| Product: |
Superdrug Tea Tree Nose Strips |
| Date: |
11/02/06 (3052 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: refreshing, removes blackheads, cleansing
Disadvantages: short term effects, ackward to apply
Blackheads, we all loathe them. Even though they are not visible to anyone else but ourselves and to our partners, we still feel the urge to get rid of them. On one occasion, I tried Biore beauty strips for my chin - only to find that they were truly a waste of money - the three little blackheads they removed did not warrant the steep price tag. But when I saw some blackheads on my fiance's nose and unkindly pointed them out to him, he suggested trying some of those blackhead nose strips. It just so happened that I had read a review on the cheaper Superdrug Tea Tree nose strips, so I decided to give them a go.
***The product***
The nose strips come in a green rectangular and bright-green box, about the size of a deck of cards. On the front of the box you can see the Superdrug logo, two leaves in darker green, and the product name, "Tea Tree Nose Strips". The product promises deep pore cleansing with the aid of natural tea tree oil. They are intended to help the consumer maintain a healthy and clear complexion, relieve blockages and leave pores cleaner.
Each box contains 5 nose strips. These are enclosed in a white foil wrapper, which provides the consumer with a step-by-step guide for using the nose strips. Each white strip is about the size of a medium-sized plaster and affixed to a clear plastic backing.
***How to use***
Before using the nose strips, you need to clean your face in the usual way. After you have cleaned your face, you need to ensure that you splash your nose with plenty of water - otherwise your nose strip will not stick to your nose firmly. It is also essential to dry your hands thoroughly - other wise the nose strip may become stuck to your hands, which would be pretty useless in terms of blackhead removal.
You then need to remove the strip from its clear plastic backing and apply the strip to your nose - the smooth side down to touch your skin. The instructions advise you to press down firmly to ensure sufficient adhesion to the skin.
The strip has to be left on your nose for about 10 to 12 minutes, after which it is supposed to feel stiff. You remove the strip by starting at the edges and pulling it towards the middle of your nose.
Finally, you are supposed to wash your face, to ensure all residue is removed.
These strips should never be used on other areas of the body, on spots or blemishes, broken skin, sunburn or very dry and sensitive skin. You should not use these strips more than once every three days.
***Our experience***
I was the first one to try out the nosestrips. I first cleaned by face with Clearsil, and then wet my nose as instructed. I quickly discovered that I had to rush with drying my hands, as the water would not cling to my nose for very long. I also noticed that it was not a good idea to leave even a tiny amount of moisture on my hands, as it made the nose strip stick to my finger nails.
Once I removed the nose strip from its plastic backing, I found myself a little confused as to where to place the strip on my nose. The pictue on the foil wrapper showed the nose strip being applied to the bottom of the nose, covering the nostril area. Indeed, there are some indents on the nose strip that are probably designed to allow the consumer to place the strip on the nose in such a way as to avoid a stifling of oxyen supply. However, with the limited time available to make a decision where to place the strip, I found myself putting the strip much higher up the nose.
Once applied, I smoothed the sides down and let the blackhead removal process begin. I immediately noticed the tingling sensation of the strip being on my nose - fresh, pleasant and cleansing. This sensation disappeared after a couple of minutes. The strips themselves did not have much of an odour to them, just a touch of mint, but too mild to really notice.
After 12 minutes, I decided to remvove the strip from my nose. Removal was relatively painless - it just brought back a tingling sensation to my nose. On examination of the strip, I was rather disappointed. I could not see many visible blackheads on my strip - only about 3 or 4 tiny pricks seemed to have been removed. And my nose did not look any cleaner.
I washed my face of some of the sticky white residue. Slightly disappointed, I decided that my fiance should become the victim of these nose strips. He refused to get up from his comfy couch, so I decided to just bring a wet cloth to the living room, wet his nose and apply a nose strip.
The application of the nose strip was somewhat of a failure - I simply could not get it wet enough to affix the strip properly. Consequently, some of the edges were sticking up, instead of lying smooth against his skin.
I did not expect much from the process, being that we had already failed at step one. But after 10 minutes, when he finally removed the strip, was rather surprised! There were dozens of little blackheads in his nose strip. And his nose looked amazingly clean, I could not stop looking at it all night - such was the difference.
There were, however, effects from the use of the nose strip that we did not expect. About 24 hours later, my fiance started to develop a gigantic spot on his nose - his sensitive skin did not take the process very well. He immediately decided to never use the strips again.
I myself decided to use the remaining nose strips - and mainly experimented with placing it in different areas. I never managed to actually apply it to my face in the way pictured on the foil wrapper and soon discovered that if you lowered it too much, you did in fact cut off some of your oxygen supply.
My subesequent attempts removed more blackheads from my nose than my first attempt - and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. However, I did not feel like the effects lasted very long. Just 24 to 48 hours after using the strips, my nose looked exactly the same again.
***The verdict***
I am certain that I won't be buying these nose strips again. While they are quite cheap, the effects are simply not dramatic enough to justify the waste of my time and money.
***Further information***
Available at Superdrug only, at £2.99 for a pack of 5 nose strips.
Superdrug Stores PLC
Admail 838, Croydon
CR9 4WZ
Summary: A true waste of time and money.
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