I could stand in front of a mirror for hours and examine my pores one by one—but I know that picking and prodding at acne is frowned upon by most dermatologists, as it can leave behind marks or spread bacteria. But the best blackhead remover tools allow me to clear gunk from my pores—safely—without permanently damaging my skin.
“While it is satisfying to see the content come out of the pores, these tools are a short-term fix and do not prevent future blackheads,” says California-based dermatologist Suchismita Paul. “With blackhead removal tools, you remove dirt, debris, and dead skin cells, but it is only temporary because the pores can get clogged again.”
$99 at Sephora$83 at Walmart$99 at Nordstrom
Dermaflash's pore spatula is gentle enough to use daily to get rid of dirt and grime, as well as rid pesky blackheads.
Customer Review:
"This actually takes out all gunk out of your pores. Battery lasts a good while." – Mai1214
$14 at Amazon$14 at Walmart
Exfoliation is key to reducing blackheads. Use this pore extractor to gently push out unwanted zits in hard-to-reach places like the contours of the nose. Then, flip it over and use the exfoliator side to remove flaky skin and build-up that eventually leads to pimples.
Customer Review:
"Best face tool. Ease of use works as described" – Zafar
$89 at NET-A-PORTER
This 3-in-1 scrubbing tool cleanses, extracts blackheads, and works serums into your skin with the enhance setting.
Shop at pmdbeauty.com
This PMD device has a variety of crystal discs depending on the level of intensity you want that slough off dead skin, plus suction to remove the dirt deep in pores.
Customer Review:
"This has been great for my face!! My skin has gotten so much smoother and more even toned in just two weeks." – Allisyn B.
$80 at skingymco.com
Another great suction device, this Skin Gym device has four different device heads depending on the area you want to extract, from your chin and nose to your back.
Customer Review:
"It definitely takes some practice if you haven't used one before so start off slow. I usually do this after taking a long shower and see good results the next day." – Sam S.
$199 at beautybio.com
Tackle acne and breakouts from every angle with the BeautyBio GloFacial. It pulls out dirt and oil, while blue LED light kills bacteria, and the skin is infused with anti-acne salicylic acid and hydrating hyaluronic acid (moisture helps to heal breakouts quickly).
Customer Review:
"I love facials. Like I’m borderline addicted to them. This tool and the concentrate are med spa quality. I feel like I should send a breakup gift to my esthetician!" – EEH
Bioré Original Deep Cleansing pore Strip
$10 at Amazon$10 at Walmart$12 at Ulta Beauty
While this isn't technically a tool, we love this strip for getting out under-the-surface blackheads. Biore's Pore Strips are iconic for a reason: They use a patented c-bond technology as a magnet to connect to pore plugs and lift grime and oil.
Customer Review:
"Works good application maters!!!!!!!! Follow the directions. Make sure your nose is very wet and apply nicely so wraps your nose nice and use a hair dryer to dry it and I promise it’ll do great." – Cierra
$20 at herocosmetics.us
For a gentler pore strip, try Hero Cosmetics' Mighty Patch, which uses hydrocolloid to absorb oil and loosen up dirt from pores that lead to blackheads. Experts suggest to wear the patch overnight, and then follow with a purifying wash, like Murad's Acne Control Clarifying Cleanser, to remove the grim the patch helped to bring to the surface.
Customer Review:
"The best nose patch I have ever used! I wore overnight and woke up to the clearest skin and pores. 100% recommend" – Hannah
Ottleba
Shop at Amazon
For a satisfying clean out of your pores, try this high-tech blackhead remover, which has a built-in camera and eight LED lights so you watch the extractions live on your phone.
Customer Review:
"Loved it, my daughter had a couple of big blackheads that were painful to remove by hand. They had been there for awhile and no matter what we tried they were just stubborn and wouldn’t come out. I bought this for her to try and it worked!" –Veronica
JPNK
$8 at Amazon$16 at Walmart
For any type or size blackhead, this set has six different types of extractors and is made with stainless steal to minimize irritation while still being effective.
Customer Review:
"Overall, this kit is exactly as described. The tools seem to be great quality and are straightforward to use, although I highly recommend that everyone looks up the proper use of each piece to avoid any damage to your skin." –JP