Biore Strips-Copycat, Facial Mask and Bonus Amazing Pore Refiner
"I think you are going to like this as much as I do!
I stumbled on this copycat accidentally when I used an online recipe for a facial mask. I tweaked it to be more effective and I'm sharing here all the tweaks and additions that work for me.
I have adult Rosacia which causes teen like acne, redness, sensitivity, blackheads and large pores. Even though I clean my skin as I should, rarely wear foundation and use non-comedogenic sunscreens, I still have issues especially with blackheads and large pores.
Biore strips are portable and fast but don't always work. This is neither portable or fast and it is more messy. It takes 30 seconds to prepare but sits on your face 25 minutes or so but it is so worth it because it is fun, easy, effective and frugal..and it feels good! Like getting a mini facial. Is it as good as a one time use of Biore' Strips to simply remove blackheads in a hurry? No. It is only better in terms of self-satisfaction, cost and quantity of product.
I'm sharing another product that is readily available and inexpensive that I use in conjunction with the Biore' Copycat. I (and a lot of other people in the know) use plain ole' Milk of Magnesia to keep my pores looking smaller, as a under makeup primer and mattifying agent and as a way to dry up my breakouts and minimize new blackheads from forming. It even helps keep my glasses (Plastic frames that don't have nose pads) from sliding down my nose when I look down! Love it!"
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 3
- Yields:
-
4 (at least) applications
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons milk
- milk of magnesia, plain
directions
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NOTE ADDITIONAL NON-FOOD INGREDIENTS THAT FOOD.COM WOULDN'T LET ME POST IN THE RECIPE SECTION:
- -Dried out strong and cloth-like baby wipes cut into various sizes.
- -Hairdryer-for impatient people that like to speed up the process.
- -Microwave safe small glass jar with lid.
- -OPTIONAL: one drop of your favorite SKIN-SAFE essential oil (this is to mask the unpleasant smell of the warmed liquid).
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This is super easy and the steps I intially found online were:
- Mix gelatin and milk together. Microwave 10 seconds and apply.
- If that's good enough for you by all means go for it but if you want to see what works for me after all my trying and tweaking, read my details below.
- I'm going to give you all the tips I use because I love to share great ideas!
- I took a lot of time to share this because it works and I have looked for a long time for somethign that works and doesn't cost a lot to use.I figured if I was looking, someone else probably is too so I took the time to share and post. I appreciate helpful reviewers that take time to share their positive additions! If you try a different cloth, or add something that seems to work -- tell me about it! But please- if you change a bunch of stuff and don't use this as I describe and then have bad results, please don't give me a bad review!
- Ok here we go. Start with a makeup free and newly cleaned face. Pull your hair back with a headband. Keep product away from the hairline and eyebrows. This WILL remove hairs but before you get too excited, this isn't strong enough to qualify as a waxing job. It'll just sting when you get remove strips where fine hairs usually grow like on your cheeks and upper lip because some fine hairs will be removed. You've been warned, lol!
- In your jar, mix your gelatin and milk (and any essential oil you may be using) until well combined. Scrape any residual off your mixing device into the jar.
- Microwave for 10 seconds (mix should be comfortably warm and be the consistancy of warm honey).
- With your clean fingers, apply the warm liquid to your problem areas. Immediately apply a baby wipe strip and press into the gel well by rubbing back and forth. The wipe should not slide around very much.
- Working quickly, continue applying liquid and your strips until finished. If gel thickens too much, microwave another five seconds until warm.
- You can also just spread the liquid on your skin and let dry without using any strips. I think this feels great but is hard to remove and doesn't work as well.
- Use a hairdryer on the cool setting for a nice cooling sensation and to dry it quicker. Or, just do something like read, surf the net, watch tv or cook while the strip dries.
- The liquid will eventually dry stiff on your face-takes about 20-30 minutes. Resist the urge to remove the strip before it feels stiff. If you are using the liquid without the strip then you can remove it while slightly tacky and will peel well or when it is stiff.
- When ready to peel, make sure you are in a well lit area so you can examine the mask when you remove it to note where you got the best results. Warning, this is gross but also fun! If you have a kid or friend near that you can gross out with the end result, all the better!
- Now just grab an edge of the fabric or mask and start peeling! The first couple of times in new areas, I do a quick yank because those darn fine hairs just sting when they come off. If you do this often, you will find that those hairs just don't become a problem because you are essentially removing them at the same time. A nice bonus!
- For stubborn areas, just get a terry cloth rag wet with warm water and rub off the mask. No biggie and useful especially if you accidentally get it in your hairline.
- When done, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and moisturize.
- When your moisturizer has been thoroughly absorbed, apply a light coat of milk of magnesia to your face wherever oil and large pores are a problem. I have seen no issues with using it around my eyes and my eyes are very sensitive to all sorts of makeup, lotions, etc. The Milk of Magnesia is great for a makeup primer as it fills in pores and makes them look smaller and also helps some makeup go on smoother. I haven't tried it with mineral makeup yet but let me know how that turns out! Avoid using multiple coats. One should do the trick. I also apply to my face right before bed. Wash off in the morning and re-apply under makeup and over sunscreen.
- Notes: Copycat Biore' mix can be refridgerated and re-used a couple of times. The milk eventually goes bad and you can smell when it is getting old. Throw it out and make a new batch!
- YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW THAT Gelatin is made of an animal by-product (look it up if you want specific details) so if this offends you then perhaps you can try using the other recipe online that calls for Elmer's glue. I've tried that bunches of times and I never get results like I get with this but some people really feel it works! It's worth a try!
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Reviews
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Worked better than biore!!!<br/>thank you.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Caryn Dalton
United States
I've lived in several states, and they have all added a bit of "flavor" to my culinary preferences. I love comfort food and as I've aged, I seek ways to make old favorites more healthy. For me, healthy is defined by what we have learned about gut health over the years. I no longer cook the way I used to, but I still crave those old favorites. It's quite likely that something I posted here more than a decade ago is no longer made in my kitchen, or has been greatly altered to fit our new model. I appreciate it when people take the time to post great recipes because the internet is so much quicker and convenient to use than my stash of cookbooks, cherished as they are. I also appreciate reading reviews that people post, providing they are actually helpful. I just don't understand rudeness, competitiveness and the like and wish people didn't feel the need to inject negative attitudes into all the positive. I feel a site like this one can help many people and it's a great way to collaborate and share treasures in our kitchens. I'm glad to have access and to be a part of the community.
