Large pores aren’t harmful — they’re just annoying. When your pores get clogged with dead skin cells and skin oil (sebum), they start to stretch and sag. If the pores fill up with sebum, the oil can oxidize and turn dark, which makes the pores more visible. Large pores can happen just about anywhere, but you may see them in places where your skin is oilier than others; I tend to get large pores on my nose.
If you don’t like the way large pores look, here are some tips to shrink them a bit.
- Keep your skin clean! If you keep the oil and dead skin cells away, they can’t clog your pores and stretch things out of shape. Wash carefully and exfoliate occasionally to keep your skin clean and healthy. Be gentle when you exfoliate your face; the skin there is more delicate than the skin on the rest of your body.
- Don’t forget to wash your makeup and foundation off every night.
- Wash sunscreen off your skin after a day at the beach or the pool.
- Try products that will clear oil out of your pores, like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and phytic acid. Salicylic acid is your most powerful oil-fighter, and is often found in products designed for oily and acne-prone skin. This type of acid penetrates skin oil better than other acids.
- Don’t pop or pick at your blemishes; this can stretch your pores or cause scarring.
- Skin care products with retinol help decrease oil production in your skin. They can also increase collagen and elastin production — which will help prevent stretching — and increase your skin cell turnover. These products are available both over the counter and by prescription.
- Vitamin C applied to the skin can make your skin plump up. This won’t shrink your pores, but it can make them appear smaller. You can find vitamin C in various facial products at your local drug store.