For WEEKS, I struggled to get 50 Shades of Snail's "How to Shrink Pores" routine to work with different products. I finally did! [Review]

Beauty Tips For Body Care
A couple of weeks ago, this wonderful article came up on this sub, and like many people on r/SkincareAddiction, I jumped on the train. Basically, the author claims that in three steps, you can unclog your pores with 1) BHA product, which you let sit for 15 minutes, followed by 2) a clay mask, and then 3) a cleansing oil, which you also need to leave on for 15 minutes. Then, you gently rub your face, and hard little SFs come out.Like many people on the original thread, the first mask and oil products I tried did not work at all. But, I kept trying. Here's a run down of what DID and DIDN'T work!1. BHA'sFor the BHA, I did choose to stick with the Stridex Maximum Strength Medicated Pads Alcohol Free throughout all of this, and I did achieve results. I used to use these in high school and they dyed my eyebrows blonde. However, it felt nice bringing them back into the fold, because I've been getting hormonal acne lately. I don't feel comfortable using these pads except before when I know I will be washing my face because they are so strong. At first I thought, how does leaving this on for fifteen minutes help anyone? Stick to the process here, my friends. This is not a routine you can do under a time crunch.2. Clay MasksI tried a total of 3 different type of masks before I found one that actually worked.First, I tried GlamGlow's SUPERMUD mask, which I had already been regularly using in my routine, and I like how you can see where it is aerating your pores and it leaves my face looking bright. While it does remove the shallow blackheads on the top of my nose, this mask doesn't pull the larger, tougher SFs out of the sides of my nose. At first, I thought that maybe they couldn't come out at all. I will keep using this mask forever, just not for this process. Because, y'all, the SFs can come out completely! Keep reading.Next, I tried Peter Thomas Roth's Irish Moor Mud Mask. I do feel like PTR's masks are nourishing, but they are more concerned with longer term skincare because of how completely gentle they are. This mask also doesn't dry and tighten like a mud mask, and so it doesn't pull your blackheads and SFs out of your pores the way a real mud mask should, so this did not work.Next, I tried Shea Moisture's African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask. This one was soft, didn't tighten enough, and was too fragrant. It did not work.Finally, the one that actually did work... was just cutting Bentonite with equal parts organic apple cider vinegar. I used the infamous (and VERY cheap) Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, cutting it equally with Nature's Intent Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. It was my first time using this mask, which I found through researching this sub. It goes on quite thick and it was hard to spread, so I will add a little water next time. But you need to use the vinegar, because it balances the pH. I left it long for 10 minutes, even though it did not completely dry, and I wiped it off with warm water and a washcloth. This is the mud mask you guys need to try! It seems pure, and I saw on the label that some people use it as a hair mask, which I would love to try.3. Cleansing OilsI was unfamiliar with cleansing oils until I started reading 50 Shades of Snail. Luckily, there were a few local drugstore options that were really great!First, with every mask option, I tried using Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil. I would pat my skin dry after washing off the mask, dry my hands, too, and then lightly run the cleansing oil into my skin and let it bake for 15 minutes (or more, just avoid your eyes!) I felt like this is a great cleansing oil, and I will probably leave it at my bf's house to keep using to remove makeup and sunscreen at night, but, unfortunately, it simply did not pull any SFs out of my skin.What finally worked was DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil. After none of the mud masks worked with the Neutrogena, I managed to get a travel size version of this at Target, thinking that maybe it wasn't the mud that wasn't working, but the oil. Well, turns out it was both. The DHC feels less chemicaly than the Neutrogena, and it's a little bit thicker consistency. I put it on my dry face with my dry hands, let bake 15 minutes. As I started to rub my skin, after all this trial and error effort, I finally felt the SFs rub out of my skin! They feel like tiny grains of sand that you can't even see.​So, the TLDR:Stridex Medicated Alcohol Free Pads (15 mins) + Aztec Secret Healing Clay / Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (10 mins) + DHC Deep Cleansing Oil = Unclogged Pores​Love you guys! Learn from my mistakes and let me know if this works.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by truckpiss