Unless you have perfectly normal skin, you’ve probably noticed the small holes, or pores, on the surface of your skin. Although these tiny openings allow oil and sweat to escape from your body and house hair follicles, they can appear larger than you’d like. While you can’t close your pores completely, it is possible to reduce their appearance. Discover the key to healthy pores and a few tips to minimize and maintain their appearance.
Cleanse Twice Daily
You probably already know that you should cleanse your face twice each day, but you may not know that your pores can become clogged if you don’t. If you have oily skin, you should choose an oil-free, non-comedogenic option to avoid unnecessary skin risks. Your pores might appear large or clogged because oil, debris, and makeup residue get trapped inside them; luckily, a gentle cleanser may be effective at preventing congested skin.
Remove Your Makeup Before Bed
Removing your makeup before settling into bed for the night is one of the best things you can do for your skin. Although evening skincare should be a priority, you need to take off your makeup at the very least. When you leave makeup on your skin as you sleep, it settles into your pores and becomes trapped. As a result, you could experience more frequent breakouts and blemishes. While using acne-safe makeup is important, removing it before bed is equally crucial.
Use a Clay Mask
Believe it or not, clay masks are an effective way to reduce skin inflammation and remove impurities. Clay masks can help minimize your pores by removing excess oil, sticking to trapped dirt and oil, and pulling everything out as it dries. You can add this to your weekly skincare routine, but you should know that using clay masks too frequently could result in excessively dry skin.
Exfoliate a Few Times Weekly
Although it may be tempting to scrub your skin to remove impurities, you should avoid any rough or harsh exfoliators. Excessive exfoliating can damage your skin’s moisture barrier, which can cause more harm than good. Instead, use a gentle exfoliating product like glycolic acid, AHA, BHA, lactic acid, or salicylic acid a few times weekly to remove dead skin cells and impurities.
After learning the key to healthy pores and gaining a few tips to minimize and maintain yours, you should be able to adjust your skincare routine to achieve smaller pores. Although you can’t close them entirely, smaller pores give your skin a clearer appearance and reduce the potential for breakouts to occur.