Back in the day, the only skin concerns you heard about were acne and wrinkles. Women’s magazines focused on wrinkles, while teen magazines were all about preventing or covering acne. The only times you heard the word “pores” was when an article told you to splash your face with cold water after cleansing to close the pores. (And hey, it doesn’t work that way–cold water will temporarily stop the pores from producing oil, but they don’t completely close up from it, which is a good thing.)
Then, in 1996, Biore Pore strips happened. “Pore” became a dirty word. Everyone wanted the gunk (technical term) ripped out of their skin and shown satisfyingly on a piece of what appeared to be hardened cotton. Cleaning out pores wasn’t just a fad. It became an obsession in the beauty world, later followed by the need minimize those clear–but still visible–pores.
And I get it. Clogged pores cause blackheads and other kinds of acne, and pores are more obvious and look bigger when they are clogged. And large pores–even when they are cleaned out–don’t make for a sought-after skin texture, hence the creation of pore minimizing makeup.
If you are engaged in a war with your pores, I may be able to assist with your battle strategy. I got your plan all laid out.
Cleanse. First of all, you gotsta cleanse every night. Remove your makeup first then cleanse your skin (or use an oil cleanser and kill two birds with one stone). What do you think clogs pores? A lovely mix of dirt, oil, makeup, dead skin cells, sweat and bacteria. Properly removing your makeup and cleansing will get a lot of that junk away from your pores, so if you skip this important step, you’re making your pores vulnerable to attack.
Exfoliate. Dead skin cells are like that last guest at your party–they won’t leave until you make them. They stay on skin and hide inside pores, and the only way to get them out is by exfoliating. You can use a physical exfoliant (aka a scrub) or a enzyme exfoliant, but either way, regular exfoliation–2 – 3 times a week–is an important part of keeping your pores un-clogged. Salicylic acid is an exfoliating ingredient that works especially well with clogged pores, so keep that one in mind. (Skip this step if you use a retinoid or any other product that is contraindicated with exfoliation.)
Get A Facial. An esthetician will do extractions during a facial, and those extractions will get rid of any clogged business you couldn’t get out yourself. It’s best to have extractions (the manual emptying of blackheads and whiteheads) done by a professional, because many a “I can do this myself” extraction has resulted in scarring.
Pore Minimizer. If your pores are clean but still visible, a pore minimizer will be your best friend. Pore mimimizers temporarily fill in pores without clogging them so that makeup can apply smoothly over those areas. I use a pore minimizer on myself and many of my clients, and it really does make a difference.
Matte Liquid Foundation. I’ve found that sheer liquid foundations are much better on those with large pores than powder foundation. As long as a pore minimizer has been applied first, a sheer liquid foundation won’t sink into pores and highlight them the way a powder foundation can.
Stipple Your Powder. You can still use a pressed powder (more lightweight than a powder foundation) to set your foundation if you have large pores, but you’ll get the best results if you use a sponge and stipple/press a thin layer of powder over those areas as opposed to applying it with a brush.
I hope my battle plan serves you well. Godspeed, Pore Warrior.
Have a beautiful day 🙂
A Pretty Addiction 