Let me just start by saying that you can’t make your pores get any smaller. Not really. Let me repeat this bigger so you can hear me.
YOU CAN’T MAKE YOUR PORES SMALLER
You can’t. I’m sorry. Your pores are the size you were pretty much born with. Like shoe size or finger length there are certain factors that may have increased pore size as you were growing up like humidity, uncontrolled oiliness, or just bad skin health. But honestly, even that is a minor factor in their overall size. Mostly it’s just genetics. It’s not like you had small pores and then lived in Florida and now have craters on your face. No, you might have slightly larger pores because of something you did when you were young, but what you’re born with is what you get. That’s all.
In this day and age of Photoshop, filters, and HD cameras, pores have become the evil holes that lurk inside our skin. But let me tell you a secret. We all have pores. *gasp* All of us. From Angelina Jolie to me. And you know what? Almost all of us think they are big. Even GIGANTIC!
I’ve been an esthetician for over a decade now and I’ve never heard someone complain to me about their tiny pores. No one has ever cried to me and said, “Oh Cybil, my tiny pores are making my skin all congested and bumpy because I’m not getting enough oil and my pore is so small that everything gets trapped in it. Please help me!” Even a client with this particular skin condition due to the small nature of their pores has come into me and complained about their big pores.
And the reason? We all have pore envy. Although most of us have normal, average sized, pores we think we should have the smooth, poreless skin of a magazine cover. Sure I occasionally get some large pored people in, but most common are the people who have enlarged pores because of the wacked crap they’ve been doing to their skin.
So Why Are We All So Crazy?
Well I think the media has a lot to do with this. As I said before Photoshop and such gave us unrealistic expectations of what skin should look like in a poreless state. Where I look at the photo to the left and see uncanny valley, many of my readers come to me seeking this perfection.
THIS IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN WITHOUT MAKEUP AND PROBABLY NOT EVEN THEN.
But this is okay everyone because really we all look the same. We all look like humans and not like this in real life!
So, Like I Have Big Pores
(No I Do! I Really, Really Do!)
Now What?
First, you don’t have big pores. (Dammit, why am I even writing this article?!) But in the off chance you do, come to terms with them and help them look smaller. Seeking the advice of a skincare professional like me is a great start. Stop watching crazy videos and doing self treatments at home is another. Did I mention the wacked crap earlier?
Dirty, oily, abused, dehydrated, and clogged pores will make pores look bigger. Washing 2x a day with a gentle cleanser, following up with a hydration serum and SPF and using a good for your skin makeup (Jane Iredale is my favorite) can do wonders to keep your pores looking smaller. I know other people will say scrub and stuff, but Just Say No. Stick to an enzyme based exfoliating mask or Clarisonic/Foreo face brush 1-2x a week. In the end though, seek a good skincare professional. They will show you the way.