Acne sucks. There isn't any other way to say it. And as an acne sufferer, I am usually willing to pay any price for a treatment that promises to rid me of my acne for good. Pore strips are one of those things I will pay the extra cash for, but is there a cheaper homemade pore strip that's better?
In case you have never heard of pore strips, they are essentially adhesive strips that remove all the surface level blackheads. As a result, they also make any enlarged pores appear smaller, and are (in my personal opinion) one of the most gratifying face treatments because you can actually see it getting rid of the gack.
Now while these things are super effective, they can get super expensive. Just one measly box of Bioré pore strips can cost $15. So, what is your alternative if you can't fork out the cash? Make them yourself, and that is what I did. I tried two of the most popular homemade pore strips so you didn't have to. You're welcome...
Warning: You are about to see my face up close and personal, viewer discretion is advised.
Milk and Gelatin
This homemade pore strip is pretty simple. Mix equal parts of milk and unflavored gelatin in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 5-10 seconds. This was a case in which simple doesn't always mean better.
First off, it made my microwave smell like dog sh*t. It also ruined the bowl I mixed it in. Finally, after trying not to gag while using this homemade pore strip multiple times, because I'm a #scientist, I didn't see any positive difference in the before and after. On the contrary, it actually made me break out more after every use.
Moral of the story is if you don't want to stink up your kitchen, ruin your dishes, and break out even more, don't use this homemade pore strip recipe.
Egg Whites and Paper Towels
What's with all the dairy products? My initial thought about smearing eggs all over my face gave me flashbacks of the milk/gelatin fiasco from the weeks before.
But as I thought of it more, the less horrified I was. A lot of those expensive skincare products you find at Sephora contain egg whites. However, if this mask is any resemblance to those fancy treatments, I am glad I haven't forked out the cash.
The whole process for this homemade pore strip took close to an hour to do, which compared to the 20 minutes I normally spend using traditional pore strips is just plain annoying.
The premise of this homemade pore strip is similar to that of the Paper Mache you did in second grade art class. You layer foamy egg whites with thin sheets of paper towels and let it dry between layers.
I had less issues with this mask than the previous homemade pore strip, but it was still not great.
First off, this mask is insanely messy. My dog kept trying to lick my face and the floor around me, because even the thinnest layer of eggs would somehow drip off of me. Secondly, it really hurt my skin when I was taking it off. My face was so irritated that my whole nose turned bright red when I tried to remove the homemade pore strip. And finally, after the whole messy and painful ordeal I barely got any blackheads out of my skin!
The only plus I will say about this mask is that my face felt moisturized and it didn't stink like the gelatine mask.
Conclusion
Over the course of the past month I have abused my skin with these homemade pores strips in the hopes to find a cheaper alternative to a product I already love. But as the old adage goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If I were you, I'd skip the pantry and just go buy the generic brand pore strips at CVS, your skin will thank you.