Did Someone Say Large Pores? We Got You Covered.

On our journey to smooth, glowy, clear skin, the one thing that gets in the way is the size of our pores. Even once we’ve achieved clear skin, these tiny holes that you can see when looking closely can get enlarged and dirty if you don’t treat them properly, especially with so much mask wearing. 

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. It’s very common for both men and women, and usually in certain areas like the nose, forehead, and chin/under bottom lip. In addition it’s actually something that can affect everyone with different skin types - from oily to combination, and even dry skin. The tricky thing is they’re not entirely eraseable as they are a natural part of our skin and designed to allow our sweat and sebum (natural oils) from sebaceous glands to come out of our skin, and sometimes doubles as a hair follicle. Put simply, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of our skin and are completely normal.

What Causes Large Pores?

Everyone can have enlarged skin pores because of these four factors:

Genetics: A large part of what determines the size of our pores and so much more about our bodies is the DNA that’s passed down to us. If your parents have large pores, it’s likely you will experience this similar skin characteristic. Those with larger pores experience more oil flow meaning you are more prone to combination, oily skin, and or acne prone skin. 

Gender: On average, men tend to have larger pores than women. However, women who have naturally oily skin or are experiencing hormonal changes due to menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, may not have had large pores previously but develop it later in life around the nose, cheeks, and forehead. This happens in combination with aging.

Age: As we get older, our pores tend to get larger naturally and this comes down to our skin producing less collagen and therefore being less firm, elastic, and resilient to external factors like pollution, sun exposure, weather, etc.

Sun Exposure: It may feel nice to catch some sun but it’s rays will harm your skin over time. The sun releases UVA, UVB, and UVC rays all of which can damage our skin, exacerbating our skin aging overall potentially making our skin more wrinkly, uneven in color and skin tone, uneven in texture, and enlarge our pores. 

How to Address Large Pores

While we mentioned that you cannot completely erase our pores, is there a way to shrink them? The actual size of our pores cannot be permanently changed but, the appearance of them can be improved! 

Having a solid consistent skincare routine is essential for all kinds of reasons and improving the appearance of pores is one of them. To start, daily cleansing is a must. Twice a day, morning and night, is a must to remove dirt, makeup, excess sebum, sweat, and dead skin cells, all of which can make your pores look bigger if not cleaned. When your pores are clean and free from debris, it’ll prevent them from clogging, turning into blackheads, whiteheads, blemishes, and enlarging.  

In between cleansing, its good to use a product that you can leave on your skin like Deramlogica’s Micro-Pore Mist. It’s a daily spritz that you put on clean skin and help minimize the appearance of pores, fade hyperpigmentation like acne scars, and improve skin tone. Ingredients like Witch Hazel and Green Tea to tighten up pores and Cucumber Extract to soothe skin and keep it feeling cool.

Another important ingredient to look out for is Niacinamide, AKA Vitamin B3. Like the other ingredients mentioned, it can also help minimize the appearance of pores but this in particular can tighten them and effectively reduce the size of pores temporarily!

Next up, don’t forget a moisturizer to restore hydration and make your skin look smooth. When looking for a good moisturizer, look for one that is “non- comedogenic.” In short, it basically means that the product won’t clog pores, which is exactly what we want.

During the day, apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to protect your face and prevent premature skin aging. Surprisingly, even if it's overcast, rainy, or snowy, your skin can still experience sun exposure. While it may be less compared to a sunny day, imagine repeated exposure over the years and it slowly adds up. 

Dos and Don’ts 

If you’re still wondering “How do I get rid of large pores on my face” want to upgrade your snake care routine to the next level, read the list below!

Do.

Use clay masks. Masks with real clay like kaolin are great at cleansing and removing buildup. Simply put all over your face, wait a few minutes, then wash with lukewarm water. Be sure to use a good moisturizer afterward as clay masks can be drying for some. 

Use Retinoids. Retinoids are a powerful ingredient that helps your skin produce more collagen which helps skin complexion and elasticity. However, be careful with products that feature this ingredient though; it can be intense and when used too often, can cause skin to flake, turn red, and become inflamed. It also increases sensitivity to the sun so it is best used at night. 

Alpha Hydroxy Acids. Try products with AHAs - an umbrella term for ingredients like glycolic, malic, and lactic acid - which are great for deep exfoliating, something that traditional physical exfoliants are not always able to do as effectively. 

Don’t.

Touch your face. Studies show that we touch our face up to 16 times an hour! Whatever is on your hands can be transferred to your skin when you touch it or even worse, into your pores.

Pick at your face. If you have acne on your skin, extract it with clean hands, gloves, or using a comedone extractor when your skin is freshly cleansed. Be gentle otherwise, you could risk scarring or an infection and nobody wants either.

Expect pore free, baby skin. Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. EVERYONE is BEAUTIFUL and while perfect skin might be at the top of our wish list, we need to set realistic skin care goals. Skin can be affected by stress and hormones so have realistic goals and a realistic daily routine that you can stick to and you’ll be on your way to healthy- looking skin in no time. In the meantime, love your natural skin and embrace the process towards improved skin!