Hi, I'm from CA in the United States and I'm wondering the best way to get rid of black heads. I've got very dry skin but not very sensitive skin. I've got them all over my nose & I'm dying to get them out! Anything that's as effective as can be helps. Thanks! <3

What you have isn’t an unsual situation, and problem blackheads are very common and most people get them so luckily there are many products on the market that are designed to help effectivley remove blackheads. Although you do have a kind of unusual situtation at hand, very dry skin, and blackheads are often a hard combination to treat together. As generally blackheads are a sign that your pores are clogging up with a lot of sebum and often dead skin to. Blackheads are actually blonde/brown coloured hairs, they only appear  black on the skin, how weird is that! Most blackhead products are generally designed for oily skin, but never the less I am still able to recommend you some products:

• 

  Pore strips are the best way to get rid of blackheads, especially if they are on the nose! There is a tiny bit of pain involved but it’s justlike  like ripping off a band aid that you’ve just put on. effective. Biore does some good ones, but I prefer Boscia’s Pore Purifying Black Strip ones as they are natural and free of nasties.

• Regular exfoliation with a natural granular scrub will benefit your skin as this helps to cleanse the pores thoroughly, generally I would also recommend using a deep cleanser one two times a week in conjuction with this, as these contain salycic acid which is a chemical exfoliant. The only thing is though that they can be quite drying, so as you’ve got very dry skin I wouldn’t recommend using a deep cleanser in order to prevent more problems. (If you don’t want to spend money on an exfoliater simply mix some salt or sugar with some extra virgin olive oil and use that instead!)

• Try buy products that are ‘non comedogenic’, its a fancy way of saying non pore blocking, it should be marked clearly in any moisturizer or makeup you buy, make sure you go for these otherwise you’ll just be undoing all your hard work, and that’s just silly!

• 

  Use a clay based mask once a week. Clay baswed masks help to push out impurites from the pores and skin like pimples, dead skin cells, sebum and of course blackheads! I recommend U Little Beauty’s Clay Based Detox Your Face Mask or A’kins Instant Radiance Face Masque.

I hope I helped you and if you need anything else ask away.

If any product you use irritates you discontinue use immediately.

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What's In My Makeup Bag?: Middle School Edition

Readers, allow us to introduce you to Rebecca Zimmerman, the wise-beyond-her-years daughter of Birchbox’s lawyer. We first fell in love with Becca when she sent a personalized Birchbox to our co-founder Katia earlier this year. Not only had the teen filled the box with a selection of her tried-and-true beauty faves, but she’d also decorated the box with hand-drawn leopard print. In addition to being a product whiz, she is also a great writer—which is why we asked her to make a cameo on the Birchbox Blog. Read on for her makeup bag picks. 

As a teenager, it’s hard to find a makeup look that’s quick, easy, and won’t be criticized in the hallways. While it’s difficult to pick the items I use the most (the amount of makeup I wear always depends on my mood), I can tell you the products that I always keep in my bag:

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara: An absolute must. I use this almost every day. Out of all the mascaras I have tried, this works the best for me. It volumizes and lengthens my eyelashes without clumping.

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