Unclog Those Pores With a DIY Activated Charcoal Pore Strip

Lets face it, pore strips are great! There's just something so satisfying about peeling a pore strip on your nose and then examining the sticky side to see how much gunk came out. It may be gross but we're all guilty!

Nose pore strips are a great way of removing nasty blackheads from your nose and other problem areas such as the chin. Blackheads are essentially small bumps that appear on your skin due to clogged follicles. Each follicle contains one hair and a sebaceous gland that contains oil. Dead skin cells and oil collect in the opening of the follicle, which produces a small bump called a comedone. If the skin over the bump stays closed, it is called a whitehead. If the skin over the bump opens, exposure to the air causes it to look black.

There are many facial washes, scrubs and exfoliants on the market that claim to be able to minimise the appearance of blackheads. I use a facial wash and cleanser that specialises in minimising clogged pores but every now and then I like to use a pore strip to really make sure all the excess oils are removed from my pores.

It may look dirty, but it'll leave your skin squeaky clean!

Charcoal may not be the most glamorous ingredient to put on your face but trust me the benefits are worth it. When used as a face mask/pore strip, activated charcoal binds to the dirt buried in your pores and pulls it out, minimising the size of your pores. Oils and toxins are also absorbed into the charcoal, which is great for treating oily skin and acne. When used as a pore strip, the trapped dirt and oils cling to the charcoal and the adhesive, extracting the blackhead from your skin. Using activated charcoal is a brilliant way to give your skin the deep clean it deserves.

Not only is it great for cleaning your skin, activated charcoal is 100% natural and is also used as a dietary supplement.

Please don't attempt to use charcoal from a barbeque! Activated charcoal can come in capsule or powder form, and can be purchased from pharmacies or online. Product recommendations are at the bottom of this post.

Get ready to say goodbye to blackheads and clogged pores!

You can use your activated charcoal to make a pore strip or an entire peel off face mask. If you decide to use this as a face mask, please take care as it can sting when you peel the mask off. Avoid the eye area and keep the mask away from your brows.

In order to allow the mask to adhere to the skin, we will be using non-toxic Elmer's glue. This is basically PVA or school glue. This glue is safe to be applied to your skin. (remember when you were a kid in school and you would cover your hands with glue and peel it off?)

All you will need is activated charcoal, non-toxic Elmer's glue (also known as PVA glue), a small bowl for mixing, and an old or cheap brush.

1. Break 2-3 capsules of activated charcoal into a small bowl. 2. If making a pore strip, use your brush to mix in a small amount of the glue. Add more glue if you are making a face mask. 3. Simply apply to the nose, chin, or entire face and wait! Make sure you apply a thick amount so that it can easily be peeled off. 4. After 20-30 minutes the mixture should have dried hard. Gently peel the mask off and the evidence will be right in front of you. The blackheads will have been extracted from your skin and visible on the other side of the mask. Disgusting, but satisfying! 5. Finish off by cleansing the skin to remove any leftover charcoal and glue. Re-hydrate your face with a moisturiser.

When I first tried this technique, I applied the mask to my entire face. The removal process may have been uncomfortable, but boy did I get a tonne of compliments on my smooth glowing skin the next day!