Despite what the influx of ultra-edited Instagram photos might lead you to believe, everyone has pores — a scene fromMean Girls comes to mind, when the girls are taking turns picking apart their appearances, and Regina George complains about how huge her pores are. And in a beauty market flooded with everything from potent serums to “miracle-workers,” there are definitely a lot of products out there that claim they know how to get rid of large pores.
As someone who grew up with excessively oily skin, I spent most of my adolescence obsessively looking for the drugstore solution to clear my face and shrink my pores. Unsurprisingly, the combination of super harsh astringents and obsessive scrubbing didn’t do much to curb the state of my face, and often made the problem much worse.
If I could go back in time to give little Lauren some advice (aside from warning her not to get blonde chunky highlights), I’d want to share some of these tips on how to deal with large pores.
Skin pores, technically known as hair follicles, serve as minuscule openings across your skin's surface, facilitating the release of oil and sweat.
Their primary function is to aid sebum movement along the hair follicle and onto the skin's surface, thereby maintaining optimal moisture levels.
The pivotal role of pores significantly influences the appearance, texture, and well-being of your skin, which is essential for all skin types.
While prominently visible on the face, pores exist throughout the entire body, with exceptions on the palms and the soles of the feet.
For people, particularly those with dry skin or those prone to excess oil production, open pores can become a focal point of skin concerns.
Adolescents, in particular, often find themselves fixating on pore size and overall skin texture.
Ensuring healthy skin involves addressing various skin concerns, including managing pore size and texture across different skin types.
While it may not offer a completely satisfying explanation, genetics significantly influence the size of your facial pores.
Generally, individuals with lighter skin tones and drier skin types typically have smaller facial pores, whereas those with oilier or darker skin tones often exhibit more noticeable pores.
Additionally, pore size can appear larger when they become enlarged due to clogging, often leading to the formation of whiteheads.
You might observe that your largest facial pores tend to cluster in the T-zone.
This region is prone to increased sebum production, which heightens the likelihood of pore blockage and subsequent enlargement. Individuals with sensitive skin may find that enlarged pores exacerbate their susceptibility to breakouts.
In dermatology, the appearance of large pores is a common concern, particularly among those with sensitive skin prone to breakouts.
And since collagen plays a large part in the elasticity and “plumpness” of your skin, things that cause collagen loss like aging and UV damage from sun exposure can also make your pores appear larger.
Technically and unfortunately, no. Despite what the thousands of “pore shrinking” products out there might lead you to believe, the pores you were blessed with at birth are the ones you get. I’ve even convinced myself in the past that all I needed was a strong toner or tanning session to snap my pores shut, but sadly those were just disappointing skin myths. But there is good news!
While achieving complete elimination of large pores remains elusive, you wield some influence over their apparent size and can prevent them from becoming clogged.
Begin by evaluating your current skincare regimen to discern if the products you use exacerbate the appearance of large pores.
While you may already have strategies in place to combat unexpected blemishes or clusters of blackheads, it's crucial to ensure these skincare routines don't trigger excessive oil production in your skin.
Attaining the right equilibrium of oiliness on your skin, eliminating accumulated dead skin cells, and encouraging collagen production are pivotal steps in addressing large pores.
Incorporating oil-free formulations, BHA (beta hydroxy acids), face washes tailored to your skin type, and natural oils can help manage oiliness while promoting skin health.
Furthermore, the inclusion of retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), and targeted treatments for dark spots aids in refining skin texture and tone, ultimately contributing to a smoother complexion.
By integrating these elements into your skincare regimen, you can mitigate the appearance of large pores and nurture healthier, more radiant skin.
Here are the essential skin care products you’ll need to get the job done.
A proper cleansing routine will help to reduce the amount of oil on your skin, unclog build-up, and eventually reduce the appearance of the pores themselves.
Ensuring that your pores stay as clear as possible is the key to keeping them looking their natural size, not filled with grime and build-up.
Start your morning and bedtime skin care routines by washing your face with acleansing cream, making sure to use warm water and a gentle cleanser.
Anything too abrasive can irritate and inflame your skin, which can make your pores even more noticeable.
Products specially designed to deal with oily skin tend to have salicylic acid in them, which dries out the skin and can make pores look larger.
So stick to a gentle cleansing cream two times a day, and make sure to monitor your skin condition over time.
While daily cleansing is essential, sometimes your skin needs a deeper cleanse.
Things like sebum, makeup, and build-up from dead skin cells can lead to clogged pores, so you should incorporate exfoliating into your skin care routine a few times a week to counteract this.
Use anexfoliating cleanser to gently remove pollutants and dead skin cells for smaller-looking pores and a brighter, smoother complexion.
But remembering to only exfoliate a few times a week is very important: over-scrubbing usually leads to your pores being triggered to producemore oil.
Since larger pores generally come with aging, it’s important to use products known for their powerful anti-aging properties.
That’s where retinol comes in. Apply anatural retinol serum to cleansed skin, before moisturizing, preferably before bed; this will help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while improving firmness and making your pores look smaller.
Be sure to check out our article onhow to use retinol to make sure you’re maximizing its benefits in your skin care routine.
As someone who has spent many years (improperly) battling oily skin, I know that your instincts will probably tell you to avoid moisturizing to keep unnecessary additional oil on your skin.
But moisturizers actually help to maintain a proper balance of hydration in your skin, boosting your sebum’s ability to penetrate the skin effectively.
And as I learned the hard way, skipping the moisturizing step usually leads to your skin producing even more oil to compensate for the perceived lack of moisture, which leads to enlarged pores.
So after you cleanse and apply your serums, moisturizing is a must. Just look for lighter, water-based formulas, since anything too heavy has the potential to have a clogging effect on your pores.
Elastin and collagen are responsible for keeping the fibers around pores firm — sun damage decreases their production, which is how you end up with looser skin and larger looking pores.
So along with the increased risk of skin cancer and earlier signs of aging, add “large pores” to the list of reasons why it’s absolutely essential to use sun protection every day!
Make sunscreen application the last step in your skin care routine, to allow all of the other active ingredients in your serums and moisturizers time to fully absorb into the skin.
On the days you don’t exfoliate but are still looking for a deeper clean, try using a clay mask.
These penetrate deep within the skin to help unclog your pores, which has a positive effect on pore size.
If you’re alternating between a clay mask and exfoliating in the same week, keep an eye on the condition of your skin to make sure it’s not getting too irritated and dried out.
Want additional information on how to get rid of large pores? Now that your skin care routine has been streamlined, there are a few other things you should remember to reduce the appearance of your pores.
We’ve already moisturized your skin to boost its hydration levels, but it’s important to also do so from the inside.
Drinking water hydrates your skin internally, helps to clear out debris and toxins from your pores, and makes your skin look fuller.
It seems like such a beauty cliché, but staying hydrated is such an essential step toward getting clear, beautiful skin (and yes, smaller looking pores).
You just can’t beat advice from the experts. If you’re feeling frustrated with your skin even after making these changes, meet with a dermatologist to see if they recommend any prescription skin care to target your specific needs.
There’s always the potential that you’ve been fighting your large-looking pores the wrong way, or targeting the wrong source.
I struggled for years with oily skin before a dermatologist prescribed me with the right medication to help decrease oil production; even if your situation doesn’t necessitate medication, getting advice from an expert can’t hurt.
When you’re on the hunt for new makeup products, try to look for items marked as “non-comedogenic,” which means they won’t clog your pores.
I’m personally a big fan of pore-minimizing primers and light, serum-y foundations, since they help to mask my pores and are relatively easy to take off at the end of the day.
And that’s the main thing to remember here: regardless of what kind of makeup you use, remember to remove it at the end of the day!
Nothing is worse for clogged pores than letting your makeup sit on your skin overnight, so make sure to remove everything before you hit the hay for the evening.
You can be putting forth your best efforts at home, but just like with the dermatologist, it can be a wonderful boost to your skin health to let a skin therapist work their magic.
And take it from me: I’m notoriously thrifty when it comes to spending money on non-essential things, and facials have always seemed like an unnecessary purchase when I already have a streamlined skin care routine.
But after my first session, the results were noticeable… and I was hooked! Facials give you an opportunity to get an even deeper clean, as well as customized advice for at-home maintenance.
Even if you can only schedule an appointment every few months, it's a smart investment in the overall health of your skin (and appearance of your pores).
Professional skin treatments like microneedling, chemical peels or laser light therapy are other ways to help reduce the appearance of your pores, offering targeted and potent care.
Chemical peels and microneedling smooth the outermost layer of the skin, improving its appearance and texture, which makes your pores appear smaller.
Red light therapy from laser treatments stimulates collagen production in your skin, which as we mentioned, plays a big part in how large your pores appear.
While these extra treatments can be a little pricier, they can be a nice, occasional concentrated treat for your skin.
And as a plus to save you time, they can usually be added to an existing facial appointment.
While not being able toactually shrink the size of your pores is annoying, there are concrete steps you can take to reduce their appearance and prevent them from getting any bigger.
For anyone trying to figure out how to get rid of large pores, just focus on streamlining your skin care routine, staying hydrated, and considering other skin treatments to smooth its appearance and texture.
And when all else fails: shrug and say “well, we all have them. Even you, Facetuned influencer.”
By Lauren Hannel, staff contributor
