First product I introduced to my virgin AB routine was the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner, which boasts the ability to be a superhero for your pores, doing 10 things in 1 step, and a pH of less than 5.5. And I think someone tested it to be about 5.0ish on r/AB. I initially bought this product for my SO, who complains about blackheads on his nose as well as large pores throughout his entire nose and cheek area. On a side note, I personally do not suffer from large/visible pores or many blackheads, and I think the previous condition of my skin should be kept in mind as I review this product.

Claims:

This product claims to do 10 things in 1 step. These 10 things include: balance skin’s ideal pH level, refine skin tones, keep the elasticity of pores, remove skin surface’s dead skin cells, cleanse pore insides with cooling effect, deep cleanse pores, minimize appearance of pores, control a large amount of sebum, moisturize inside and outside of skin, complete smooth glass-like texture.

Packaging:

The product arrived in a sturdy plastic box that felt nice to the touch. The bottle packaging inside is adorable, and the cap is small enough to allow the product to dispense in drops. There is no feeling of pouring out too much product because you accidently tilted the bottle too far forward, etc.

I only use about 5-6 drops, without a cotton pad, and it applies to my entire face. The first thing I notice about this product is the intense smell of alcohol. I know this product lists alcohol as the second ingredient, but I don’t mind, smells like vodka, and I used to chug vodka so it doesn’t bother me one bit. But others might feel more strongly the other way.

Ingredients:

WATER, ALCOHOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, MENTHA ARVENSIS EXTRACT, VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS FRUIT/ LEAF EXTRACT, SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM (SUGAR CANE) EXTRACT, CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT EXTRACT, CHAM- AECYPARIS OBTUSA WATER, GINKGO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT, ACER SACCHARUM (SUGAR MAPLE) EXTRACT, GENTIANA LU- TEA ROOT EXTRACT, ARTEMISIA ABSINTHIUM EXTRACT, ARNICA MONTANA FLOWER EXTRACT, ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM EXTRACT, GLYCERETH-26, GLYCERIN, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE, ACETIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL

Bear in mind the 1% rule – products in cosmetics past the fourth usually are not in the product in a significant concentration. At or around the preservative ingredient, the products listed are usually in the 1% – concentration of the ingredients that which allows the manufacturer to list the products in any order they choose. I know that Korean Cosmetics do not adhere to the same rules as American FDA enforced standards, but I believe that the 1% rule is significant there as well.

The third and fourth ingredients on this list (after alcohol and water) are butylene glycol and betaine, both which serves similar functions. Butylene glycol is a mainly used as a solvent, to prevent crystallization of the rest of the ingredients but is also a humectant, which draws and holds water, normally used in moisturizers. Betaine is an ingredient taken up by cells to protect itself from osmotic stress by permitting water retention within the cells, protecting from the effects of dehydration. I think that these two ingredients following alcohol offsets the drying effects of alcohol, and gives this toner slight moisturizing effects.

For fun, the fifth ingredient is Mentha arvensis extract, which a quick Google search showed me was mint extract, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which I think is pretty cool as an ingredient, and can be slightly attributed to the cooling feeling of the product.

Performance:

It gives me a fresh feeling when I pat it on, which I suspect is the mint extract, and the alcohol scent goes away when I start patting the product in and spreading it around. But I’ve used this product for approximately 2 months and I haven’t noticed a single difference in my skin. My small pores have not done anything miraculous and my skin tone has not evened out or anything dramatic of that sort that is claimed on the product. In fact, I see absolutely no difference in my skin with application of this product twice daily, so I’m looking at other more hydrating options, like the Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (Moist). On the flip side, this product has not had any negative effects on my skin so far even with the alcohol content on my dry skin, so that’s good, I guess? There is no tight feeling on my face, increased breakouts, or redness or anything that I can note.

BUT on my SO, remember him with the large, dark pores and oily T-zone? We did a Biore Nose strip for fun for him, because we had a free sample one before we started trial-using the toner, and as of today, his pores are a lot clearer looking, cleaner, and less visible. Again, it is nothing dramatic, but noticeable if you push your face into the mirror to scrutinize your nose. His skin tone had no change, but his oiliness is better controlled especially about the nose area. For him, I believe the toner worked much better. 😀 I came in not expecting the toner to do much for me, so maybe this is experimenter’s bias? Alas, I have yet to determine a method of testing my products that my scientifically trained mind feels alright with.

Lived up to claim?

This product has a whole lot of claims, some which it lived up to, and some which it did not.

Claims it lived up to: balance skin’s ideal pH level, cleanse pore insides with cooling effect (it DOES have a cooling effect), minimizes appearance of pores by keeping them cleaner, controls a large amount of sebum for my SO

Claims I’m pretty sure it did not live to: refine skin tones, keep the elasticity of pores (unfortunately, nothing can change the size of pores), remove skin surface’s dead skin cells (not an exfoliant?), deep cleanse pores, moisturize inside and outside of skin, complete smooth glass-like texture

Conclusion:

4/5 Green Tea leaves… I enjoy using this product, but not enough to repurchase as I think that there are better products out there. I will give the remaining to my SO, or use simply as a pH adjusting toner on the nights that I use my actives.

I may repurchase for the SO though, so there’s that.