Other than a visit to Dr. Pimple Popper, how can you get rid of blackheads? They’re unsightly because they make your pores look big and your skin appear dirty. If you want them to go away, you need the best exfoliators and scrubs for blackheads.
Products like salicylic acid face washes, Konjac sponges, pore strips, and motorized cleansing brushes help do the trick. After all, blackheads are just pores that are clogged with dead skin and oxidized sebum.
The issue is that a lot of products on the market don’t do what they claim to do. That’s where we come in, we’ve done the research for you and found the most effective solutions to clear up blackheads. Check out the reviews below to find what you need.
Best Exfoliators & Face Scrubs for Blackheads in 2025
1. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser
If you have sensitive, acne-prone skin, try La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Medicated Cleanser. It’s a gel that lathers away excess oil, dirt, and makeup. It contains 2% salicylic acid that unclogs pores and clears away dead skin cells. After you wash with it, it helps limit the amount of oil your face makes.
This is not an instant solution for blackheads. But it will diminish them over time and make it less likely that you’ll develop new ones.
2. La Roche-Posay Ultra-Fine Face Scrub
La Roche-Posay’s Ultra-Fine Scrub is nothing like those walnut shell and apricot pit scrubs that take off the top layer of skin. It has microparticles of pumice suspended in a watery gel. You’ll hardly know that it’s exfoliating your face while you use it. But it won’t dry out or inflame your skin.
3. Paula’s Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser
The CLEAR cleanser from Paula’s Choice is very gentle to avoid irritating delicate faces. It has only 0.5% salicylic acid, but it’s enough to keep your pores clear and prevent blackheads.
4. TULA Probiotic Skin Care So Poreless Exfoliating Blackhead Scrub
Tula Probiotic blackhead scrub heats up on contact with water. In just a few minutes, it opens your pores and dissolves oil. The company’s tests show that this blackhead remover gets rid of more than 90% of debris and dirt from the skin’s surface.
5. Bioré Charcoal Self-Heating One Minute Mask
The self-heating mask from Bioré works in a way similar to their cleanser. When you apply it to your damp face, it warms up. The heat opens your pores so that they release the accumulated debris and oil. Then you can rinse away the gunk.
6. Ebanel Ultimate Brightening Peeling Gel – Gentle Exfoliator
Apply the Ebanel Peeling Gel to damp skin right after you wash your face. Massage it in for about a minute and watch as dead skin piles up. Then rinse with lukewarm water and you’re done. You only need to use this product once or twice a week. The company offers 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee.
What makes this peel work so well? It’s based on cellulose, peptides, and plant extracts. Some of the ingredients include black willow bark, licorice root, aloe, and Edelweiss.
7. AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser from Murad
Murad’s exfoliating cleanser covers all the bases with salicylic, glycolic, and lactic acids. It deep-cleans your pores, softens your skin, and even fades acne scars.
8. Beauty by Earth Konjac Facial Sponge, 2 Pack Set
If you prefer physical exfoliation over chemical, give Konjac sponges a try. They feel rock hard until you soak them in warm water. Once one is ready to use, move it in gentle circles on your skin. The black-colored ones are best for oily skin, and the white ones for other faces. Either way, the sponges are vegan and biodegradable.
9. Clarisonic Mia Prima Sonic Cleansing Face Brush
Take Clarisonic’s Mia Prima sonic brush into the shower with you to work on blackheads all over your body. The gentle vibration and back-and-forth motion keeps your skin clear and clean.
10. Neutrogena Microdermabrasion Starter Kit
Neutrogena’s Microdermabrasion kit features an applicator that runs on two AA batteries. It comes with a one-month supply of puffs, too. The puffs are coated with ultrafine crystals and purifying ingredients. Once you put them on the applicator, the micro-vibrations do most of the work of removing impurities and old skin cells. A clinical trial found that over 90% of participants had instantly smoother skin after only one use. More than 80% saw fine lines fade.
11. Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Facial Scrub With Salicylic Acid
Neutrogena’s daily facial scrub specifically attacks blackheads with salicylic acid and eco-friendly exfoliating particles. It keeps pimples at bay and cleanses pores without inflaming your skin.
12. ASDM Beverly Hills 20% Salicylic Acid Peel
The 20% salicylic acid peel from ASDM Beverly Hills is perfect if you’re new to using this type of product. Salicylic acid is soluble in oil so it penetrates into the epidermis to deeply cleanse pores. It keeps sebum production under control and gets rid of bacteria, too. Plus, this peel is free of artificial fragrances and parabens.
13. Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme
Nip + Fab’s extreme pads simplify your nighttime routine by providing salicylic, lactic, and glycolic acids along with hyaluronic acid. The first three exfoliate and resurface your face. They get rid of toxins, too. Then, hyaluronic acid ensures that your skin stays plump and refreshed.
14. Proactiv Blackhead Dissolving Gel
Proactiv’s gel literally clarifies your pores in five minutes. It uses green tea extract, aloe vera, and salicylic acid to dissolve blackheads. You only need to use it once or twice each week to see results.
15. Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub & Face Exfoliator by Era Organics
Were you waiting to see if we’d include an old-school scrub? Era Organics improves upon the traditional formula by using mild ingredients that detoxify the skin and boost healing. The primary components include sugarcane, Manuka honey, aloe, Vitamin C, and tiny particles of walnut.
16. St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Face Scrub, Green Tea
The green tea scrub from St. Ives has 1% salicylic acid. Not only does it clear congestion from clogged pores, but it also soothes inflammation and brightens your face. Use it every other day for best results.
17. St. Ives Exfoliate & Nourish Facial Oil Scrub, Coconut
Have you heard of cleansing your face with oil? St. Ives provides a safe and effective way for you to do just that. This coconut oil scrub contains both pure grape seed oil and coconut shell powder. The oil is packed with fatty acids and vitamins to keep your face healthy and young. Meanwhile, the coconut shell powder deep-cleans to make your skin radiant.
18. Lavo Glycolic Acid Face Cleanser
Lavo’s glycolic acid face wash combines everything you need to cleanse makeup and impurities. It relies on exfoliants like lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acids to slow down oil production. Then it has lavender and vitamin B plus watercress to keep your skin young. Customers comment that it leaves their face feeling soft and fresh.
19. Aztec Secret – Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing Facial & Body Mask
Did you know that you can soak up excess oil from your pores with a clay mask? This one is based on 100 percent pure Bentonite clay. Combine it with apple cider vinegar and let it work for up to 10 minutes.
20. Mario Badescu Silver Powder
Mario Badescu’s Silver Powder will make your skin glow, but not because it has precious metal in it. Instead, it contains kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, and zinc oxide that absorb oil and impurities. Some of the big names in beauty swear by this product for reducing blackheads.
21. TruSkin Tea Tree Clear Skin Serum
The TruSkin Tea Tree serum stops blackheads from forming by breaking down the oil and dead skin that cause them. It has salicylic acid, Vitamin C, tea tree oil, and retinol which also provide anti-aging benefits.
22. Garnier Clean Scrub Blackhead Eliminating
The Clean Scrub from Garnier is specifically made to target clogged pores. It has both charcoal and salicylic acid to absorb and remove impurities. One of its side effects is that it lessens oiliness.
23. AcneFree Blackhead Removing Exfoliating Face Scrub
This face scrub slows down oil production and cleans pores with salicylic acid, jojoba oil, and charcoal. The jojoba oil is similar to the skin’s own sebum, so it tricks your face into thinking it’s done enough work for the day.
24. Clean & Clear Oil-Free Deep Action Exfoliating Facial Scrub
The Clean and Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Facial Scrub may be a drugstore product, but it has the highest non-prescription concentration of salicylic acid you can find. There are also micro-scrubbing particles as well. Unfortunately, users have commented that this is less effective for them compared to other solutions.
25. dr. brandt Pores No More Cleanser
Dive into the world of Korean skincare with the dr. brandt Pores No More cleanser. It’s a top-seller in Asia. The combination of tea tree oil and salicylic acid kill acne-causing bacteria and keep pores tight and clear. It gets rid of the debris and oil that cause blackheads and calms redness so that your pores appear smaller.
26. Vichy Normaderm Daily Deep Cleansing Gel with Salicylic Acid
The Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel is mild enough to use twice a day. Yet 90% of the customers who tried it for a month ended up with fewer blackheads. It has salicylic, glycolic, and beta-lipo hydroxy acids.
27. Acure Brilliantly Brightening Facial Scrub
Acure’s Brilliantly Brightening Scrub checks all the right boxes. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and doesn’t have either parabens or sulfates. There aren’t even any harsh exfoliators in it. It mainly has natural ingredients like lemon peel, French green clay, and sea kelp. Yet multitudes of users report that it’s the best scrub they’ve ever used.
Which option is best for blackheads?
It may feel satisfying to scrub your face, but you may be irritating it instead. Choose a gentle method like a peel or mask to clear away as much as possible. Then maintain and slowly improve your skin with the cleanser that contains salicylic or glycolic acid. Then follow up with a toner like witch hazel to tighten up your pores, plus a moisturizer to keep your skin happy.
Conclusion
We’re always looking for ways to improve our recommendations for you. Let us know which scrubs and exfoliators for blackheads you’ve tried and how they worked for you. As we wrap up for now, we hope we helped you find something new and effective to enjoy today.
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Categories: Blackheads, Exfoliators & Scrubs
