How to Shrink Pores

Like ‘em or not, you need pores on your skin and can’t just do away with them. Your pores secrete sebum, the body’s own oil that naturally moisturizes the skin. It’s only when your pores become clogged or begin overproducing oil that they become a nuisance. 

Rather than try to get rid of your pores, there are steps you can take to shrink their size and minimize their appearance. We’ll talk about what causes large pores and what products you need to incorporate into your daily skincare routine to shrink them!

What causes large pores?

As with most things, there’s no single cause for enlarged pores. The factors that contribute to oversized pores are many and vary from person to person. Perhaps you’ve always suffered from oily skin, or maybe you’ve endured a few too many sunburns. The following are just a handful of reasons you may notice large pores. 

Age 

As you age, your skin loses elasticity causing stretching and sagging, your pores included. This causes the size of your pores to appear exaggerated. It’s also more challenging to exfoliate an aging complexion, which slows cell turnover and emphasizes the appearance of enlarged pores. 

Genetics

Believe it or not, the size of your pores is largely influenced by genetics. If one or both of your parents suffered from oily skin as an adolescent, chances are your experience will be similar. Because excess oil tends to pool, your pores may become enlarged in order to release toxins more quickly. 

Large pores aren’t all bad, though. Enlarged pores and the excretion of sebum help hydrate your skin to keep it looking youthful. For example, those of Asian descent tend to have larger pores, but smoother and more even skin. 

Skin Type

Those of you with dry skin likely have a nearly poreless complexion. Oily skin sufferers, on the other hand, are prone to pores that are clearly visible and dilated. This just goes to show how each individual skin type is unique and should be treated as such. 

Hair Type

Most people aren’t aware that hair follicles and pores are basically the same things, except that pores penetrate deeper beneath the skin. 

Low porosity hair has tightly packed follicles that prevent moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. Medium porosity hair allows for healthy hydration with just the ideal amount of moisture piercing the surface of your scalp. And finally, high porosity hair is often frizzy, dry, and breaks easily. 

Sun Damage

When you get a sunburn, your skin becomes thick and taut. Repeatedly failing to wear sunscreen depletes the collagen in your complexion, leading to sinking and sagging. With this loss of elasticity, you’ll find that your pores also stretch to become more visibly noticeable.  

Can you actually shrink pores? 

Pore size is predetermined by genetics meaning it’s not actually possible to shrink them. There are, however, habits and products that help minimize the appearance of pores by keeping them clean and free from impurities.  

How do you minimize pores on your face?

Tips for Minimizing Pores

Tailoring your beauty regimen to suit your skins needs is more than just picking products. Even the priciest of skin care products is only effective if applied properly and with the ideal frequency. 

Cleanse your skin morning & night

The easiest way to diminish the appearance of pores is to keep your skin clean. It’s best practice to cleanse your skin both morning and night, regardless of whether or not you wear makeup. 

If you’re notorious for falling asleep with a full face of glam, consider keeping some makeup wipes near your bedside table. The buildup of makeup, oil, dirt, and other impurities gets trapped within your pores and exaggerate their appearance. 

Regularly exfoliate

In addition to keeping your skin clean, incorporating a facial scrub exfoliant 2-3 times a week can lessen the appearance of pores. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, preventing them from clogging up your pores and causing them to appear larger. 

Avoid touching your face

When you think about the number of surfaces you touch each day, it can get pretty gross. The gas pump, the credit card pin pad, countless doorknobs and stair rails—things that thousands of people touch right alongside you.

Unless you’re a hygiene fanatic, chances are some of the bacteria from your hands will transfer to your face. If oily skin, breakouts, and enlarged pores are your key concerns, it’s best to break the habit of touching your face. 

Look for non-comedogenic makeup & skincare 

Cosmetics and skin care products labeled “non-comedogenic” are specifically formulated to keep pores clean. Non-comedogenic skincare contains clean ingredients that work to mattify your complexion and control oily, shiny skin. 

Limit time in the sun

Spending time in the sun may improve your mood, boost your vitamin D levels, and even soothe skin care concerns such as acne or psoriasis. However, too much time in the sun, and you run the risk of accelerating aging, damaging skin cells, and developing skin cancer. 

Limit your time basking in the sunshine to 20 to 30 minutes per day. If you prefer the outdoors, be sure to apply a natural, non-comedogenic SPF before stepping outside. 

Seek out certain skincare ingredients

Shopping for new skincare products? Keep an eye out for AHA’s like glycolic or lactic acid, or over-the-counter retinols. 

Product Treatments to try to shrink your pores

Here are the best at home products and pore minimizing treatments that will help reduce your pores. Utilize these products into your daily skincare routine for the best results.

Facial Scrub to Clean Pores

Incorporate a daily facial scrub into your routine to help remove dead skin cells and deep clean your pores. If you exfoliate regularly you’ll see an improvement in the appearance of black heads and pore size. Try a deep cleaning, tingly mint facial scrub made to target pores.

We recommend Pore Refining Face Scrub made with witch hazel and mint to shrink pores.

Facial Mask to Tighten Pores

Even a basic facial mask can deliver a deep cleanse to your pores. Sometimes adding a bi-weekly mask to your facial routine is all you need to fade the appearance of pores and leave skin looking radiant. 

Add in a facial mask that targets oily skin or blemishes to reduce oil production, pull dirt and toxins from your pores and reduce the appearance of large pores.

We recommend Blemish Control Face Mask to tighten pores.

Alpha Hydroxy Serum to Minimize Pores

There are a variety of chemical exfoliants to choose from, but one of the most common is alpha hydroxy acids. These natural acids chemically exfoliate cells, making it an effective method for minimizing pores. 

Use a glycolic acid serum in your daily routine to help naturally exfoliate dead skin cells and tighten pore size.

Moody Sister’s Witch Hazel & Glycolic Face Serum is fortified with glycolic acid, vitamin E, and retinol to even out your skin tone while fading scarring and discoloration. 

Facial Toner to Close Pores

Using a facial toner is an essential and basic part of your daily skincare routine. A facial toner will work to close pores after you cleanse, helping them not get clogged with dirt, oil or grime and shrink in size.

Use a facial toner in your daily routine to help close pores and reduce in size for clear and glowing skin.

We recommend Clarity Toner made with white willow bark and peppermint to close pores.

Oil Free Moisturizer to Shrink Pores

Your facial moisturizer has an important role when it comes to pores. If not hydrated properly, your pores will open up and product sebum to keep the moisture levels of your skin up. If you have large pores, it’s important to hydrate deeply, to prevent oil production and keep pores tight and closed.

Use a non-comedogenic, oil free moisturizer to hydrate skin cells and keep pores tight.

We recommend Clarity Lotion + Serum made with hyaluronic acid to hydrate deeply and not clog pores.