Pores - did you know your face has 20,000 of them? Most are invisible to the naked eye, but some - especially on the nose, forehead, and cheeks - are much more visible. What makes these pores so noticeable?
What Causes Large Pores?
The most likely reason that your pores look so big is because they’re full of sebum, aka your skin’s natural facial oils. Everyone’s skin naturally produces sebum - it has a role to play in making sure your skin is healthy.
When sebum mixes with oil, dirt, SPF, and makeup on skin, it creates a gunky substance that builds up in pores. This gunk fills up pores and stretches them out, making them look enlarged.
Preventing this from happening starts with deep cleansing facial pores. There are a few skincare products to choose from that have proven benefits to reducing the look of pores by deeply cleansing and sweeping away lingering facial oils.
How to Use a Clay Mask to Deep Cleanse Pores
Clay masks are often one of the first products that many reach for to minimize the look of pores. They’re effective at deeply cleansing pores due to the unique power of clay to absorb facial oils. Have you ever seen little dots appearing on skin whenever you apply a clay mask?
Yup, each of those little dots are your skin’s extra oils being absorbed by the clay. Clay masks leave your skin feeling instantly refreshed and pores extra clean.
A clay mask should be applied to freshly cleaned, dry skin for best effect. Apply your clay mask in a thin layer and allow it to dry. You’ll see little oil spots appear - the best sign that the clay mask is working, and deep cleaning your skin for minimized pores.
How to Oil Cleanse for Smaller Pores
Oil cleanser is another popular product that reduces the appearance of pores. It sounds a bit strange to control oils by adding more oil to skin, but it works. If you think back to chemistry class at school, like substances more easily dissolve each other. For example, remember how oil doesn’t mix with water, yet oil will mix with oil.
When you massage a cleansing oil onto your skin, you give it a chance to grab the existing, excess oils on your skin and in your pores. Cleansing oils are specially formulated to rinse away with water. When you rinse away your cleansing oil, you also wash away any excess oil that it’s grabbed for smaller-looking pores and deeply cleansed skin.
How Toner Helps to Deep Clean Pores
Toning is an extra cleansing step that you’d normally do after washing your face with a foaming cleanser. Toners are ideal for helping to balance skin after cleansing, and can also be formulated with ingredients to address other skin issues such as anti-aging.
Toners help to sweep away excess pore-clogging debris that could form blackheads in pores. They also make sure that your skin is left perfectly clean with no lingering oils from the day still sitting on skin and in your pores, making sure they are thoroughly cleansed and free of oils.
Why Exfoliating Minimizes the Look of Pores
One of the best skincare tips for deeply cleansing facial pores is exfoliation. Specifically, with a product that has salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a skincare ingredient that dissolves away the excess sebum lingering in pores, clearing them of facial oils that make them look larger.
Salicylic Acid is also effective at unblocking blackheads and whiteheads, reducing the chances of pores stretching out and enlarging.
Deep Cleansing Facial Pores: A Summary
Deep cleansing large pores is the first step to making them appear smaller. There are multiple skincare products to choose from that address the core issue of excess facial oils that make pores look larger than they really are.
