With more than 60 natural cleaning recipes for every room in your home, our Homemade Cleaners Book empowers you to make your own cleaners naturally. Save money and keep your family healthy & chemical-free.
I had an intimate relationship with Biore Pore Strips in college. Staring at my pores in the mirror was the perfect way to avoid all the reading and studying on my to-do list, and I was convinced my pores needed some serious attention. In 1998 pore strips were a staple on my grocery list, but they are a luxury I don’t leave space in my budget for any longer.
If you’re unfamiliar, these small white strips can be applied to your face and allowed to dry. When removed, dirt and oil are pulled from your pores, cleaning and making pores less noticeable.
The downside to commercial pore strips? You will pay about $9 for 14 of these little things. (I’m not sure how I ever justified this.) The ingredients are also a negative–in addition to parabens, some of the other ingredients raise a red flag. Also, they can adhere too strongly to your face and end up feeling like they are ripping your skin off. Ouch!
These pore strips can easily be made at home using only two ingredients. Matt and I tested these out in true DIY guinea pig fashion. Although I didn’t think we got the exact results a commercial pore strip offers, they did pull some dirt and oil from our pores. (And there were no tears because our skin remained in tact, and they’re completely non-toxic.)
DIY Pore Cleansing Strips
What you will need:
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin or gelatin alternative
- 1 teaspoon milk
- cotton swab or makeup brush
- small saucepan
Combine milk and gelatin in small saucepan and mix together. Heat on stovetop until mixture starts to thicken a little. Mixture should be warm – not hot – before applying to face. Also, be sure so apply a hot cloth to your face (and dry face thoroughly) before applying. This ensures your pores are open allowing for maximum cleansing.
Using a cotton swab or makeup brush, spread mixture onto nose or other problem areas in a very thin layer. Allow to completely dry on your face before peeling off. It should feel very stiff when completely dry.
Note: Pore strip is not ready to remove if it feels rubbery or soft. If applied too thick, or not allowed to completely dry before removing, your homemade pore strip won’t be effective.
Other options
Now that I’m not a teenager I no longer obsess about clogged pores, but I still like a pore treatment now and again. No gelatin in the cupboard? Before the advent of pore strips, I figured out that a piece of Scotch tape gives the same result. Who knows why I had tape on my face in the first place, but it was a great accidental discovery. (Although I’m pretty sure the adhesives in Scotch tape are anything but “natural.”) I have also heard of Elmer’s Glue being used in the same way, although I have yet to try it and have not researched the ingredients. Please post below if you have tried other natural do-it-yourself blackhead removal pore cleansers!
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve done it using Elmer’s glue and it works great!
Everyone’s face is different I guess. I use just straight rubbing alcohol on my face. One really can’t beat the price, it’s about a dollar where I live, and it lasts forever.
What a great idea! Cant wait to try it…
I’ve also heard that a dab of honey works. I havent tried it yet (almost out of honey and MUST have it for my tea, lol)… but I guess after you steam your pores open a bit with a hot washcloth or whatever works for you, dry your skin well, and then you put a dab of honey on your finger and real quick pat/dab at the affected area. if your skin is dry enough, the sticky honey sticks to the gunk in your pores and supposedly pulls it out! If it works or if it doesnt, the extra bonus is that the honey is good for your skin! LOL
Excellent post. I can’t stop giggling!
Would egg white do the trick? I haven’t tried it, but it would dry pretty stiff! I have used minute oats as a facial mask-leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth. I wasn’t using it for pores, but…
We tried that and thought the same thing but it didn’t work.
However, when we tried egg whites we soaked a cotton makeup pad in the egg and put the whole piece over our nose to dry. I wonder if egg white applied directly to your face would work?
Linda, give it a try and let us know.
My sister used to put an egg wash using the yolk on her face. She had really oily skin and acne, and the results were awesome! Maybe something about the egg yolk worked differently than the white.
oh how cool! I’m gonna have to try this. I LOVED those pore strips as a teenager.. LOL I remember how painful they were to peel off but seeing the blackheads on the strip was so rewarding!! LOL thanks.
Yes, I would always cry a bit, but loved the results.
ihttp://www.crunchybetty.com/5-natural-ways-to-remove-blackheads
She has 5jess natural ways to eliminate them! Honey pat down, egg whites, natural clay mask, and using a tooth brush(clean of course). Plus there is explanation on how to prevent, which is very important. Hope this helps!
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Thanks Jillian.
Gotta love those pore strips. Egg whites and toilet paper does the trick for me.
I accidentally used duct tape once. I was working on a project and had ripped a ton of strips and was running out of places on my body to stick them as I was walking around a building so onto the tip of my nose one went.
I am one of those in the middle people where some things are too much and others aren’t strong enough for my face.. and sometime over the last 6 months my skin changed DRAMATICALLY (about to turn 35? major change in my diet? health issues? – who knows.)
But, the one thing that I have used for YEARS as an astringent is Witch Hazel. It isn’t drying in areas that need moisture, and it is effective in the T-Zone.
As for the funny smell? It goes away as soon as it dries. I pay as much -or less – for a bottle of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide and they are all on the same shelf.