TeamIn our quest for better, smoother skin, we’ve seen all kinds of skincare treatment or products that guarantee smaller pores, or even “glass” skin. Is it possible to achieve poreless skin? It’s one of the common problems for skincare enthusiasts aside from skin again and acne. What is the reason that causes enlarged pores? Are there such products that can help to shrink your pores?
So to clear up any long-standing confusions about what you can and can’t change with regards to pore size and appearance, continue reading below.
A pores purpose
Pore size is to a great extent dictated by hereditary qualities. In fact, you can’t minimize large pores. It may seemingly annoy you but pores play a very important role in your skin health. There are 2 types of pores. The sweat pores and oil pores.
In fact, oil pores are hair follicles. Every pore has a sebaceous gland that creates oil (sebum), and these type of pores has the tendency to be the reason of your skin dissatisfaction. We need oil pores for hair to grow and give a safe passage of oil up to the skin surface that protects your skin. If pores are clogged with dead skin cells and oil, a whitehead or blackhead may develop. Then comes the bacteria that the skin gets inflamed causing pimples.
You might not really want to totally close your pores as your skin would entirely dry out. Oily faces tend to have larger pores.
So, can you open and close your pores?
You may think that hot water can open your pores to easily remove blackheads or whiteheads in your skin and cold water to simply close them. MYTH! Heat enlarges the pore opening slightly, so your pores look larger. Cold has the opposite result; it shrinks the pores that make it look tighter and smaller. These effects are temporary and your pores will go back to the way it was.
The same goes with steaming, it won’t open your pores, it just softens the comedonal core, also called plugs so they can easily remove the blockage trapped beneath your skin.
Can you shrink your pores?
YOU CAN’T. That’s a fact. BUT, you can make them seem smaller in appearance. Exposure to UV rays, aging, and pollution might lead to collagen loss and can enlarge your pores. There are lots of products that will help to temporarily shrink your pores. Cosmetic products, like foundation and sunscreen that include dimethicone, a moisturizer that reduces the appearance of large pores.
How to make your pores look smaller
Exfoliation and wearing sunscreen is the ideal way to avoid pores from getting bigger. Exfoliation cleans out the dead skin cells and removes oil from the pore. Once the dead skin cells are removed, it makes the surface of your skin smoother, more even, and brighter.
Salicylic acid is useful in exfoliation. It is oil soluble, which is able to go in your pores to mildly remove bacteria, sebum, dead skin, and any other dirt that blocks your pores. This will make your pores look smaller.
Ingredients that will help pores look smaller
When you buy a skincare product, make sure to look for these ingredients;
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids – the top layer of the dead skin cells are removed and it also helps the deeper layers of your skin firm
- Glycolic Acid – Sheds dead skin cells and uncover brighter and newer layers by acting on the outermost layer of the skin
- Salicylic Acid – oil based exfoliant
- Retinol / Tretinoin – helps with stimulating collagen production
Fact is, it is impossible to shrink your pores, just remember to always cleanse your face, exfoliate, wear sunscreen every day, and drink plenty of water. We still advise you to consult a dermatologist to get the right treatment for your skin.
