Pore strips have become a go-to skin care treatment for tackling blackheads, reducing oil, and getting deep cleansing of pores. The satisfying peel-off process draws out impurities from the pores, leaving your skin feeling super smooth and refreshed.

While pore strips are readily available at any drugstore or beauty supply store, the costs can add up if you want to use them as part of your regular skin care routine. Luckily, it’s simple and affordable to make your own customized pore strips at home using just a few ingredients.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about how to make easy DIY pore strips with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen!

Why Make Your Own Pore Strips?

Before we get into the simple homemade pore strip recipe, let’s look at why making your own can be better than buying pre-made strips:

It’s More Affordable

Store-bought pore strips can range anywhere from $8-$15 for a pack of 6 to 10 strips. The costs add up quickly. With homemade strips, you can make a whole batch for just a couple dollars!

Customizable Ingredients

When you make pore strips yourself, you control exactly what goes in them. You can avoid irritating ingredients and customize the recipe for your skin type. Great for sensitive skin!

Can Use Fresher Ingredients

Pre-made pore strips sit on store shelves for months. With homemade strips, you use ingredients at their peak freshness for optimal results.

Better for the Environment

Making your own cuts down on single-use plastic waste from all those disposable strips. Eco-friendly win!

Tailor Application for Your Skin

Apply a thinner or thicker layer where needed on different areas of your face based on your individual pore concerns.

Fun DIY Skin Care Project

It’s enjoyable and rewarding to make your own beauty treatments! These pore strips make for a quick, simple spa project.

Now that you know all the reasons it’s advantageous to create your own pore cleansing strips at home, let’s get into how to do it!

Before You Start – Preparation Tips

Before making and applying your homemade pore strip, keep these tips in mind:

• Do a patch test – Try out the pore strip on a small area first to ensure you don’t have any negative reaction to the ingredients before putting it on your whole face.
• Wash your face – Thoroughly cleanse and dry your face before applying the pore strip so it can stick properly. Any makeup, oils or lotions on your skin can interfere.
• Know where to apply – Pore strips work best on oily areas with large pores, like the nose, chin, forehead and cheeks. Don’t apply to sensitive eye area or broken skin.
• Work quickly – You’ll want to apply the pore strip mixture immediately after making it while it’s still warm and fluid. Have your face prepped and ready to go.
• Adjust application technique – Use fingers, a makeup brush or pore strip applicator wand to cover different areas of the face based on pore strip thickness needed.
• Let dry fully – For the strip to be effective at drawing out impurities, you must let it dry on your face completely. 10-15 minutes.
• Remove gently – Peel slowly from the edges inward and opposite of hair growth direction. Don’t rip it off quickly or you may irritate skin.

Okay, now that you know how to prep properly for your DIY spa treatment, let’s get into what ingredients you’ll need!

Pore Strip Ingredients

Homemade pore strips only require a couple of simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:

Gelatin

Unflavored gelatin acts as the binding agent that gives the strips the right consistency to adhere to skin and harden. Look for powdered gelatin on the baking aisle or with canning supplies.

Gelatin derived from animal collagen works best. For vegan options, agar agar powder or carrageenan can be substituted.

Milk

The proteins in milk help strengthen the hold of the gelatin mixture so the strip stays intact on your skin as it dries. Skim milk is ideal since the lower fat content allows it to dry better than whole milk.

Essential Oils (Optional)

While not necessary, adding 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil makes your pore strips smell lovely. Lavender, peppermint, and tea tree oil are popular options.

And that’s it – just those 2-3 simple ingredients needed to make your own customized pore cleansing strips at home!

Now let’s get into the fun part…

Step-By-Step Instructions

Follow these easy steps to make and use homemade pore strips:

1. Bloom the Gelatin

First, you’ll want to “bloom” the gelatin. This means sprinkling the dry gelatin powder over milk and letting it sit for about 5 minutes.

This softens up the individual gelatin grains so they absorb the milk and turn into a jello-like consistency when heated.

Use about 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder per 1/4 cup milk as a good ratio. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk in a small bowl or measuring cup. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.

2. Heat the Mixture

Next, heat up the bloomed gelatin milk mixture to dissolve the gelatin. This can be done by:

• Microwaving in 15 second intervals, stirring in between.
• Placing the container in a small pot of simmering water to create a double boiler effect.
• Heating very gently over low heat on the stove, stirring regularly.

Heat just until the gelatin has fully dissolved into the milk and the texture is smooth. Be very careful not to overheat or boil, which can destroy the gelatin proteins.

Remove from heat as soon as gelatin has dissolved. The mixture will appear creamy and slightly thickened.

3. Let Cool Slightly

Allow the heated gelatin milk mixture to cool down slightly so it is no longer hot to the touch. It needs to cool enough to be poured or applied to your skin without burning.

But it should still be liquid and warm enough not to congeal. Think of the texture as similar to a thick honey.

Run the container under cold water to speed up cooling if needed. You want to use the mixture while still fluid so work quickly in the next steps!

4. Add Essential Oils (Optional)

Once the gelatin mixture has cooled down a bit, you can stir in any essential oils you’d like to add for nice aromatherapy benefits.

Most oils can simply be stirred right into the mixture. For thicker oils like coconut oil, emulsify first with a teaspoon of milk before adding.

Use about 2-3 drops of essential oil per 1/4 cup of gelatin mixture. Lavender and mint oils provide soothing properties.

5. Apply to Face

Working quickly while the gelatin mixture is still warm and liquid, apply a thick layer to oily areas of your face.

Use fingers, a makeup brush, silicone brush or pore strip applicator wand to apply the mixture for maximum control.

Focus on oily T-zone areas like nose, chin and forehead where pores tend to be enlarged and clogged. Avoid eyes and mouth.

Press down and smooth to help the mixture adhere. Apply an even, thick layer for best results. Don’t apply too thinly.

6. Let Dry Completely

Here comes the hard part – trying not to move a muscle while you wait 10-15 minutes for the pore strip to dry!

As it dries, you’ll feel the mixture tightening and hardening on your skin. Let it dry fully so it can effectively extract debris when removed.

To help pass the time, play relaxing music or meditation. Try not to make facial expressions which can cause the strip to crack.

If strip hasn’t fully hardened after 15 minutes, leave it on a little longer. It depends on thickness applied and air temperature/humidity.

7. Peel Slowly Off

Okay, it’s time for the fun part – peeling off your homemade pore strip! Work slowly and gently to avoid irritation.

Start peeling from one edge of the strip, working inward across your face. Gently peel against the direction of hair growth for easiest removal.

Pulling the strip off slowly allows it to draw out sebum, dead skin and buildup from your pores for a thorough cleanse. Don’t rip it off quickly.

8. Rinse Residue

After removing the pore strip, use lukewarm water to rinse away any leftover gelatin residue on your face.

Gently massage as you rinse to clear away any remaining debris brought to the surface. Pat skin dry with a soft towel when done.

9. Moisturize

Your skin may feel a little sensitive after the intense pore cleansing, so remember to apply a nourishing moisturizer or serum.

Look for moisturizers with skin-soothing ingredients like aloe, vitamin E or hyaluronic acid. Follow with SPF in the AM.

And that’s all it takes to treat your pores to a satisfying deep clean using ingredients from your kitchen!

Tips for Best Results

Here are some tips to ensure your homemade pore strips work as effectively as the store-bought kind:

• Only apply to clean, dry skin for optimal adhesion. Remove makeup, oils and lotions first.
• Spread on an even, thick layer so the strip can adhere tightly to skin and extract debris.
• As the strip starts to dry, press down on it gently to make full contact with skin.
• Let dry completely before attempting to peel off for best results. Don’t rush it!
• Pull slowly in the opposite direction of hair growth for easy, painless removal.
• Avoid using on irritated, sunburned or raw skin which can be further sensitized.
• Store any leftover mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to liquefy before using.

Following these best practices will help you get the most out of your homemade DIY pore strips for clean, glowing skin!

Pros and Cons of Homemade Pore Strips

Like any skin care product, homemade pore strips come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at a quick pros vs cons comparison:

Pros

• Very inexpensive and affordable long-term
• Ability to customize ingredients based on skin needs
• Preservative free from fresh ingredients
• Less irritating than chemicals in store-bought pore strips
• Eco-friendly and reduces plastic waste
• Fun, rewarding DIY skin care project

Cons

• Takes 10-15 minutes for strips to dry before removing
• Messy to make compared to grab-and-go pore strips
• May not remove extremely stubborn blackheads as effectively
• Must let dry fully for strips to work properly
• Some trial and error to get technique right

Overall, the pros seem to outweigh the cons for most people. Making your own pore strips is an easy, affordable way to care for your skin!

Storing Leftover Pore Strip Mixture

You likely won’t use up all your homemade pore strip mixture in one session. Not to worry – it stores easily!

Simply transfer any leftover gelatin mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

When ready to reuse, remove from fridge and reheat briefly until liquefied again. Test temperature before applying.

Use within a week for best potency. Toss out if you notice any off smells or colors developing.

Making just a small batch at a time prevents waste so you can enjoy fresh pore strips anytime!

Conclusion

Hopefully this give you everything you need to DIY your own pore strips tailored for your skin type right from your kitchen.

The process truly is simple – just mix up gelatin with milk to create a peel-off mask perfect for deeply cleansing your pores and revealing smooth, glowy skin.

Customize your homemade strips with different natural ingredients to get the benefits your skin needs. With the affordability of making them yourself, you can treat your pores to this spa treatment as often as needed!

For optimal results, be sure to properly prep skin, apply an even layer, let dry fully, and peel slowly. Follow up with moisturizer.

Next time your pores feel congested, skip the store and try out this easy recipe for homemade pore strips instead. Your skin and wallet will thank you!