The 6 Best Pore Strips, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Nose

$17 at Amazon $17 at Target $18 at Ulta

Although marketed as a patch, the mighty nose patch from Hero Cosmetics works similarly to a pore strip — so similarly, we're going to call it a pore strip for the sake of this article. As our favorite and best overall pick, this strip does all the work for you, working overnight (six to eight hours!) to clear up your skin and remove dirt from your pores.

The application was somewhat intricate, but felt like a bandaid on our skin — noticeable, but not uncomfortable. Using hydrocolloid (a fluid-absorbing gel), this patch creates a barrier on the skin which traps oil and dirt around acne spots, and then lifts it from the skin when removed. The best part? The patch turns white as it pulls gunk out of your skin so you can see the results clearly.

While we thought the patches were a bit sticky (our nails kept getting caught and then the sticky part got stuck together), we appreciated that it didn't irritate any of our team members' complexions. As a dermatologist-approved product, this patch is unscented and ideal for sensitive skin. It's super thin and peels off without causing pain. Most of all, we loved how smooth our skin felt after using this patch. We believe this is the perfect pore strip for all skin types.

How it's held up:

We tested these strips for months and can confidently say that we're still loving them today as much as we did when we first tested them out. It's nice to be able to set 'em and forget 'em as we go about our nighttime routine, just to wake up and peel off the thin strips to reveal pore-perfected skin. And while we appreciate how thin they are, we do wish they weren't so flimsy, as they can easily get stuck together. However, we still think the hype is real with these Hero patches.

Wear time: 6-8 hours | Skin type: Sensitive | Special ingredients: Hydrocolloid | Best uses: Blackhead removal, reducing oil and acne | Included strips: 10

Best Budget

TonyMoly Tako Pore One Shot Nose Pack

$4 at Amazon $17 at Revolve

Our tester appreciated this affordable option for its ability to remove "a good amount of sebaceous materials" as well as small hairs from her nose. The unique shape of this pore strip covers the nose and the section of the forehead between your brows, and has a tight adhesive that effectively opens clogged pores.

During its application, the strip became very tight on our tester's skin, which she said "was a bit uncomfortable" but let her know "it was working!" The removal process caused a tinge of pain when the strip was ripped off, but our tester said her nose felt "super soft after using the strip and definitely look[ed] clearer." She saw some redness after removing the strip, but "no major irritation."

Overall our team loved how effectively this pore strip worked to remove oil and grime from pores. "I would use this strip again!" our tester exclaimed. "My nose and forehead both felt very smooth afterward. It's also fun to use because it makes a little octopus on your nose going up to your forehead." This unscented and playful pore strip is our favorite option for those on a budget.

How it's held up:

To our great surprise, these low-cost strips are still working their magic, even months down the line. We've noticed that our makeup is laying more smoothly on our skin because the sheet has been effectively removing our blackheads, leaving us with clearer complexions both with makeup and without. Even though some of our team members have sensitive skin, they haven't experienced any irritation or inflammation throughout the months of long-term testing. Our one wish? That it was made with charcoal to further purify our skin — but for its drugstore price, we're happy with what we have.

Wear time: 10-15 minutes | Skin type: Dry | Special ingredients: Dead sea salt, taurine, black peat water | Best uses: Shrink pores | Included strips: 1

Best Investment

Peace Out Pores Oil-Absorbing Nose Strips

$19 at Sephora $31 at Walmart $19 at Ulta

Peace Out Skincare is known for its ability to work magic on acne and pores, and these pore strips don't disappoint. This particular set comes with four nose strips and four standard pore strips (for your forehead and chin) that work overnight to reduce oil and blackheads on your skin.

Our tester appreciated its effectiveness, and said, "some of the blackheads came off my face along with some oil." She said it felt comfy on the skin, and didn't cause any irritation or redness. It had an "easy removal with no pain," she added. While our tester didn't wear the strip overnight, she was impressed with how well it worked in just a short period during testing. "I can imagine how powerful it can be [when used] overnight!"

The only thing she would change is how heavy it felt on her face, noting that its weight "feels like a bandage on my chin." The weight is likely due to the strip being packed full of ingredients like hydrocolloid, retinol, and DMAE (which helps improve skin tone), and considering the strip is worn while you sleep, its weight likely won't bother most people. We love this brand and these pore strips and if you don't mind paying a little extra, you'll see why these pore strips are worth the price.

How it's help up:

While we still think these pore strips stand out from the crowd, our team member who tested these out for a few months was not over the moon with the progress she'd hoped her skin would make while using these patches. While these certainly seemed to clean out her pores, there wasn't so much improvement in the size of them (she was hoping they'd shrink with continual use). She also felt that removing the strips in the morning was a bit more painful than the experience other testers had in the lab, which makes us think you don't need to leave them on for the full four to six hours recommended.

Wear time: 4-6 hours | Skin type: Oily, combination, normal | Special ingredients: Hydrocolloid, retinol, DMAE | Best uses: Cleaning pores, removing oil | Included strips: 8

Best for Acne

Patchology Breakout Box 3-in-1 Acne Treatment Kit

$20 at Amazon $20 at Nordstrom $20 at Walmart

This 3-in-1 acne treatment kit works wonders on your skin, reducing the size and redness of pimples and lifting grime from your skin before new acne can grow. Our tester had a breakout forming at the time of testing, and noticed that the whitehead absorbing dot had completely absorbed the sebum surrounding the bump after three and half hours. "I'm confident it would have absorbed the sebum in the whitehead's center if I'd continued using the dot," he said.

The nose strip was equally effective, and removed many sebaceous filaments after only 10 minutes. Our tester felt the strip tighten on his skin during use and appreciated how much grime was on the strip after use. The salicylic acid dots were slightly less effective, but only because the tester used them on his mouth area, which sees more movement than other parts of the face. He felt it loosen after an hour or so, and believed it not to be sticky enough.

Our tester liked the feel of all three products, saying the nose strip has "zero feeling on your skin even though you know it is applied," and the acne dots blend into your skin and have zero irritation during and after use. While this kit is also in the pricier range, we believe the cost matches the value, and that those with oily and acne prone skin will benefit from this 3-in-1 system intended to stop acne before, during, and after it forms.

How it's held up:

Even after six months of testing, we're still seeing the blackhead and blemish-busting efforts of these patches and strips paying off. We love that you can get a pack of all three — charcoal strips, hydrocolloid, and salicylic acid patches — in one purchase, which gives this $20 pack a whole lot more value than some of its competitors. Another huge plus? These strips do the opposite of abrasion (which you'd expect from most hard-to-remove strips), and they actually soothe our skin, leaving it feeling smoother than before.

Wear time: 10-15 minutes for strips, 6-8 hours for dots | Skin type: Oily, acne-prone | Special ingredients: Salicylic acid, tea tree oil, hydrocolloid | Best uses: Acne, blackheads | Included strips: 3 | Included dots: 48

Best for T-Zone

Formula 10.0.6 Down To the Pore Strips Pack

$8 at Amazon View on Formula1006.com

This T-Zone-friendly strip effectively and comfortably pulled sebaceous materials from our tester's skin without issue. She said the "strips stiffened as expected" and she "could talk and emote without feeling uncomfortable or [being] aware of them."

During the application, our tester appreciated the texture and lightness of this strip, and said, "I am used to strips that feel stiffer [and] less comfortable." She described this strip as being gentler and kinder to her skin. She did notice some lifting of the strip at the edges on her chin, but said the forehead strip stayed in place the entire duration of testing.

Both strips lifted sebaceous material from her skin, and were easily removed without redness or irritation. Our tester loved how smooth her skin felt after using the pore strip. We like that this strip targets all parts of the face that see excessive oil — the forehead, nose, and chin — and the low price doesn't hurt either.

How it's held up:

One of the biggest perks of these strips even after months of use? The way we can see all of the gunk that comes out of our pores against the black material. We've noticed that our skin does seem to be clearer after continued use of these strips (usually worn weekly), but we didn't notice any shrinking of our pores (which would have been lovely). Our only note is that they tend to leave a black residue behind due to the charcoal, so just be sure to cleanse your skin one more time after you remove these quick and easy strips.

Wear time: 10-15 minutes | Skin type: Oily, combination, normal | Special ingredients: Charcoal, witch hazel, moroccan lava clay | Best uses: Drawing out impurities, cleansing clogged pores | Included strips: 8

Best Charcoal

Ulta Charcoal Nose Strips

$2 at Ulta

Charcoal is a popular ingredient for removing excess oil and impurities from the skin, and this pore strip does just that. Our tester said the strip "adhered to [her] nose very well" and that there are "slit cut outs that allowed for a more custom fit." She said, "The small slits allowed for the strip to fit snuggly and contour my nose more than other strips I've used in the past."

She appreciated how comfortable the strip was, and said it was "stiff, but not restrictive." The removal proved simple without any discomfort, redness, or irritation. Our tester noticed some residue from the charcoal, but it was cleaned off without issue. There were many filaments on the strip once removed, showing its effectiveness in pulling up dirt from the pores.

"I was surprised at how much I liked this strip. For a store brand, I found the quality to be really great," our tester said. She also compared it to other popular pore strips and noted that it costs less but is just as effective. In particular, she loved the custom fit of these strips so it "can fit a range of noses."

Wear time: 10-15 minutes | Skin type: Normal, combination, oily, dry | Special ingredients: Charcoal, witch hazel, aloe vera extract | Best uses: Remove dirt, oil, and blackheads from pores | Included strips: 8