16 Pore Strips That Actually Work

If you had told us 15 years ago that we'd be sticking the equivalent of duct tape to our nostrils, forehead, and chin, then ripping them off and furtively examining the remains, we might have mistaken you for someone who was a little too into The X-Files.

Yet, what we once thought of as beauty sci-fi, we now look to as a skin-care necessity: Pore strips are one of those inventions we didn't really know we needed, but now that we've experienced them, we don't think we can live without them.

Once established though, where could this brave new world of pore de-clogging really evolve to? Deeper, apparently: The latest strips on the market boast deep-cleaning claims that make them sound like a Roto-Rooter for your nostrils. Read on for all the dirty details on our favorites and to see how their skin-excavating claims fare.