Everyone with pores and a residential address that is not the International Space Station has experienced the clogged aftermath that comes from pollution, cigarette smoke, excess oil, makeup, or bacteria at one point or another. Your face alone contains 20,000 teeny-tiny craters that fill up with dirt and sebum, after all — so unless you're willing to live in an incubator like a modern-day Jimmy Livingston, there are very few things you can do to shield your skin from the daily grime. But as they say: A good offense is the best defense, which is why getting rid of the gunk the moment you see it is the key to clearer pores... and that's where Dr. Brandt's Vacuum Cleaner Pore Purifying Mask comes in.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
In the same way your Dirt Devil picks up small particles of dust and grime off your area rug, this face mask is loaded with zinc, salicylic and glycolic acids, and vitamin A to effectively dislodge the stuff from your pores. (Completely unlike the vacuum, the ingredients come in the form of tiny blue beads that burst onto the skin and give you a turbo-charged chemical and physical exfoliation. Fun!)
But, as a generally lazy human being with a slight pore obsession, I can sum up why I love this treatment in two words: five minutes. That's all the time it takes to completely degunk the shit chillin' on the surface of your skin. That doesn't mean it's not working. It definitely is: Within a minute of applying it, I experienced the same skin-tightening effect as I did when I used Hanacure, and my face looked just as smooth (and way less oily) after I rinsed it off. (I'm not the only one on the R29 team to fall for this new treatment, either: Senior editor Lexy Lebsack is also hooked after one use.)
No, this mask won't change the way your pores look for longer than a day or two, and using it definitely won't be as exhilarating as watching Dr. Pimple Popper go to town on someone's blackheads. But for the simpletons who just want a little clarity — and aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves two to three times a week — this might just be the next best thing.
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner Pore Purifying Mask, $42, available at Sephora.