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Home » Interesting Discussions » SKINCARE TIP: Get rid of milia (oil seeds) painlessly, the slow but steady way

SKINCARE TIP: Get rid of milia (oil seeds) painlessly, the slow but steady way

May 7, 2020 Paris B 9 Comments

I’m not usually prone to getting milia, or oil seeds, so I never really had to figure out how to deal with it before. However, in the past year, I’ve experienced it twice, and gotten rid of them twice, with very good results.

So, I decided to share how I did it. But with a caveat.

remove milia oil seeds gently

My method isn’t quick and may not be for those with very sensitive skin. I therefore advise that you proceed with caution, and adjust your expectations and products accordingly. Remember to always work within your own tolerance.

And now, here’s how I do it 🙂

What is Milia (Oil Seeds)?

Milia is the name for those flesh coloured bumps you sometimes get on your skin that look like white heads, but which never come to a head.

They are caused usually by a build up of dead skin trapped in pores, causing a little bump to form. It isn’t usually painful, although it can get irritated if you mess around with it.

chanel rouge allure ink fusion matte liquid lip colour - beige naturel, rose rouge
You may notice the little lump on my left eyelid in these photos taken a while ago for the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion review. It was a milia (oil seed) that had been troubling me but is now gone

Some people are more prone to getting milia, especially around the eyes. Often, this is caused by using products that may be too rich, that do not penetrate properly. Over time, it clogs the pores and causes a build up, that can then lead to milia.

While milia might look unsightly (to those who think so), it doesn’t do anything negative to your skin, and there’s no real need to have it removed.

Usual ways of removing milia

The method you should NOT try is to squeeze it out as you would a spot. Trust me, I tried it, and it only got inflamed and painful before subsiding. And the little lump was still there!

The most recommended way of removing milia is for it to be done by a professional. They use a sterilized needle to remove the blockage, and it leaves little to no scarring.

Some people do it this way at home too, with a needle (make sure you sterilize it first!). It’s a quick and easy fix, if you get it right. If you don’t, you may inflame the area and it can cause scarring.

Slow, steady and gentle removal of milia with retinol

My method however, was discovered by chance. It is very slow, but very gentle and leaves no marks behind, only lovely smooth skin.

What you need is a regular application of retinol.

NOTE: Retinol is an ingredient found in some skincare. It is not a product and hence has no name. There is no one product I will recommend here as I am new to this ingredient as well. Some of the ones I’ve tried are in the photos in this post. You will find reviews of retinol serums on my blog from time to time.

retinol serums

Retinol is an ingredient that is proven to work very well, to boost your skin’s renewal. This encourages your skin to renew itself more quickly, and the end result is smoother, softer and healthier skin. This is why anyone who is serious about anti-aging should be using a retinol product of some form.

As retinol boosts the skin cell turnover rate, it pushes old, dead skin cells to the surface and encourages them to slough off more quickly. This then pushes the milia to the surface, and it eventually pops out on its own.

Let me pause for a moment here to say that this is purely based on my own experience. I have read up the science of it, and it supports what I experienced, but I’d suggest proceeding with caution as your experience may vary.

I discovered this by chance once, when I had a stubborn milia oil seed stuck on my eye lid. It was rather irritating, yet I didn’t want to dig it out myself.

I was using a retinol serum at the time, but taking care not to take it around my eye, as that’s what we are warned about. I also then started using an eye cream that contained retinol (Incidentally, it’s a very good one!)

What I noticed after about 2 weeks was that the milia on my lid seemed flatter. I was quite intrigued, because I had been struggling to get rid of it for months! Here it was, appearing to go away of its own accord.

I realized then, that the only thing I’d included in my routine was this eye cream that had retinol. Because I was a little more experimental, I applied a little of my retinol serum on my face, directly on the milia spot. The retinol I was using for my face was stronger than that used in the eye cream.

In about a week, one day, I ran my finger over my eye lid, and felt a little hard ball come away from my skin. It was the milia oil seed! And it’s never come back since! 😀

I later developed another milia spot under my eye, near my nose. I had stopped using retinol at this time, and I had forgotten about my earlier experience.

Recently, I restarted a new retinol serum, which turned out to be quite a strong one. After applying it all over my face, I’d run the residue gently over the under-eye area. In about 2 weeks, the milia popped out of its own accord!

I am now convinced that regular use of retinol can help reduce or even remove milia from the skin, and even around the eye area. However, due to the strength of retinol, and how it can irritate sensitive skin, I must urge you to exercise caution when using it.

Dilute the retinol serum when used around the eye

If using it around your eye where you have milia, I’d recommend mixing the retinol serum with some eye cream, before applying.

The skin around the eye is very thin, and retinol can be quite strong so it can cause irritation. If you aren’t confident, use a cotton bud and dot the mixture directly on the milia spot so you don’t irritate the rest of the skin.

If the milia is too close to your eye, practice caution and don’t use this technique.

Use the residue of your retinol serum

If you don’t want it too strong, use the residue of your retinol serum that’s on your fingers after you apply it to your face. I sometimes run it lightly over the eye area.

Do thing only if you’re confident and comfortable using retinol serums. If you are new or if you have very sensitive skin, please proceed with caution! 😛

Results will take a while – be patient

Results can take a while to show. It takes me about 2 weeks or so before the milia seed pops out. But I do notice the bump flattening and reducing in size before that.

This isn’t a quick technique, but it is one you can do at home, without poking holes in your face 😛 I hesitate to say it is safe (it is, really!) because not everyone can handle regular doses of retinol use, but it is quite foolproof and fairly gentle.

Tip to remove milia easily quickly and painlessly

Do you have a problem with milia?

Do you have tips on how to easily remove it? As I said, I don’t usually have a problem, so this is my only tip, but I know milia is a real problem for many people, so it’ll be helpful to know of other ways to get rid of milia 🙂

Paris B

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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9 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. adrienne says

    May 7, 2020 at 11:58 am

    Wow now I know what milia seeds look like (though it took me a while to locate in your picture, you look so beautiful and radiant with the lip colour !) The milia I saw online normally shows up in under eye area. When I get those bumpy milia seeds, I used thick layers of Glow Recipe Avocado retinol eye sleeping mask to get rid of it. They use encapsulated retinol, supposedly better for sensitive skin even. If getting their sample, must use it fast, they turn quite fast.

    Reply
  2. Hani says

    May 7, 2020 at 1:30 pm

    May I know what eye cream do you used (the one with the retinol)? I have quite a few oil seeds around my eyes and on my lid that I have been dying to get rid off!

    Reply
  3. Jane Ng says

    May 7, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    My name is Jane. I have milia on my face and also around my eye area.
    May I know what the brand of retinol that you were using?

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      January 9, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      Hi Jane I use various types of retinol serums, as you can see in the photos. I was particularly happy using Paula’s Choice 1% retinol and Drunk Elephant A-Passioni (although I recommend caution when using the Drunk Elephant one). With retinol, always be careful, start slow and be patient. Good luck

      Reply
  4. S says

    May 7, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    Can share the product name pls?

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      January 9, 2021 at 2:23 pm

      I’m not sure what product name you’re refering to, sorry! I was sharing about an ingredient which can be found in many brands in varying levels of potency, and there are many brands available in the market.

      Reply
  5. Charlie says

    May 22, 2021 at 7:12 pm

    Hello, my name is Charlie. I have milia under my eyes and they are making me paranoid. As I cant clearly from the photos, would you please be so kind to tell me what are the eye care with retinal that can solve this? Thank you! x

    Reply
  6. Vanessa says

    July 29, 2021 at 12:32 am

    Hi Paris B,

    May I know which brand eye cream (the one that contains retinol) that you’re using?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      November 21, 2021 at 5:07 pm

      Hi, I was using the Dr Dennis Gross Retinol & Ferulic eye cream

      Reply

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My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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