If you browse around on various skincare forums and such on the Internet, you can find recipes for making your own pore cleansers – they’re usually a mix of starches and gelatine. I’ve never tried any of them myself because the entire process seems too messy – I’d rather just use a nice ready made pore strip that comes off easily and lets me see the dirt I’ve captured. Still, I can see the value in making your own pore cleansers – they don’t come in just one shape so you can use them on different parts of your face, and not just on your nose. Also, because it’s a liquid, they can get into crevices and really do a thorough clean.
Thanks to Avon, now there’s an option for a liquid pore cleanser that you don’t have to make yourself. The answer is the Clearskin Professional Liquid Extraction Strip. It goes on as a thick gel that dries so that you can peel it off. It takes off any pore-clogging dirt with it just like a regular pore strip.
Although it seems easy to use, I have to admit that it took me a few tries to get this to work perfectly. There’s a fine line between applying too much gel and not enough. If you apply a too thick layer (the instructions do say to apply it thickly), it ends up running down your face. If the layer you apply is too thin, it’s hard to peel off when the mask is dry.
I also found that it took a long time for the Liquid Extraction Strip to dry: the instructions said to leave on for 20 minutes, but I couldn’t peel mine off for almost half an hour.
Still, the end result is the same as a pore strip and so if you have pores that need unclogging, you have to try this stuff.
Available as of July 2013 through Avon Independent Sales Representatives, 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca for $14.
