Home » Beauty »  Skin Care Tips »  Complexion Crisis One of our readers, a young lady who has just taken up her first job, is in a total fix. She has to travel a long distance to her workplace, generally using public transport, except on days when she can convince her husband to give her a lift. Her complexion has become sallow and her face is full of blackheads. She takes regular treatment for her blackhead problem. Her visits to the beauty parlour have since increased from two to four times a month with no permanent solution in sight. She says with all the pore strips she uses on her face, her skin has become quite dry and flaky. She is desperate for a panacea that will solve her problem. Here are a few solutions sent by our readers to the very common blackhead problem.

• Take some Milk of Magnesia and spread a very thin layer on the problem areas. Allow it to dry naturally. Feel the skin tightening. It will act like a mask even while all the blackheads are extracted. Once totally dry, wipe off with a soft, damp cloth. Or simply wash it off. Look into the mirror - all the blackheads GONE!
• Sandalwood powder which is generally available in all Indian stores is excellent as a blackhead remover. Make a thick paste of sandalwood, mixing it with enough water. Spread this on your face covering all the blackhead areas thoroughly. Rinse off with cold water and feel your skin getting invigorated and thoroughly cleansed. O this at least once a week for best results.
• Get some chickpea powder available in all provision stores. Use it to make a thick paste and again spread it all over your face. Rinse off after ten minutes. You will be amazed at the result. Best of all, no side effects!

• Try dabbing the problem areas with white toothpaste at night. Leave it on all night and in the morning wash it off with cold water. Rub the face softly with a slice of cucumber and feel the freshness. This works well for oily and acne prone skins, but it is to be avoided if have dry skin as toothpaste is abrasive and may cause dryness problems.
• If you have oily skin and are prone to pimples and blackheads, there is a fairly simple solution. Wash your face with warm water which will help to open up the pores. Crack an egg and take out the yolk and the albumin. You will notice a thin, translucent skin-like layer next to the shell which serves to remove all impurities from the egg sac. You will be surprised how well it performs as a cleansing agent for your facial skin in removing the dirt and blackheads! Method: Place the inner layer (not the side towards the shell) of this thin skin on the problem areas of your face using it as you would the commercial pore strips. Allow it to dry and then wash it off with warm water. You will find that the blackheads have been removed and that all he oil and dirt has gone as well! Point to note here is that desi eggs have a thicker layer and is easier to use than the commercial variety of eggs.

If you are one of those pretty young things suffering from this irritating problem, do try these methods for relief - and please come back to us with the results so that we can help you with many other such suggestions.