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Contrary to popular belief, you can't actually close or open your pores. But, what you can do is give them a good old deep cleanse. Because with skin aggressors like pollution and daily grime doing their best to fill your pores with dirt and bacteria, blackheads can seem inevitable. Thankfully, there's a cleanser for that.

The ingredient that's your pores' secret best friend? Charcoal. 'It has long been accepted that charcoal has a cleansing effect on the skin, often recommended for oily skin types because it absorbs excess oil without drying and purge pores of impurities,' says pro facialist Debbie Thomas. 'This action of deep cleansing means pores will appear more refined and less visible, skin will feel softer and smoother.'

From FOREO's genius mini electric face cleansing device, to DHC's pore-cleansing gel and Bioré's charcoal blackhead-busting soap, these are the best facial pore cleansers helping you wave goodbye to the blackheads.

The first face wash launch from Glossier since their iconic Milky Jelly, this pore cleanser uses a team of gentle acid exfoliators to slough away dull, dead skin whilst niacinamide visibly reduces the appearance of pores.

Describing itself as the 'ultimate pore purge', this deep cleansing oil employs a veritable buffet of AHAs (including glycolic, lactic and tartaric acids) to exfoliate and de-gunk skin while prickly pear, neroli and grapefruit oil nourish, de-stress and reduce inflammation.

Tackle clogged pores with this dual mode cleansing device. Start on Extract mode to remove any excess dirt and impurities before switching to Infuse Mode to help increase absorption of your go-to skincare. Who said cleaning your pores couldn't look pretty?

Formulated with AHAs (that's alpha hydroxy acids) this pore cleansing gel gently exfoliates minus the scrubbing to leave your pores squeaky clean, but not stripped of all hydration.

Treat your pores to a bubble bath with Glamglow's foaming purple pore-refining treatment. Simply apply the clay-infused mask, leave to bubble and wash off after just 60 seconds for refreshed and refined skin.

East meets West with this Swedish skincare brand that uses the power of precious metals to improve your skin. Formulated with gold, pearl and rose quartz, this non-foaming cleanser aims to detox skin and minimise the appearance of pores.

The woman behind Megan Markle's glowing royal wedding skin, facialist Sarah Chapman knows a thing or two about a clear complexion. Banish the effects of pollution, dirt and grease with her genius new pore-minimising device that works to decongest clogged pores. A three step process of ionic cleansing, ultrasonic vibrations and extraction leaves pores cleaner and de-clogged and your complexion smoother and more radiant. 

Inspired by traditional Scandinavian spas, this dual cooling/warming scrub uses a blend of glycolic and lactic acid to remove dead skin cells whilst a Green Fusion Complex deeply purifies pores and absorbs excess oil.

Calling on nature's dirt magnet, this charcoal-infused cleanser draws out impurities to leave pores squeaky clean.

Complexion-clearing Saw Palmetto, cooling mint and pore-minimising Salicylic Acid combine in this gentle face wash to give you a virtually poreless finish.

The acid revolution continues with this 3-in-1 micro exfoliant that uses a combo of glycolic and salicylic acid to give pores a proper flush out. 

One for the sensitive skin peeps out there, this super gentle creamy face wash absorbs impurities deep within your pores to help reduce blackheads long term.

FOREO's adorable mini silicone face brush is the perfect travel bag addition for when you want to give your face a good scrub on the go.

Our obsession with all things J-Beauty just reached new heights with DHC's Pore Face Wash. Using an intriguing mix of baking soda and pear juice alpha hydroxy acids, this leaves your skin feeling ultra clean and smooth, rather than stripped.

Our go-to brand for when our skin is playing up, Medik8's paraben and fragrance-free cleanser unclogs pores whilst gently exfoliating - perfect for daily use.

Formulated with the snazzy sounding Amazonian White Clay and Diatomaceous Earth particles, this gently removes oil, dirt and toxins that clog pores on the daily. The result? Clean, fresh skin with smaller pores than ever.

Say the word 'acid' and you might think 'irritated skin' but not with Super Facialist's gentle anti-blemish wash. The combination of skin-clearing salicylic acid and elderflower means you can be kind to your skin whilst also giving your pores a deep cleanse.