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If there’s one thing all of us can probably agree on, it’s that blackheads are our skin’s worst enemy. Much like cockroaches, you’re bound to find dozens more to take down each time you pop one blackhead away. (Sorry if that made you squirm a little!)

So, you can only imagine how popular blackhead-removing skincare products and treatments can be when it comes to tackling these pesky blackened spots – which, in case you didn’t know, are essentially pores on your skin that have been clogged with dead skin cells, debris, and oil as described by Dr. Sandra Lee (a.k.a Dr. Pimple Popper).

Face scrubs are easily the most assessible and common, out of all blackhead-removing skincare on the market. Other products for blackhead removal such as masks and pore strips are available as well (we found 28 blackhead removers with the best reviews that you can try), or you can also consider incorporating an extraction facial monthly to keep your skin clear and radiant.

Recently though, one product, in particular, has been touted by almost 2,700 netizens on Google Reviews to be their go-to formula when they want to gently yet effectively remove blackheads and clear out pores – so much so that they’ve referred to it a a “blackhead vacuum cleaner”!

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Opened Source Instagram

Source: Mario Badescu/Instagram

Enter the Mario Badescu Silver Powder, a fast-acting powder blend of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that is said to absorb oil, remove stubborn blackheads, and tighten pores effectively – even many Hollywood celebrities are apparently fans of the whitish powder!

And, judging by the stellar four-star rating across Google Reviews, Sephora as well as the official Mario Badescu website, the Silver Powder surely must be delivering what it promises to do.

As it originally comes in the form of powder that you’ll need to mix with water in order to turn it into a paste, many users even proclaimed that it’s suitable for sensitive skin – something that not a lot of blackhead-removing products can claim to be.

But, does it really live up to its claim (and hype)? How does it actually work? Keep reading for the answers you need.

How to use the Mario Badescu Silver Powder

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Review Product Closeup

Photo: Lynnett Yip

Step 1: Wet a cotton ball or square slightly with water and dip it into the powder.

Step 2: Press the powder-soaked cotton on the T-zone (nose, chin, and forehead) and other clogged areas of your skin, and allow the powder to be absorbed by your skin for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Using your preferred pore-shrinking toner or astringent, gently wipe off the powder.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder is recommended to be used once or twice a week for best results, but plenty of netizens actually noticed positive changes after just the first use – suggesting that continuous use of the powder can effectively reduce pores and help you bid farewell to blackheads.

To find out if that is really true, Daily Vanity decided to test the Mario Badescu Silver Powder for ourselves.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder review: what is Daily Vanity’s verdict?

I have combination-dry skin, which means my T-zone is oily while my U-zone is drier than the other areas of my face. So, I tested the Mario Badescu Silver Powder on two areas of my face: my forehead, where I have tiny bumps that can’t seem to be squeezed out, and my nose that’s housing tons of blackheads rent-free.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Review Before After Tiny Bumps On Forehead

Left: Before | Right: After using Mario Badescu Silver Powder on my forehead

I used the powder according to its usage instructions outlined above, and as you can see from the photo of my forehead above, Mario Badescu Silver Powder did little to get rid of the tiny bumps in that area. Hardly anything was removed, and the bumps didn’t exactly go away on its own even a few days after.

Truthfully, I wasn’t all that surprised that it couldn’t send those pesky bumps packing as I believe these would be better taken care of by skillful beauticians via extraction. However, I did notice that my forehead area became slightly brighter than before.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Review Before After Blackheads On Nose

Top: Before | Bottom: After using Mario Badescu Silver Powder on my nose

It wasn’t the same case for my nose, though. As you can tell from the image above, most of the blackheads on my nose seemed to have disappeared after 10 minutes – and that’s just my first use! You can only imagine how impressed I was to see such immediate results on my nose.

Trying such a powder for the first time, I have to say that I’m fairly amazed by the Silver Powder. Although it couldn’t do much to lessen the bumps on my forehead, it did do a great job at taking down the blackheads on my nose in such a short amount of time.

That said, I have to point out Silver Powder’s flaw that lies in its packaging. Because it’s in a featherlight powder form, you have to really be careful when opening the jar for the first time. If you don’t, you risk wasting a significant amount of product when pulling out the protective seal.

You also need to deal with the messy application of the gooey paste, which is quite a chore to mix and pick up with the cotton ball/square. On top of that, there’ll also be quite a bit of “flaking” once the paste has completely dried up on your face.

My advice? Peel the seal just halfway through instead of pulling it all the way off. That way, you have more control in pouring out the amount of product that you need each time.

And, instead of picking up the Silver Powder in the jar directly, I’d say that it’s much easier to pour some out onto a small plate or bowl instead so that the rest of the product stays untouched.

I’d also suggest you apply a hot towel to your forehead, nose, and chin after cleansing for two minutes to open up the pores. Much like how beauticians use steaming during facials to facilitate the extraction process, using a hot towel beforehand can likely help maximise the effects of the Mario Badescu Silver Powder.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Review Cotton Pad Application

Standard usage instructions tell you to use the Silver Powder with a damp cotton pad, but you can also use it without – if you prefer

Additionally, I’d also recommend mixing the powder into a paste and applying a thick layer directly onto the areas you want to treat, which is what many reviewers did instead of pressing a powder-soaked cotton ball/pad onto the skin.

With this alternative method, you allow the formula to get in direct contact with your skin instead of letting a cotton pad absorb most of the product before it even touches your skin. You might also want to have a Q-tip or a water peeling device on standby on the side to gently scrape off any blackheads creeping up the surface of the nose.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder Flatlay Source Instagram

Source: Mario Badescu/Instagram

All in all, I would say that the Mario Badescu Silver Powder makes a good skincare buy despite its disadvantages. Firstly, it’s quite a value for money, judging by its S$27 price tag. I say that because you really need only a little pinch of the powder to make the paste each time, so a little goes a long way for the Silver Powder.

Secondly, it does deliver visible results instantly so you can imagine the good it can do to your skin texture if you persevere and use it long-term in your routine. Thirdly, it’s really gentle on the skin, which makes it a great alternative over pore strips that can damage and irritate the skin when used too frequently.

So, if your skin is in need of a gentle product to dissolve trapped gunk and excess sebum on your skin, the Mario Badescu Silver Powder is definitely worth considering. In addition, you may want to combine the powder with the brand’s popular Drying Lotion (S$36 from Sephora.sg) if your skin is acne-prone.

Mario Badescu Silver Powder retails for S$27 on Sephora.sg.

Related: Got a case of maskne? Here are 14 best facials that will help – including deals from S$30!