[ad#Ad Block Posts Floats Left]Recently I began a search of various lotions and potions in search of a blackhead treatment for my teenage daughter. She has sensitive skin and so I wanted to be sure of finding something she could easily and safely use at home and which wouldn’t cause her any further angst or frustration. After all, I have to live with her!

Ideally, I was looking for something which would eliminate the need for expensive trips to day spas for treatments, but would be effective. In a teenager’s life, there simply isn’t time to make appointments at beauty salons, nor the dollars in the budget to pay for such treatments and in any case, I do believe that learning how to look after your skin is a big part of growing up.

I knew though, that if there was a quick fix option available for blackhead treatment, that would be preferable, so I decided that I needed to get a better idea of what actually causes acne and related skin issues. It seems that:

• anyone can get acne at any age BUT hormonal changes cause more oil production, and hence it is most common in adolescents;
• greasy personal care products – cosmetics and hair products – can cause acne;
• sweating and high humidity climates also encourage acne;
• although common on the face, it can also become a problem on the shoulders, trunk, arms, legs and buttocks;
• using water based creams and mild, non-drying soap helps;
• the build up of grease, sweat, dirt and debris (including old skin particles) can cause blockage of pores which contain hair follicles and oil glands – a ‘plug’ is formed and that plug is what we call a ‘blackhead’ or ‘whitehead’.

I had hoped to be able to give my daughter a list of healthy foods which would solve her acne problem altogether, but apparently there isn’t any real evidence to support the theory I had – i.e. that fast food and chocolate causes acne! It seems it’s just one of those things, and the only thing to do is find an effective and safe way of dealing with it when it occurs.

I found three skin care systems designed for in-home use acne and blackhead treatment

Tip: Mouseover the picture in the Amazon advert to view more details and click if you want to visit the product page.

Clarisonic MIA Sonic Skin Cleansing System
While all the systems I investigated stated that they removed make-up better than traditional methods, Clarisonic states that it removes make up 6x better than traditional methods! I’m not sure how that happens, but there is no question that those using this system notice that their skin does feel different and the pores are clearer. It’s also a compact and light device and comes with a powercord (which attaches magnetically to the unit and is waterproof). One of the things that appealed particularly about this device was that it has one minute cycles pre-set. Of course, you can turn the device on for a second cycle, but the recommended use is for one minute cycles, so it is great that Clarisonic have made it easy to know when the time is up. There is only one brush with this system, so it is aimed at the ‘face’ only market, rather than a complete face and body cleansing system.

NutraSonic Face Brush Skin Care System Basic Set
This system really seems more luxurious than the Clarisonic – and the price tag seemed to match that perception! However, Amazon now have it on sale at almost half price which makes it cheaper than the Clarisonic! For me, it seems to be more of a body care than just a face care system as it comes with three brushes (all come with covers) which are all slightly different and recommended for ‘sensitive’, ‘regular’ and ‘body’ use. There are also four speeds so it seems more diverse in its capabilities, though whether one actually needs that amount of choice I am not sure. Despite all the ‘extras’ it is still compact and easy to hold even when wet. It is mains power operated, and comes with a charger but the charging time is 24 hours so it is best to keep it on the charger between uses.

DDF Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula Revolve 400x Micro Polishing System
Initially, the sound of this System seemed very technical to me, but on investigation it is actually a really compact system and basically does what the other two Systems do. It comes with two brushes – one for every day use and other a flat sponge head for exfoliation once or twice a week. It’s comfotable to hold and easy to use, with the choice of two speeds. Unlike the other Systems reviewed, it is powered by two AA batteries.

My conclusion on the best blackhead treatment skin care systems

[ad#Ad Block Posts Float Right]After careful consideration, and because the user of this product will be my teenage daughter, I opted for the Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System. This System is very compact, light and easily held. It’s waterproof so can be used easily in the shower and with only one brush, it seems a less ‘complex’ product to use. I also especially liked – as a safety feature – the one minute pre-set cycles. It seems to me that this feature will mean she won’t be tempted to over-use the device, when she simply was looking for a blackhead treatment, rather than a full body and face treatment as available at a day spa!