As a makeup artist I find myself dealing with visible, enlarged pores on a near daily basis. They usually appear on areas where your skin is oily particularly on the forehead, chin and nose. There are products out there such as pore fillers and creams that will help reduce the pore size but the best way to deal with them is to take good care of your skin in the first place.
Did you know that we all have millions of pores? They only become a worry when they start to become visible to the naked eye and can make your skin look like orange peel. Pores start to worsen in your 20s but there are a few tricks you can do to reduce the visibility of pores.
Larger pores are more common in people with medium or darker skin tones and are affected by age and genes. Yes, if you’re family have enlarged pores there is a greater chance you will have too.
Pores are the openings to your hair follicles which contains a sebaceous gland and produces oil to help keep your skin looking hydrated and healthy. Oily or blemish prone skin will probably have pores that appear larger as trapped sebum and dead skin cells can cause them to clog and stretch out. Collagen is the support structure of your skin so when this deteriorates through ageing and sun damage the pores will get bigger over time. The sun’s UV rays combined with free radicals weaken collagen and elastin, the two supporting structures of the skin. Daily sunblock is a must for helping to reduce pore size.
Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Use nightly after cleansing to retain a healthy and hydrated skin. For oily skin use a lighter product such as a lotion that is noncomedogenic which means it won’t clog your pores.
Sadly, you can’t change your pore size, however you can minimise their appearance with good skincare habits.
- Cleanse. Look to buying a cleansing brush. This will help remove grime and excess oil along with makeup.
- Exfoliate. At least twice a week. Try an exfoliator which contains salicylic acid. This helps remove dead skin cells so they don’t settle into the pores. Another tip is to look for one which has a hydrating ingredient such as glycerine.
- Moisturise. At night as mentioned before.
- Protect. Get that sun cream out on even dull days. SPF 15 at least. Look for one that has high concentrations of Niacinamide which is reported to effectively reduce the appearance or pore size.
- Glow. A good CC cream will diffuse and reflect light making your complexion look smoother.
- Keep your hands off your face. The bacteria on your fingers can transfer to your face and make its way into your pores. Picking at clogged pores can be tempting, but ultimately, it usually results in an angrier blemish, blood, scabbing and even scarring.
- Treat yourself to a chemical peel. This treatment will improve the appearance of your pores over time. Get a peel that works under the surface of the skin. This will give you an instant glow without making your skin look worse before it looks better.
- Use of retinoid cream. This is available in prescription strength or over the counter. Retinoid cream will help boost skin cell turnover, which makes for smaller pores. You’ll see noticeably reduced looking pores in a matter of weeks.
- Clay mask. These are another secret weapon for how to minimise pores, because they work quickly to unclog by taking out all of the oil.
- Avoid shimmery makeup. We all love a good highlighter, but this will emphasise the look of your pores. Keep shimmery makeup limited to the areas of the face that naturally have small pores. These are; the tops of the cheekbones, the upper bridge of the nose and the eyelids. Use matte products on any areas with larger pores. This will draw the eye to the smoothest areas of your skin.