Review: Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner

I cannot do without toning in my skincare routine. It just doesn't feel complete without a toner. It's especially crucial for my oily and acne-prone skin which is laden with makeup almost everyday because it helps to get rid of the excess junk on my skin that was not removed by the makeup remover and cleanser. Furthermore, most toners restores the pH level of your skin quickly - when you use cleansers (well most of them lah), your skin's pH level gets tampered. This disturbance is not beneficial to the skin and without a toner, the skin will still work to reinstate the pH level, but with toner, this work gets done quicker. I also truly believe that a good toner can act as a humectant - it helps a moisturiser moisturise better by locking in the moisture (this sentence like tongue twister haha). 

In the past, I used the Michael Todd Organic Lemon Toner and it was a great toner. It didn't break me out and the refreshing smell was a huge plus, especially when applying in those dreary mornings. My moisturiser was also absorbed quickly and it kept my acne at bay. But, the huge problem is cost and long shipping time. Michael Todd is based in USA and so purchasing items and having them delivered to my house in Singapore is not cheap and not fast enough. 

Hence, a change is needed. 

I recently subscribed to a lot of Korean beauty youtubers and many of them were gushing about the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner. I bought mine from Qoo10 for S$20.70 (500ml) with free normal mail. 

I was both excited and anxious. This promised 10 benefits, how exciting right?? But at the same time, I was hoping that this will not cause my skin to break out. 

In case my photo's too small, here are the stated 10 benefits of the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner:

1. Balances skin's ideal pH level
2. Refines skin tones
3. Keeps the elasticity of pores
4. Removes skin surface's dead skin cells
5. Cleanses pore insides with cooling effect
6. Deep cleanses pores
7. Minimizes appearance of pores
8. Controls a large amount of sebum
9. Moisturizes inside and outside of skin
10. Completes smooth glass-like texture (???)

I think they cheated a bit. Isn't point 5 exactly the same as point 6? Okay maybe the addition of "cooling effect" creates the difference. Also, what is point 10?? Why do I want "glass-like texture"??

But you know what, let's not judge a product by its English description. 

My order of Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner came with 50 pieces of Etude House Wonder Pore Daily Cotton Pad. These cotton pads have two sides with different textures - one more rough to help with the dead skin cells and the other smooth and soft just like other cotton pads. 

I use the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner with the given cotton pads only at night because I don't want to use the rough side on my skin twice in a single day. It's necessary to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, but too much can also harm your skin. 

But then again, when all 50 pieces have been used up, I don't think I will get more of such cotton pads from Etude House. The usual cotton pad will do just fine. 

My most favourite aspect of the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is the brilliant product packaging! It's similar to those nail polish removers used at nail salons! You just take a cotton pad and with the cotton pad, cover the top of the toner and press down several times. The product is dispensed easily with less effort and less mess. Also, it's a great recyclable bottle! Good job Etude House!

Yes, I'm more excited about the product packaging than the product itself.

Personally, I think the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is alright. It didn't break me out and it definitely made my moisturiser sink in faster. But I don't see a difference in the size of my pores (I have used this for close to a month) and I don't see any skin texture refining. I'm only using it because it prepares my skin for my moisturiser well. And of course, the product packaging gave it many many bonus points.

If you have oily, acne-prone skin, the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner will be a suitable toner to use. However, if you have normal to dry skin, you may want to skip this as the high alcohol content may be too drying for your skin.

Since I bought the 500ml bottle, I think I'm good in the toner department till the end of the year. Repurchasing it will not happen though. I think I want to find a toner that can help more with my acne-prone skin, like reducing redness of acne areas. I can always get another one and replace the packaging with the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner's right? :D

Have a great day ahead guys! :) Do let me know if you know of any suitable toners that I should try!