No. They don’t. Your pores are not little doors you can shrink.
The real goal is making them *look* smaller — by keeping them clean and empty. That’s the viral claim we’re testing.
This is GlamGlow‘s Super-Mud. $69. It promises to visibly “clear and refine” pores in 10 minutes. The internet swears by it.
6-Acid Complex
It’s a chemical exfoliant pretending to be a mud mask.
Kaolin & Bentonite
The actual clay — pulls oil to the surface as it dries.
Licorice Root
Calms the redness all that exfoliation can cause.
Photo: Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer / Unsplash
It’s less about mud, more about acids. The formula is smart — it clears out gunk *and* tries to soothe the aftermath.
- Salicylic Acid: Gets inside pores to dissolve oil and dead skin
- Glycolic Acid: Dissolves surface glue holding dead cells
- Lactic Acid: Gentler surface exfoliation + hydration
- Charcoal: The visual drama — adsorbs some impurities
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
Cool gray paste. Spreads thin. The tingle hits fast — not painful, but you feel it working. Dries tight in 7 minutes.
After 3 uses, my skin felt smoother. But the real surprise? It’s not drying. My combo skin didn’t freak out and over-produce oil.
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
Pores look cleaner, so they appear less obvious. Blackheads on my nose are visibly reduced. But they’re not “shrunk” — just empty. Texture is undeniably smoother.
Photo: Fleur Kaan / Unsplash
It works — just not how the myth says. This is a brilliant pore *cleanser*, not a pore shrinker. The results are immediate and real.