The truth of the matter is you cannot make your pores disappear. You need your pores. They allow oil and sweat to reach your skin’s surface. However, you can make them look smaller. There are a couple of things that affect the size of your pores.
Think of pores as rubber bands. The baseline size is genetic, but they can also expand and shrink. Once they are stretched due to age, clogging, and other factors, they look huge. And of course, you want to do something about it. The good news is there are a lot of actions you can take in your pore-plan-of-action.
Why pores appear larger?
Before we get to the five ways to minimize pores, let’s talk about why do they appear so damn huge? Well, it is all because of you. There are a couple of factors that affect the size of your pores.
Clogging
You haven’t washed your face in a couple of days? Well, bad news for you. All the dirt, pollutants, toxins, debris, oil, and so on, is clogging your pores. And they appear larger.
Acne
Most of us had acne as teenagers. Big whoop. Everyone did. The problem is, sometimes, the enlarged sebaceous glands causing acne never really properly shrunk. And because of that, they are producing a lot of oil. What you can do is try a couple of treatments that will shrink your stretched pores.
Using wrong makeup
One of the first things people do when they have a pore problem is to reach for concealer or powder to mask and hide pores. But using the wrong product can actually enhance your pores. The right way of action is using a primer to seal your pores before applying any makeup.
With that in mind, let’s talk about five ways to solve pores.
How to minimize pores
Exfoliate
The best way to solve your pores-appearing-larger problem is to exfoliate. Regular exfoliation can clear out debris and dead skin cells. When the latter pileup, they creep into your pores, clog them, and make them look much larger than they actually are.
The easiest way to solve the problem is exfoliation. If you are prone to breakouts, use products that contain hydroxyl acid, as they will help dissolve oil and dead skin cells, as well as oil buildup.
For a regular exfoliation, any product containing alpha hydroxy acid will help, as it breaks up the bonds that hold cells together. In the process, the product will remove dead skin cells.
Decrease sebum
We acknowledged by now that sebum production is a large problem for pores. With that in mind, you need a mask that can decrease sebum production. Try any charcoal or clay-based products or masks. They work like magnets to draw impurities, oil, bacteria, and anything else out of your pores. As a result, your pores will look a lot smaller.
Use these products on a weekly or two-times per week basis. Just remember, you cannot use clay or charcoal masks on the same day you exfoliate. The two treatments on the same day can be tough on your skin, and even increase the risk of irritation.
Moisturize
One of the main problems with skin prone to large pores is lack of hydration and moisture. It is a mistake people often make with oily skin. They skip moisturizer, thinking that it will add more oil to their face. But that is a huge mistake.
Moisturizing products help you with natural sebum production and allow the natural sebum to penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin. By doing so, they reduce the appearance of oiliness, condition your skin, and make sure pores appear in normal size.
For people with large pores, be sure to choose a light and water-based moisturizer for balanced hydration.
Boost collagen
As you age, your skin loses collagen and elastin, two crucial ingredients for keeping the elasticity of your skin. Collagen is a protein that breaks down over time. And because collagen is responsible for strengthening the walls of your pores, you need it.
When it comes to collagen production, you can boost it with your diet, or consider getting fillers. Applying creams and lotions that promote collagen production also helps.
Apply sunscreen
Sun can make your skin less supple, which in turns makes pores appear larger and bigger. That is why you need to apply sunscreen on a daily basis. A lot of people forget and ignore sunscreen.
While there is a broad-spectrum of sunscreen products, always go with one that has at least 30SPF. As a bonus, avoid being in the sun as much as possible from 11 am to 4 pm.
Lifestyle tips
In addition to following the beauty care routines for reducing pores, you can also make some changes in your lifestyle habits. By doing so, you can prevent pores from appearing larger, and reduce their size.
Here are some tips
- Avoid foods that are high in fat and unhealthy oils. They will inflame the skin, and cause clogged pores
- Do not sleep with your makeup on. Wash your face to avoid clogging of the pores. Washing your face also stops pores from having to expand and holds them in place
- Stay hydrated, both from the inside and from the outside. We already talked about how moisture can help with a hydration of the skin. But you also want to provide enough hydration for your body from the inside. Consume a lot of water to make sure your pores do not appear larger
