If you’re like me, finding good skincare products that don’t irritate sensitive skin, cause breakouts and other flare-ups is a must and sometimes a daunting task. In previous reviews, Kcrush discovered some impressive products, while there were others that weren’t so grand.
We recently tried Elizavecca MilkyPiggy Hell-Pore, a peel-off mask that promises to remove blackheads and whiteheads to clear pores. The product has rave reviews on Amazon and across the Web, with many beauty bloggers and vloggers praising the mask for how well it removes facial gunk. With so many positive reviews, it sounds like Hell-Pore is a miracle product. Let’s find out!
Packaging
Presentation is everything. The box Hell-Pore comes in is cute with a little devil piggy chasing off the nasty blackheads from someone’s skin. The instructions for how to use the product are written in Korean with a poorly-written English blurb describing the product located on the side of the box. Ingredients
Active Ingredients: 4% Charcoal (controls sebum), Chinese Pea Shrub, and Camellia flower
Inactive Ingredients: Water, PVP Alcohol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Charcoal Powder, Titanium Dioxide, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Cosmos Bipinnatus Callus Culture Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract, Saccharomyces/Caragana Sinica Root Ferment Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Illicium Verum(Anise) Fruit Extract, Aluminum Hydroxide, Silica, Methyl acetate, Lithium, Magnesium, Sodium Silicate, Tetrasodium, Pyrophosphate, Fragrance
For those who are curious, an Elizavecca rep I contacted stated the product is duty-free and not tested on animals.
Use
Thankfully, the product is easy to use, so having the instructions in English wasn’t necessary.
- Wash and dry your face to remove any residue or makeup.
- Squeeze a small mound of the mask into your hands, then spread it evenly on the face while avoiding the eyes, mouth, and hairline (the latter is especially important!).
- Let the mask dry and wait about 10-15 minutes.
- After the time passes, peel the mask off. Do not pull down; pull up in order to remove debris from pores.
- Rinse any remaining mask off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Trying It Out
It took two tries to get this mask to work correctly. The first night I tried it, it was a hot, humid night, so the mask actually didn’t set the way it was supposed to in order to work. Instead of a hard mask, I ended up with a tacky, slimy mask that didn’t do a thing. The parts that did dry didn’t work and pulled off in stringy clumps. If you want to use this mask, don’t make the same mistake I made and use it on a muggy day or evening.
The second attempt worked much better because it was used during a cooler, drier evening. Because of this slight adjustment, I found the product went on smoother and more evenly, and it actually dried the way it needed to in order to work.
When the Hell-Pore mask is initially put on, it looks like a milky grey latex Lucha Libre mask. It’s really unattractive. As it dries, it makes the skin feel tight and stiff like you either:
- Willingly had a friend pour cement on your face
- Went overboard with Botox at a back-alley Botox clinic
I’ve tried several face masks before, but none of them felt this hard or stiff. It was a different experience. While the mask makes it difficult to talk, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable, so that is a definite plus.
It should be noted, too, that the Hell-Pore mask doesn’t have a scent—at least in my experience (some have said it smells like alcohol). So those who are sensitive to different scents should not have an issue.
After the 10 to 15-minute time period passed, it was time to peel off the mask. This actually proved a difficult task for my clumsy fingers because the mask didn’t want to peel. Instead of coming off in one piece, it peeled off in strips. Because of the uneven peel, I had a lot of product left behind on my face, so I did have to wash my skin off again in order to finish removing the mask.
How’d It Do?
Looking at the mask after it was peeled off, I have to say it did a great job removing some whiteheads and superficial gunk. My skin also appeared brighter thanks to the removal of some dead skin. However, blackheads weren’t removed as well. I would have to say my Clearasonic does a better job.
I did expect my skin to be red or itchy following mask removal, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this wasn’t the case. The charcoal in the mask did a nice job helping to ease some redness I already experience, so I will provide kudos to the mask for this reason, especially since my skin tends to be on the sensitive-side.
I felt the mask could have been better given the hype surrounding the product and how well it does. It just felt lackluster and not as strong as it could have been. While it did some good, it just felt like the hype is all fluff and no substance. My cheek and jaw areas appear much better, but trouble spots on my chin, nose, and T-Zone didn’t experience much of a difference.
Other Observations
For anyone else planning to try the Elizavecca MilkyPiggy Hell-Pore mask, there are a few observations to keep in mind.
- The mask will point out how large your pores are: If you peel the mask off too soon or it doesn’t set well, when you peel it off, it will follow your skin pattern. If your pores are small, it’ll be more even. If they’re larger, your mask may look like grey Swiss cheese.
- It will have a hell-grip on your hair: There is a reason why you should avoid your hairline while using this product. It will have a death-hold on it! I made the mistake of coming too close to my hair line, getting the mask on some fly-aways, and my eyebrows. While peeling the mask off, I did manage to pull some hair out, and I’m now sporting a partial eyebrow on one side. Perhaps I could start a new eyebrow trend? Plus, it will not peel off hair well. Use this mask if you plan on taking a shower afterwards to remove any product if your hair does end up with product in it.
- It will tingle:There will be a tingling sensation with the mask. This is due to the charcoal. Don’t panic! The tingling does go away quickly. However, if the mask burns, remove immediately! Burning is never good.
- It might hurt when pulling it off:Since the mask dries super-hard, peeling it off is a pain (literally and figuratively). It might hurt as you peel it, so keep this in mind.
- Not recommend for people with dry skin and anyone prone to dry skin:The mask does tend to dry out skin. If you have dry patches on your face, this mask will make it worse as I discovered thanks to some flakiness I had following a sunburn. If your skin is prone to dryness, you may find that the product will exasperate that issue following the treatment.
- Spot-check prior to use: Do not jump in and use the product immediately. Instead, test it on the inside of your arm or the back of your hand to see if you have an allergic reaction or any other sensitivity issues.
- Open the pores with warm water first:You will thank me later if you want better results. I found washing my face with warm water then drying it and immediately putting the mask on helps more than washing with lukewarm or cool water.
- Do not use the product every day:Doing so may cause pore trauma while drying out the skin too much. Once a week will suffice for better results.
The Verdict
Given all the positive reviews for Hell-Pore, I had high expectations. While I wasn’t expecting a miracle-worker like others seem to suggest it is, I expected something a bit more potent than what I got given how the product is called Hell-Pore. Perhaps waiting 20-25 minutes for the mask to dry would work better instead of the recommended 10-15 minutes.
The verdict: Not completely impressed even though I can see how the product works well for some people.
—-Joelle Halon