Published: September 15, 2024
While there’s no denying that pulling off a pore strip can hurt, there’s also nothing quite as satisfying as seeing all of the gunk that a pore strip has removed from your face. This is often one of the first skincare products that an acne-prone teenager uses, with the instant gratification that they provide leading those same people to swear by pore strips once they reach adulthood too.
When it comes to whether or not pore strips really work, many would immediately say yes, of course! After all, you can literally see a whole pile of impurities sitting on the pore strip that you’ve just ripped off.
However, the answer isn’t quite as clear-cut as that. Sure, pore strips may help your pores to look smaller in the short run, but in the long run? They can actually cause more harm than good. Read on as Bionyx dives into the truth about pore strips so that you can make an informed decision as to whether or not they deserve a place in your skincare routine.
How Do Pore Strips Work?
If you’re considering using pore strips for the first time, it’s important to first understand how they work. The good news is that this is pretty simple!
Pore strips, which are primarily designed to remove blackheads, feature an adhesive on one side. Once moistened, this gluey substance sticks to the skin, bonding with the top layer of skin. Think of them as almost like a bandaid. Once you pull the pore strip off, it will also remove everything on your skin that has stuck to it.
What’s the Problem With Pore Strips?
Take a close look at a pore strip that you’ve just removed and you’ll notice that it’s speckled with little black masses. These partly consist of the dead skin cells and bacteria that clog your pores and contribute to your blackheads.
So, what’s the problem? Isn’t that what pore strips are meant to do?
Yes but, unfortunately, dead skin cells and bacteria aren’t all that are removed. You’ll also end up pulling off healthy skin cells, along with the sebum that keeps your skin healthy. While too much sebum on your skin can indeed cause blackheads to form too, removing more than necessary will only stimulate your skin to increase the amount of sebum that it produces in those areas. As you can imagine, this will leave your skin even oilier in the long run.
Let’s also not forget that pulling an adhesive off your skin is quite a rough process. This can quickly aggravate the skin, resulting in redness and inflammation.
It’s also worth mentioning that although pore strips may temporarily make your blackheads look lighter and less noticeable, they won’t get rid of them completely. Blackheads are made up of long plugs and a pore strip only has access to the very top portion of this. Sure, removing that top portion can give you a clearer complexion for a while but the majority of the gunk that first caused that blackhead will remain in your skin, meaning that it won’t be long before those black dots are once again visible on your face.
Pore strips don’t do much to stop blackheads from forming either. While they may provide some temporary relief in an emergency, they won’t do anything to help you establish a clear and bright complexion in the long run.
Alternatives to Pore Strips
So, if you’re sick and tired of seeing blackheads on your face but don’t want to make matters worse by turning to pore strips, what are your alternatives? Here are some of the most effective methods to try:
Use a Good Cleanser Twice a Day
One of the most effective ways to keep your skin looking clear is to use a good cleanser twice a day. This will remove surface impurities and bacteria, saving them from clogging up your pores. This will help to prevent the appearance of both blackheads and breakouts, doing away with the need for pore strips in the first place.
With that said, don’t immediately reach for an overly powerful cleanser. Irritation is something to be kept to a minimum too, which is impossible if your cleanser is so strong that it aggravates your skin.
Is it possible to find a cleanser that’s gentle yet effective enough to remove deep-seated impurities? Yes, which is where the Bionyx Rhodium Mousse Cleanser comes in. Mousse cleansers are just as thorough as foaming cleansers, yet they don’t strip away your skin’s natural protective barrier. Instead, they’ll moisturize while they cleanse, leaving your skin feeling stronger and more resilient.
Regularly Exfoliate Your Skin
As we mentioned earlier, blackheads consist of quite a long plug. Cleansing alone isn’t going to completely eradicate them, which is why exfoliation needs to be a consistent part of your skincare routine too.
An exfoliator works on a deeper level of the complexion than a cleanser. Again, a single exfoliation session isn’t going to completely remove a blackhead but cleanse your skin and follow up with an exfoliator and you’ll be able to clear a good chunk of that gunk away.
Chemical exfoliants are often recommended for those dealing with severe blackheads. However, if you’re hesitant about using acids on your face, a physical exfoliant, like the Bionyx Rhodium Complex Facial Peeling, will get the job done too! Just be gentle when applying it so that you don’t risk pulling at your skin with any harsh scrubbing. This will only stretch out your pores, making them look bigger!
Add a Clay Mask to Your Skincare Routine
When it comes to removing plugs of sebum from the skin, clay is an extremely beneficial ingredient. It has been used for this purpose for centuries by cultures all over the world. Clay binds to the sebum that is blocking up pore openings, meaning that washing the clay away once you’re done masking will also remove the excess sebum that it has attached itself to.
With clay masks being so popular, they’re easy to find. However, make your choice wisely. There are a few different types of clay that are used in face masks but kaolin is known for being one of the best. Research confirms that not only will it help your blackheads to look less noticeable but it can also help to improve hydration levels and leave the skin feeling less oily.
For even better results, treat yourself to a thermal clay mask, like the Bionyx Platinum Transformative Thermal Mask. This mask gently heats up as it’s applied to the skin. This relaxes the pores, making them feel more flexible and elastic. As a result, the clay then has easier access to the plugs in your pores, enabling the mask to efficiently pull those out.
Tighten Up the Look of Enlarged Pores With Vitamins A and C
People sometimes turn to pore strips in an attempt to make enlarged pores look smaller, even if they don’t have noticeable blackheads. It goes without saying that this method doesn’t work. In fact, it can even have the opposite effect – tugging at your enlarged pores to make them look even wider and longer!
Instead, turn your focus onto why your pores are enlarged in the first place, especially if there’s nothing clogging them up. Chances are that aging could be the answer. As you grow older, your skin gets looser and saggier. Once your skin starts to droop, even if this is a very small amount, your pores will do the same. This makes pore openings look larger and longer, making each more very visible.
To turn this around, you’ll need to work on tightening and firming your complexion. There are several ingredients out there that are capable of helping with this, but vitamins A and C are an unstoppable duo. Ideally, find a serum that combines these two superstar antioxidants, just like the Bionyx BioLift Platinum Deep Wrinkle Concentrate. This formula takes things further by also incorporating vitamin E and sodium hyaluronate, ensuring that your skin looks plump and smooth after every application.
Use Non-Comedogenic Skincare Products
Of course, it’s not just dead skin cells and bacteria that contribute to blackheads. They can also form when the pores end up clogged with other substances, such as skincare products.
How do you know if your skincare products are the cause of your blackheads? By taking a look at the ingredients within them. Certain ingredients are known for being comedogenic. This means that they have pore-clogging properties and will more than likely lead to blackheads, especially if your skin is already naturally oily.
Avoiding comedogenic ingredients will require a fair bit of research on your part. Check to see where each of the ingredients that you’re using falls on the comedogenic scale. If they’re more than mildly comedogenic, it’s time to swap them for non-comedogenic alternatives.
Consider a Professional Extraction
Another option for removing blackheads almost immediately is a professional extraction. This involves using a sterile, loop-shaped tool to apply a gentle and even amount of pressure to the skin. This safely removes the blackhead within.
Although very effective, an extraction is something that you should never do at home. Get things wrong and while you may still be able to remove the blackhead, you could also end up with a scar. Worse still, you may even find that you’ve pushed the blackhead deeper into your skin rather than extracting it. This is a technique that requires a lot of skill and practice, so leave it to the professionals!
Conclusion: Are Pore Strips Worth Using?
When it comes down to it, most experts advise against the use of pore strips. While it may appear as though these products work, the results that they provide are very temporary. There’s also a good chance that the regular use of pore strips could damage your skin and even make your blackheads worse in the long term.
Fortunately, there are plenty of safer alternatives out there. Give some of the tips that we’ve shared a try and you should soon find that your skin looks clearer and brighter, with the appearance of blackheads becoming less of a problem as time goes on.
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