Getting rid of blackheads is a pain, sometimes literally. For many of us, our first experience with clearing out our pores was that not-so-gentle rip of a sticky nose strip. But physically yanking blackheads and pore gunk out of your skin is a seriously outdated beauty practice. There have been a lot of new innovations in the war against pores since then, and the latest is by far our favorite.

The Whamisa by Glow Studio Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads use a mix of charcoal and levulinic acid to gently exfoliate skin and refine pores in a way that doesn’t involve traumatizing your skin. But that’s not the only thing that makes them superior — thanks to antioxidant-rich chai tea, they also soothe and hydrate your skin, leaving it refreshed and majorly glowy.

Since the word “gentle” and “exfoliating” don’t always go hand-in-hand, we decided to have four Glow Recipe team members with very different skin types test drive the product to see what exactly this charcoal-and-chai overachiever could do for their skin. Here are their stories.

Yasmeen before using the Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads, and after one week of use.

Yasmeen Gharnit, Senior Manager of Content
Skin Type: Dry, Sensitive, and Redness-Prone
First Impression: I have really sensitive skin so I tend to approach any exfoliating product very cautiously. Luckily, I had no reason to be scared of these pads. The formula was super-gentle and made my skin feel hydrated and nourished instead of stripped. I was glowing, even hours later.
One Week Later: My skin is definitely more radiant than it was before I started using this product. It’s been absorbing my other skin-care products better and feels a lot smoother. After the first use, I started to gently rinse the product off with water, which is definitely the way to go for my skin. People with normal or dry skin types can leave the product on and just skip to the next step in their routine, but since my skin is so reactive, washing it off gave me the results I wanted but without any potential for irritation. I’ve also started to wear sunscreen whenever I leave the house (a step I admittedly skipped too often) because it contains sun-sensitive levulinic acid, which feels like a huge, positive life change. My mother is very proud.
Emoji Summary: ⚡???

Talyah before using the Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads, and after one week of use.

Talyah Falabella, Senior Manager of Digital Experience
Skin Type: Normal
First Impression: I’ve never used peeling pads before (they sound too scary to me!) so I usually opt to use a physical grain exfoliator. But after using these, I am converted. My face was instantly glowing and I could feel it working its magic instantly.
One Week Later: My skin is radiant and has never felt smoother. My mum even commented on my skin and how good it looked while I was FaceTiming with her. A glow that can be seen internationally? I’m sold.
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Yeji before using the Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads, and after one week of use.

Yeji Yang, Content Creator
Skin Type: Oily and Acne-Prone
First Impression: Usually products that claim to be pore refining (any pore strips, exfoliating cleansers, etc.) strip my skin without doing much for my pores. However, these pads did everything they claimed to do, and more. Its magical formula left my skin feeling squeaky clean and so glowy and hydrated. The cotton pads have a slip for your fingers, meaning it was effortless to get every inch of my face and neck (and also my elbows and knees, considering the generous amount of product in each pad). When I lightly rinsed off the remaining product, I was left with instantly smooth, dewy skin.
One Week Later: I am, without a doubt, addicted to this product. I’ve been using them twice a week as part of my regular routine and I can see the effects of their magic even on days when I don’t use them. I’ve noticed a huge change in the appearance of my pores — they’re a lot more refined and tiny, just how I want them!
Emoji Summary: ✨✨✨✨✨

Stevie before using the Charcoal Chai Tea Pore Refining Glow Pads, and after one week of use.

Stevie Chong, Senior PR Manager
Skin Type: Combination and Redness-Prone
First Impression: I immediately noticed my skin looked brighter and glowier. I loved that I didn’t need to rinse off after use and could go straight to my toner step. These pads are literally #skingoals in just 15 seconds.
One Week Later: My skin looks so much clearer and brighter after just one week. These holy grail pads even helped soothe my skin and tone down my redness, which I’ve been struggling with for a few years now.
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