Large pores can be a part of life, and learning how to shrink them will drastically improve your skin. Whether they are enlarged because of being clogged, aging, or sun damage, reducing their appearance is important to most people.
Luckily, it is possible, and dermatologists have revealed some ways to reduce the enlargement of these crevices.
Since you can’t remove your pores, you have to learn to live with them. By minimizing their appearance, you will feel more confident, and your skin will feel much cleaner. It is important to take care of yourself, and taking care of your skin is just as important as the rest.
Usually, they are larger because they are clogged, and a regular, healthy skin care routine can make all the difference. This will help them become tighter again, which reduces their appearances. Other times, dry skin or irritation can cause them to enlarge.
Whatever it is that is causing the problem. There are ways to remedy the situation. Remember that everyone’s skin is different, and what works for one person may not work for you. The goal is to use the advice offered here and see what works best and implement it in your life.
How to Shrink Large Pores
1. Don’t Touch Your Face
Avoid touching your face at all costs, even when applying makeup or moisturizer. Use brushes or other beauty tools that are intended for this, instead. When you touch your face with your hands, bacteria easily transfer onto your face and into your pores.
It is even worse when you have a blemish, and you keep touching it. A blemish indicates an area of already irritated and open skin. Touching it will allow bacteria to easily get into the area and make the blemish much worse.
It is important to note that it is okay to use your fingertips when you wash your face. Be gentle, and make sure there is always a layer of cleanser beneath your fingers as you wash your face.
2. Pay Attention to Your Face Cream
While face cream is great, you have to be careful of which parts of your face you are applying it to. If your nose is oily, dermatologists recommend not putting cream on it. The same goes if you have blackheads on your nose because it can make the openings even wider.
For the rest of your face, oil-based face creams can cause further clogging and blemishes. The oil mixes with dead skin cells and increases clogging, further stretching each pore. Using an oil-free face cream can help abate this issue and reduce the appearance.
3. Wash Your Face and Use the Right Cleanser
The most important step in your skincare routine is washing your face twice a day. Dermatologists recommend washing it once in the morning and again before bed. Washing your face helps unclog these tiny openings, which makes them appear smaller.
If you choose to wash your face only once a day, make sure it’s at night. This way, you can wash off any buildup or makeup. Leaving it overnight would only cause them to become bigger and more visible.
When it comes to choosing a daily cleanser, you should choose one that is between 4.7 and 5.75 pH level. Anything outside of that range could cause further blemishes and more sensitive skin. Plus, research shows that pH levels outside of the normal range can cause skin disorders.
Wash your face with lukewarm water, as hot water can cause irritation and more enlargement. Choose a gentle cleanser that isn’t abrasive, and dry your face by patting it with a clean towel. Be gentle with your skin through the process, and make sure to be consistent.
4. Apply Sun Screen Daily
Sunscreen should be a staple in your skincare routine. It minimizes pores and can double as a moisturizer if you choose the right one. Plus, protection from the sun will help reduce collagen breakdown.
When collagen breakdown occurs, your face becomes less firm, and your skin will stretch more quickly. When your skin stretches out more quickly, it causes serious enlargement and blemishes. By wearing sunscreen every day, you are protecting your skin from the damage that causes this.
It would be best if you aimed for a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30. This means you will likely need more than what comes in your foundation, but some moisturizers are SPF 30. Some primers contain SPF, as well, which would help minimize the appearance even more.
5. Find Ways to Reduce Oil
Reducing oil on your skin is a sure way to reduce the size and minimize the appearance. There are a few ways to do this, however, and you could try a few of them simultaneously.
Oil-Blotting Papers
These papers are absorbent and can remove the appearance of oil on your skin. When the oil is present, your pores will appear larger, so blotting it away can reduce the appearance. Oil blotting papers are only a quick fix and don’t control the amount of oil your skin produces.
Apply Retinol
You can find retinol in face creams and other facial products. It has high amounts of vitamin A, which helps reduce acne and shrink the crevices. Retinol also decreases your oil production, further decreasing the appearance of pores while increasing collagen production.
Use a Clay Mask
Clay masks help unclog buildup and remove the oil from inside the blemishes. This drastically minimizes the size because oil buildup is what causes them to enlarge. You will notice results doing it once a week, but it can be done twice a week if desired.
Get clear, glowing skin from a weekly charcoal mask routine.
6. Avoid Liquid Makeup
It may seem easier to slather on liquid cover-up or foundation, but it isn’t good for your skin. Rubbing this into your skin causes the cosmetics to get into the crevices of your skin, which causes them to enlarge. Then, the unnatural product will irritate your skin, causing them to enlarge even more.
It is best to apply a skin protectant and moisturizer, and then add a primer before applying makeup. Then, use powder-based makeup and gently apply it to your skin rather than pulling and rubbing.
7. Try Zinc Oxide Lotion
When you need to reduce large pores quickly, you can use a zinc oxide lotion. This lotion is often used to treat diaper rash, burns, cuts, scrapes, and other skin irritations. It protects the skin and can reduce the appearance of natural openings in the skin at the same time.
8. Cut Back on Dairy
While dairy is an essential part of your diet, you shouldn’t drink too much of it. Overconsumption of dairy is bad for your skin because the growth hormones in milk can cause these blemishes. It also causes breakouts and skin irritation.
9. Exfoliate
You have probably heard of exfoliating or even tried it, but there is so much more to know. Exfoliating too much can cause skin irritation and dryness, which will make the crevices appear larger. You should only exfoliate your skin once or twice a week to notice the benefits.
Exfoliating once a twice a week is highly beneficial, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. When you exfoliate regularly, you will be removing dead cells that cause clogging. Exfoliating will also remove built-up dirt and excess oil.
10. Learn About Facial Products Containing Acids
Acids in skincare products are safe for regular use and offer many benefits, so don’t be alarmed. This is a sure way to reduce blemishes and buildup continually, and it can have a long-term effect.
One acid that is beneficial for your skin is glycolic acid. It gets rid of the buildup stuck inside even after cleansing, ensuring that nothing is left behind. This is ideal for reducing pores because nothing will be blocking them from closing.
Two other acids drastically improve your skin. These acids are alpha hydroxy acids, known as AHAs, and beta hydroxy acids, known as BHAs. Not only do these two acids deep clean your skin, but they also keep your skin from stretching.
You can find these hydroxy acids in skin care products such as exfoliators and cleansers. If the products you use contain salicylic acid, you can rest assured that you are using hydroxy acids on your skin.
Final Thoughts on Dermatologists Reveal Ways to Shrink Large Pores
You don’t have to keep fighting your large pores if you follow these tips. Improving your skincare routine and changing the products you are using can have highly beneficial results. Knowing other ways to care for your skin and keep it looking good only increase the benefits.
By knowing what is best, you can make the necessary changes to improve your skin. Only try one at a time until you know that your skin isn’t sensitive to any new products. Once you know what your skin can handle, you can try out multiple methods for reducing blemishes.
Feeling good about your skin is one of the first steps to becoming confident. Take care of yourself, and you’ll surely feel better, inside and out. Remember these tips and incorporate them into your skincare routine.
