We are born with a certain type of pore and changing them permanently is not really possible.
Pore size really depends on your genetics. People with lighter skin tend to have less-visible pores, while those with darker skin, or if they are excessively oily, may have more prominent ones. You can’t physically shrink them, but by getting rid of dead skin cells, sebum buildup, leftover makeup, and even melanin, the pigment found naturally in skin, you can minimize the way they look.
Isn’t that such great news! The secret to making pores appear smaller and making skin look healthier, less congested, dewy and gorgeous can be had by exfoliating gently, with an oil based scrub, on a regular basis. I know, pretty self serving here since we sell oil based scrubs, but it’s a fact! Exfoliation helps not only buff and polish the surface of the skin, but it helps stimulate blood flow and lymphatic fluid under the surface, which works to keep the skin more supple and the pores cleaned out.
Products that are claiming to prevent pollution from getting in the pores are acting as barriers, which can actually clog them even further. Pollution particles can stick to dead skin flakes, so regularly exfoliating your face and body will remove this problem and gorgeous skin will prevail!
Another trick to helping pores appear smaller is by steaming them open first with just water or even tea bags like below, then exfoliating and rinsing off with cool water.
Dermatologists recommend the following:
Use only non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) skin care products and makeup.
Cleanse your face twice a day.
Treat acne with gentle care and don’t pick!
Protect your face with sunscreen every day.
Exfoliate. But you already knew that!
Be gentle with your skin and don’t touch it with dirty hands.
Treat sagging skin which shows pores more prominently, with vitamin C and/or collagen supplements.
Try a deep oil based cleansing 2 – 3x a month.
It helps decongest the pores which is a great way to keep them from looking larger than they are. See here for our 4 minute facial video. It’s the 2nd video down.
Using heavier balm type creams in Winter and lighter lotions in Summer keeps skin hydrated properly, so your skin will be more balanced.
Acne is caused by lots of things, but the 3 biggest reasons are excess sebum oil, dead skin which got stuck in the pores and bacteria. Those 3 things add up to pimples and acne. When you exfoliate gently you are eliminating the flakes of dead skin from your skin so it cuts down on pimples and larger looking pores to begin with. When you add natural oils to the mix, they help unclog the pore, and balance the skin. It’s called the oil cleansing method and helps skin’s own sebum oil begin to regulate and balance, creating less oily skin. Yes, this is a fact. Cleansing with oil creates LESS oil on skin.
Another way to keep skin more taut, which again helps pores look smaller is to eat large amounts of veggies and fruit and drink 1/2 your weight, in ounces, of water, daily.
So there you have it. You can’t make larger pores go away if you were born with them, but you can reduce the look of them which is the whole point anyway!