Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer Review

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer ($9.99 at Ulta) draws dirt and oil out of the skin with natural charcoal to help your pores look smaller.

Charcoal seems to be the latest buzzword in skincare, but it's been around for a long time due to it's ability to draw dirt and oil out of the skin like a magnet. I've been using the Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Mask for a few years now (see my review here) and it's one of my favorites.  Charcoal an insanely porous material that works by the process of adsorbtion (nope, that's not a typo!). Adsorbtion is different from absorption in that it doesn't suck things in like a sponge, it attracts things like molecules, atoms, and ions to it by electrical attraction so they stick to the surface. You can take it internally to help an upset stomach or gas pains (I used to give it to my son when he was a baby- it's called Colic Calm and is a lifesaver for all you new moms out there!), and it's also used in medicine help to remove poisonous substances from your body like alcohol or venom by attracting them to it and whisking them out of your body so they don't absorb into your bloodstream. In skincare, it attracts dirt, oil and sebum as well as any other environmental impurities sitting on your skin or in your pores and draws them out, making your skin look clearer and brighter. This whole process helps to minimize pores because when pores are clean, they look smaller (nothing can actually shrink your pores despite some product claims). So charcoal is a great ingredient for all skin types, but especially oily or acne-prone. 

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer is a combination face wash/scrub that contains charcoal to deep cleanser and micro-crystals to remove dead skin on the surface that can clog pores and make skin look dull.

Ingredients:
Water, Alumina, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Laureth-4 Carboxylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xantham Gum, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-39, Ehtylparaben, Disodium Edta, Charcoal Powder, Benzophenone-4, Methylisothiazolinone

It comes in a tube with a slide-top dispenser that gives you just the right amount of product for your face with one press of the button. It's really easy to use and I prefer this type of packaging to a tube with a flip-top cap (like the Freeman one) especially in the shower because it's not always easy to get flip caps open in the shower when your hands are wet. This one is really easy to open, but the downside is that some of the product stays inside the dispenser tube after use and if you don't use it at least a few times a week, it can dry out and harden inside there. 

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer 

When you first pump it out, it looks like a grayish black gel with tiny aluminum oxide micro-crystals in it. I actually prefer micro-crystals to beads or crushed seeds because are really effective in scrubs (it's what they use in micro-dermabrasion). Crushed seeds and shells can cause tiny tears in your skin and micro-beads are gentle but they don't break down and are bad for the environment so I don't like to use products with either one of those in it. Anyway, there aren't a ton of crystals in this formula so it's effective but not harsh like a micro-dermabrasion would be.
When you add water to the Charcoal Pore Minimizer, it turns from a gray-black gel to a milky grayish white foam. It smells amazing...fresh and clean, sort of like green apples to my nose but it's a mild scent and not overpowering at all.
It has a satisfying amount of grit so you really feel like you're getting a deep-down clean. I have dry skin so I have to limit my use of this to 2-3 times a week or else I start feeling tight. Still, I'm in love with the way my skin looks and feels after using it...it's smooth and silky soft and I noticed less pores on my nose after the first couple of uses, probably because the blackheads are disappearing. Plus, my skin just looks brighter overall after using this and I haven't experienced any irritation.

Biore Charcoal Pore Minimizer
Clockwise from left- First dispensed, Spread on the Skin, With Water Added.

Overall, if you're looking for an effective face wash/scrub combo, this is a great budget-friendly option! Plus, the addition of charcoal makes this super effective at getting the gunk out of your pores naturally. You can find this at Ulta and drugstores where Biore products are carried (I found mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond).