Here's How to Remove Blackheads Safely at Home

The first rule of thumb to extracting your blackheads "with caution and care," as Marino puts it, is to step away from the pore extraction tool. "Put down the knife — leave digging devices to the professionals to avoid potential permanent scarring or pigmentation issues and injury," she says. "Use clean fingers only."

Using tissue or rounds — like these Solimo Cotton Rounds ($3) — as a barrier between your fingers and face, gently (!) pinch the skin together and press upward. Press only in the direction you want the congestion to go (if you're pressing down onto the skin, "you're making things worse, and potentially spreading bacteria under the skin").

You'll also want to leave aggravated or super-stubborn acne alone. "Hard, angry, or underground is no go."