It’s Gross Seeing How Much Gunk This ‘Pore Vacuum’ Sucks From My Skin—And Also Deeply Satisfying

As a skin-care lover, I’m ashamed to admit how often I’d poke, prod, squeeze, and simply examine my pores. Blackheads have been my enemy ever since hormones kicked in. (As if middle school wasn’t bad enough.) Even with a regimented face washing routine, decades later I still wasn’t able to nix the bumps on my forehead and the little black spots on my nose.

Then recently, like angels singing down from the heavens, a new skin-care tool came into my life and changed everything. Or, at least changed my pores.

Meet my new obsession: BeautyBio’s GLOfacial Hydration Facial Pore Cleansing Tool ($199), which I affectionately call my pore vacuum. With a simple swipe of this tool over your entire face, you can gently suction out all the dirt, excess oil, and old makeup that’s been living in your pores. It simultaneously unclogs pores and exfoliates dead skin cells while infusing your skin with a clarifying serum, leaving you with hydrated, smooth skin and a glow like you just walked out of a facial. In fact, it’s not unlike an at-home hydrafacial—one that you can give yourself several times a week.

If you’re wondering if pore vacuums are dermatologist-approved, in general they get the thumbs up. Board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD gives tools like the GLOfacial the go-ahead for surface-level suction, but recommends leaving the serious skin work to professionals. “Pore vacuums offer mild suction to help remove blackheads from the skin,” Dr. Zeichner explains. “They may be effective in clearing mild blockages, but may not be enough if you have large or deep-rooted blackheads.”

The first time I revved up my GLOfacial, I had high—but tentative—hopes. I wasn’t expecting a miracle for my pesky blackhead situation, but I was hoping for one, especially since I’m meticulous about my skin-care routine. So meticulous that it doesn’t matter how many martinis I drink, or if I fall asleep on the couch watching yet another sea life documentary, or how much I really don’t feel like it: I never (ever, ever) skip washing my face before crawling into bed. I also rarely wear makeup and am serious about exfoliating.

Let me tell you. After my face’s maiden voyage with the GLOfacial, I was shocked to see the chamber of cloudy, dirty water with all kinds of floaties.

That was in my face?

I immediately had to do it again. And again the next day. Now I’m on a regular rotation of sucking all the gunk out of my pores a few times a week. It’s wild—wild!—what still comes out, even with regular use.

Here’s how the GLOfacial works. First you have to patiently wait while it charges. (Tough, I know.) Then, cleanse your skin, leaving your face damp. Add the included clarifying salicylic and plumping hyaluronic acid to the fill line of the left chamber and top it off with water. (You can also skip the serum and just use water.) Then turn it on, choosing between one of three suction modes.

Holding your skin taut, move the tool slowly but steady. Keep the tool upright, too—it’ll beep at you if it’s being held at the wrong angle. Once the left chamber is empty, admire all the gunk that you sucked out of your face and then clean both chambers with the included cleansing brush. Clean the tips with soap and warm water too. Follow a vacuuming session with a gentle skin-care routine, and for the best results, use the GLOfacial three times a week.

Goodbye blackheads, see you never. Now excuse me while I go suck the gunk out of my skin again.

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