAs

http://www.snowwhiteandtheasianpear.com/2015/01/skincare-discovery-putting-your.html

http://reddit.com/r/skincareaddiction

http://reddit.com/r/asianbeauty