I ditched my double cleanse for 30 days. Used only this single glycerin wash. My pores look like I’ve been using a clay mask every night — but I haven’t.
The real test? Day 3. My sebaceous filaments on my nose normally stage a coup. They just… stayed flat. That’s when I knew something was different.
🔍 **What You’re Actually Buying**
It’s a $17 drugstore cleanser from Prequel that claims to be a “multi-use skin gleanser” — which sounds like marketing fluff until you realize it actually works for face, body, and shaving. The claim that hooked me: “non-stripping but deep cleaning.” I’ve heard that lie before.
– **50% Glycerin Base** — Not the usual 2% found in most cleansers. It’s practically a humectant bath.
– **No Foam, No Sulfates** — Gel texture. Zero bubbles. Feels wrong at first.
– **pH 5.5** — Matches skin’s natural level. No sting, even on retinoid nights.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
📸 **What’s Actually Inside**
Three ingredients do the heavy lifting. The rest is just filler-free support. No fragrance, no essential oils, no nonsense.
- Glycerin: Draws water into pores instead of stripping them dry
- Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5): Calms redness in 30 seconds flat
- Allantoin: Gently exfoliates without scrubbing
- Sodium PCA: Helps skin hold onto moisture post-wash
Photo: Harper Sunday / Unsplash
😱 **Texture That Lies**
First pump — I thought I grabbed a half-frozen bottle. It’s thick. Almost syrupy. Rubs in like a clear gel that doesn’t foam, just glides. Feels like you’re doing nothing. That’s the trick.
Week 2 hit and I almost quit. My skin felt… too hydrated? I missed the squeaky-clean lie. But by Week 3, the texture shift was real. My chin bumps — those tiny closed comedones that have lived there since 2019 — started flattening.
✨ **30-Day Reality Check**
What changed: Pore appearance — visibly smaller. Blackhead count dropped by roughly half. Skin feels bouncier, not tight. What stayed the same: I still get the occasional hormonal zit on my jawline. This isn’t a miracle worker, just a damn good base.
🧴 **Final Call**
If you’ve been over-cleansing and wondering why your pores look worse, stop. This is the reset button.