We all have pores on our skin and over time those pores start to become more visible on our skin. There are different reasons why large pores occur it can be because of genetics or other reasons one of them being oily skin.
Tips on how to minimize large pores?
- Cleanser
- Exfoliator
- Toner
- Pore-Minimizing Serums
- SPF Creams
- Primers
- Avoid Shimmery Products To The Skin
- Translucent Powders
- Face Masks
The oils on the skin sit on the skin which can make the pores appear a lot larger. If the skin is oily and unclean the oils can settle on the actual pores making them look larger and making the skin thicken. Furthermore, over time the skin can also lose elasticity and the pores on your face can become more open and larger.
Having faced this problem myself here are a few lessons I learned that can help minimize your pores:
Cleanser
Determine your skin type for the right cleanser. It’s important to keep the skin consistently clean to avoid any oil and dirt build up on the skin. It’s always good to know what skin type your skin is to avoid your skin from either drying out or breaking out due to the formulation of your cleanser.
Normal combination skin type: is usually normal to dry skin. The skin usually has an even texture. It usually has medium to small pores. Normal to combination skin types need a cleanser that helps maintain the correct PH balance in the skin. Therefore, a cleaner made for normal to combination skin types is most ideal.
Dry skin type: lacks emollients and doesn’t have that much elasticity. Feels tighter after cleansing and usually has small pores. Dry skin is usually more mature skin types. Dry skin types usually need a cleanser that has more moisturizing properties in it to hydrate and cleanses the skin so its best to always look for cleansers that are made specifically for dry skin types.
Oily skin type: usually gets shiny fast and is high in elasticity. It usually has larger pores and is prone to more breakouts. It often has more blackheads and very little wrinkles. With oily skin, it’s best to look for cleansers that are oily free so that it can help absorb and lessen the oil secretion.
It’s important to cleanse your skin at least twice a day, once in the morning and the other at night. Knowing the correct skin type you have allows your skin to be cleansed properly without avoiding any irritation. Lastly using the correct cleanser for your skin type only benefits your skin giving it the appropriate cleansing properties.
Exfoliator
Exfoliating The Skin: When it comes to a good skin care routine it’s wise to include exfoliation to your weekly skin care regime. This should occur twice a week. Exfoliating the skin removes any dead skin cells that may be sitting on top of the skin, it will also help remove dirt that can sit in the pores making the pores stretch oil and that appear larger.
There are three ways to exfoliate the skin:
Exfoliator: Usually exfoliators have beads in them or grainy seeds to help remove or scrub off the dead skin cells, most exfoliators have a cleaner in them as well to help deep cleanse any extra dirt or oils that may reside in the pores.
Buffer: There are two types of buffers, one is like an electronic brush version where you take a drop of cleaner and place it on the skin and use the buffer all over the skin. The buffer usually goes in a circular motion which helps remove extra dirt and oils out the pores. A good one that I wrote about is the Clarisonic new daily radiance Brush.
The second type of buffer that I personally use is The Body Shops Gentle Exfoliating Buffer. This is usually used with my favorite cleanser and its what I use, when scrubbing I tend to run it in a circular motion so that there is microcirculation of the blood which helps give me a better complexion. The texture of this buffer also helps remove dead skin cells and oils that may reside in the pores. I personally find this buffer to be very gentle towards the skin.
Washcloth: is usually used while there is cleanser on the face the texture of the washcloth usually removes dead skin cells that sit on the skin. This technique may not be suitable for sensitive skin types.
Toner
It’s really important to have a proper skin care regime into place every day to maintain healthy looking skin. Skin toners are usually used after cleansing the skin. Toning the skin cleans all the excess dirt and makeup that the cleanser did not remove. Most toners help to balance the PH level of the skin which can help with the amount of oil your skin creates.
Using a toner makes the biggest difference in how your serum or moisturizer goes on to the skin. I personally found that my moisturizer absorbs better into the skin after toning the skin.
For acne prone skin its good to look for toners that have salicylic acid because it helps break down the oils in clogged pores, therefore it helps with blackheads and whiteheads. Therefore, toners help with maintaining the skin with the proper PH level and helps deep clean the skin with larger pores which can help remove any further acne.
Its also really important to find the right toner for your skin type to maintain the correct PH level.
Normal to combo skin: You can find a toner such as The Body Shops British Rose Petal- Soft Gel Toner. This keeps the skin feeling clean and refreshed and hydrated all day. I found this one to have a beautiful rose scent. It’s also important to look for toners that don’t contain alcohol as it can be drying to the skin where this one doesn’t it’s more gel based where it keeps the skin more hydrated.
Dry skin: for dry skin, it’s important to look for toners that are focused on hydrating the skin so it can restore the moisture in the dry skin. A good one to try out is The Body Shops Vitamin E Hydrating Lotion. This formulation is more creamy and moisturizing and preps the skin for further hydration. While also having the benefits of vitamin E which helps the skin from damage from free radicles.
Oily skin: when it comes to toners for oily skin a good one worth checking out is The Body Shops Seaweed Oil Balancing Toner. This will help with the oil build up on the skin which will help with reducing the look of larger pores on oily skin.
Acne prone skin: is usually oily as well. So it’s worth trying out toners with salicylic acid because it does help remove the oil build up in the pores that remove blackheads and whiteheads. However, it can be drying to the skin and sometimes cause further irritation. I found over the years a more natural approach works better on acne prone skin such as tea tree oil. The Body Shop has a Tea Tree Oil Clarifying Toner which contains tea tree oil which acts like an antibacterial which helps clean up those pores. This formulation helps tighten the pores and keeps the skin mattified which means the skin won’t be shiny.
Pore-Minimizing Serums
Serums should be used twice a day right after cleansing and toning the skin to reap all its benefits. Serums are usually lightweight and deliver moisture to the skin. It helps when you use a moisturizer on top of the serum because it delivers the moisture deeper within the skin.
I personally started to use Estee Lauders Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher. I found that this particular serum evens out my skin, kept it feeling a lot smoother and helped reduce the look of pores. I have been using this product for about two weeks constantly and have seen the results.
My pores have tightened up and didn’t get clogged with this product. Using this serum is totally optional but the benefits of the serum are still there to help deliver the moisture to the skin and this product is suitable for all skin types.
SPF Creams
It’s really important to have a good moisturizer to help not only hydrate the skin but to also have a Sun Protection Factor. It’s important to have sunscreen in your moisturizer or your foundation. Over time the sun damages the skin. We don’t want further damage to occur so its wise to use a moisturizer with an SPF in it. SPF is known to help reduce the size of pores over time.
When choosing the right moisturizer you will need to keep in mind to find one that is suitable for your skin type. This is probably one of the most important keys to know in order for your skin care regime to actually work.
Normal to Combination skin: I personally use Estee Lauder’s DayWear which is suitable for my skin type and has an SPF of 15. If I feel I may need more SPF coverage I go for my IT Cosmetics CC Cream which has an SPF of 50 which never clogs my pores because it uses a natural sunscreen rather than a chemical one which can clog the pores.
Dry skin: Dry skin usually occurs in more mature skin. It’s really important to moisturize and make sure that the moisturizer has an SPF. The Vitamin E line from The Body Shop is usually well suited for dry skin types however I found that it didn’t have SPF in it. So in such cases its also good to look at tinted moisturizers such as BB Creams which usually have an SPF of 35
Oily skin: With Oily skin, I found that the best moisturizer is by Estee Lauder DayWear for oily skin types. This product is well suited for oily skin types and helps hydrate the skin along with absorbing any excess oil. The SPF in this cream is an SPF of 25. If you wanted more of a higher SPF you can try out IT Cosmetics CC Cream for oily skin types which has an SPF of 40. This CC cream has Charcoal contents which also helps absorb oils in the skin. When products are oil free it helps to absorb the oils in the skin which prevents the pores from expanding.
Primers
Face primers are usually used to help the foundation last longer all day. Its usually used before applying foundation, depending on the various formulations out on the market they can target many other skin issues. One of the main things most primers target is reducing the size of pores.
Primers even out the canvass on the skin so any texture such as enlarged pores would be filled in with the primer creating a smooth canvass. If you have oily skin it would be wise to find a primer that is oily free so it keeps the skin mattified and absorbs any excess oil. Try to avoid shimmery or luminous primers because any shimmer can at times exaggerate large pores.
If you’re looking to have a no make up day most primers work well when applied on its own. NYX Cosmetics has a primer called Pore Filler which can be used on its own and gives the skin a smooth satin finish and minimizes the look of pores.
Avoid shimmery products to the skin
Although many of us love applying products with shimmer we need to keep in mind that it can make the pores seem even larger and bring the wrong type of attention to the skin. Sometimes if shimmer products sit on top of a large pore it can bring attention to that part of the skin. For example, if you have large pores on your cheeks you would want to avoid wearing a blush without shimmer in it.
Formulations such as liquid highlighters or cream highlighters should also be avoided because they can give the illusion that the skin is oily and again bring the wrong attention to the skin. It’s best to use products that are of matte finishes. Matte finishes usually absorb the oils in the skin.
Translucent powders
Translucent powders are usually used for setting the foundation. This step usually helps the makeup last longer throughout the day. Mattifying products usually help absorb the oils from the pores which also help minimize the look of enlarged pores. It’s important to keep in mind products that contain talc in them can settle on the skin and define the textures of the skin. Therefore, try to shop for products that are talc-free.
The product that I currently use that helps is Bye Bye Pores by It Cosmetics. I personally found that this product goes on smoothly and when applied on top of foundation it does erase pores on the skin. My foundation and concealer did last all day. The main thing I gained from this product was that my pores were almost invisible when it was applied to my skin and it kept my skin oil free through those hot summer days. This particular product caters to all skin types
Face masks
The face mask is one of the many products that we need to include in our weekly skincare routine. It’s important to find the face mask that caters your skin type because you don’t want to have a bad experience with the wrong type of face mask.
Face masks make a world of a difference in the appearance of your skin. It usually prevents further breakouts by absorbing the dirt and oil in the skin. Again this helps to minimize the appearance of large pores. If you’re an avid makeup wearer than face masks are your best friend because they help to remove any excess make up particles that you’re makeup removes cannot remove because it deep cleans the skin and pores. Try to stick to mud masks because they help detox the skin by removing oils and dirt from the skin while also exfoliating the skin.
I personally found that by using a weekly face mask I was able to cut out the step of exfoliating the skin because the particles in face masks usually have exfoliating properties.
The products that I found that work the best for removing dirt and oils out of the pores is The Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment this particular face mask helps remove blackheads and whiteheads. When it completely dries on the face it absorbs the excess oils that sit in the pores and you will be able to see it surfacing up on the skin. This product does detoxify and keeps the skin and leaves it feeling soft, clean and defiantly minimizes the look of large pores. For more information on this mask check out my article on How To Get Rid Of Pimples On Your Face.
DIY Facemask
Step 1: a 1tbl spoon of Coconut Shell Based Activated Charcoal (loose powder)
Step 2: 2-3 tbl spoons of Rosewater
Step 3: Add 3 Tbl spoons of Aloe Vera Gel
Step 4: mix the two ingredients to a paste and leave it on your skin for about 5- 10 mins until the formulation is slightly dry and then wash off.
The reason you would use Coconut Shell Based Activated Charcoal is that its known to be an absorbent in removing oil from the skin. It’s a good way to remove blackheads off the skin due to its detoxing natural formulation. It’s important to select Active Charcoal that is made from Coconuts because this isn’t harsh on the skin.
Rose water usually will also help clean the pores and help reduce the oil secretion. Rose water is also known to be used as a toner so, therefore, it can help tone the skin and helps restore the skins PH level. Aloe Vera Gel helps keep the skin hydrated and supple and helps soothe the skin.
Adding these three natural products it should help tighten the pores on your face in the most natural way possible. Always try a patch test before applying all over the skin. A great tip for removing face masks is with a face mask sponge this will get all of the masks off your face, also make sure to wash your face with a gentle cleanser.