They’re visible, larger than life…but what can you do about them?
There’s no pleasant way around this: pores are the bane of every girl’s existence. You can combat anything from blemishes, pimples or oily skin, but when it comes to dealing with these pesky little (or not-so-little) craters on your face—it can be super exasperating.
Fortunately, a lot of research has been done on how to deal with everything from large pores to clogged pores. Let’s get right into it.
First, what exactly are pores?
Pores can be described as small openings on the outermost layer of your skin in which oil and sweat reach the surface from respective sebaceous glands below. While this keeps your face naturally moisturized, factors like hormonal changes and stress can cause your sebaceous glands to go into overdrive—causing breakouts and large pores or clogged pores.
What can I do to keep my pores clean?
1. Make sure they don’t clog up
Factors like excess sebum secretion on your face or everyday debris can lead to clogged pores. This is also what causes pores to look larger than usual, and lead to acne or breakouts. To avoid clogged pores, ensure you wash your face twice daily using a cleanser with Citric Acid to avoid the build-up of oil and bacteria.
2. Remove your makeup properly
If you swear by the power of makeup wipes—the kind that promise to clean off every inch of your makeup—it never hurts to double-check that you’ve gotten every trace off your face after. And by doing so, we mean rinsing your face with a gentle cleanser to remove any remaining gunk and prevent breakouts.
3. Avoid scrubbing your face
The idea of giving your face a good, thorough clean using a scrub or facial cleansing brush may seem like an effective way to get dirt out of your pores, but the harshness may make your skin even drier, causing dead skin to build up and clog your pores.
4. Gently exfoliate
To follow up on our previous point, not scrubbing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exfoliate altogether—you just need to do it in a smarter way. Try The Moisturizers Co’s Ultra Pore Refiner Anti-Blemish Night Cream, which contains Glycolic Acid to help gently eliminate the build-up of oil and dead skin to prevent clogged pores.
Bonus: the moisturizer also includes Lactic Acid, a hydrating ingredient with oil-controlling properties.
5. Don't skip the toner!
For Dr. Hadley King, a New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist, the secret weapon to healthy skin is face toner.
"Toners are most helpful and necessary for people with oily or acne-prone skin, or for people who want extra cleansing after wearing makeup or other heavy skin products such as sunscreen," she said.
That's not all toners can do. Try a toner with Green Tea and your skin will enjoy some additional pore-minimizing benefits. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in Green Tea can reduce and regulate oil production and prevent UV-induced breakdown of skin's collagen. Furthermore, according to research, the rich amount of polyphenols in Green Tea, when applied to skin, help to reduce sebum secretion which can lead to acne.
6. Use a product with Niacinamide
Also known as Vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid, Niacinamide is the hero ingredient in our Ultra Pore Refiner Anti-Blemish Night Cream. It’s chosen because it’s truly a miracle ingredient with multiple benefits, one of which is helping to reduce the appearance of large pores, while also evening out skin tone and fine lines. What Niacinamide does is to improve your skin’s lipid barrier and increase cell differentiation, in turn producing more collagen and elastin in your skin for an overall younger complexion with noticeably refined pores.
That was helpful! Now, the big question is: is it possible to completely get rid of my pores?
Unfortunately, until rocket science catches up with us, there is no way one can get rid of your pores! But with good cleansing habits, you will barely even notice your pores after a while.
If you're experiencing combination to oily skin with enlarged or clogged pores, be sure to get your hands on the Skin Type #5 bundle from The Moisturizers Co. — besides helping with your pores, it also presents a whole suite of benefits that include reducing inflammation and refreshing your skin. It’s your one-way ticket to truly beautiful, clear skin.
About us: We are Skintelligence, a team focused on a 'skin-first' approach to beauty through artificial intelligence. We match products to you based on your unique skin type and needs. Results are highly accurate and personalized with AI and machine learning. It's fun, convenient, and it works. Try it here.
As featured in Her World, CLEO, FEMALE, Shape, Nuyou, Singapore Women’s Weekly, Daily Vanity, Layers of Skins.
