The hack
Using a DIY nose strip to get rid of blackheads.
The test
Pore strips – the kind you buy, wet and pop across your nose – are weirdly addictive as a way of “removing” blackheads, the mix of oil and dead skin cells that oxidises and turns black when exposed to air. There is a gross thrill to pulling one off and seeing what gunk you’ve exhumed, but I’ve never found them efficient for actual blackhead removal. More often, my strip is covered in little spikes of sebum – hairs that can look like blackheads and dead skin.
Can a DIY home version work better? I follow the method of influencer @creative_explained: apply egg white to your nose with a brush, apply a strip of tissue paper the same size as a pore strip, repeat the process and let it dry for 10 minutes until it feels tight – then pull it off. I did exactly that but it didn’t quite have the grip of pore-strip adhesive. I inspected what was on the strip: a little sebum and dead skin was the sum of it. The strips – whether DIY or bought – don’t fix the issue, which can be managed by using, say, a salicylic acid cleanser.
The verdict
Cheap and worth a go, but not effective for me. I might use the occasional Garnier Charcoal Nose strip for grim pleasure, but prevention is more effective. If blackheads are a recurring issue, that’s the way to go.
Join Anita Bhagwandas on 16 March for a livestreamed Guardian Live event where she will be discussing her debut book, Ugly, with Sali Hughes. Tickets available here.
