5 Skincare Tips to Minimize the Appearance of Pores

Minimize large pores - Healthy Beauty

What are pores?

Pores are tiny openings that contain oil-producing sebaceous glands to protect the skin from dirt and bacteria and allow dead skin cells to reach the suface. What determines their size is genetics, but don't get discouraged because there are a couple of ways to make them appear smaller.
People with oily skin types may notice that their pores appear larger in size due to the fact that their skin produces more sebum that fills up the pore. Pores also start to lose their shape when you age since your skin starts losing collagen.

5 Skincare Tips to Minimize Pores

   1. Steaming

Actually pores do not change their size due to the cold or heat, but steaming (heat) can cause the sebum to loosen and come out more easily. You maybe would've noticed this if you've cleansed your face after coming out of the shower. I would recommend you not to do this often though, since heat is not that good for the skin, but if you feel like your pores get filled with oil and even cleansing cannot get rid of it you can try it out a few times a month.

How to: Fill the sink with hot water and keep a towel over your head. You can do this in small intervals since it can get difficult to breathe.
Don't steam your face for too long, or get too close to the hot water.

   2. Cleansing

Maybe you see where I'm going with this. Keeping your pores clean is very important to make them look smaller. Start off with an oil or balm cleanser. They help with melting the sebum on the surface well, eleminating the blackheads that feel bumpy to the touch. Then follow up with a water based cleanser.

   3. Hydration (Toner/Serum/Moisturizer)

Keeping the skin moisturized helps improve the look of the pores just how it helps with wrinkles and fine lines. When the skin is well hydrated and feels plump skin looks tighter and bouncier. It almost looks kind of blurred and pores appear smaller.

   4. AHAs / BHA (Salicylic Acid) / Niacinamide

Another important step, and not only for pores but also for skin texture in general, is EXFOLIATION. Chemical exfoliatiors like AHAs would be more suitable for dry skin types and BHA for oily skin. BHA gets deep into the pores and breaks down the sebum. There are a lot of products which include both.
Niacinamide is another great ingredient for pores. It controls oil production, so the less oil you produce the less your pores will be congested and will not expand.
Hydration also helps with balancing the oil production.

   5. Diet

Doesn't necessarely has to do with pores in particular but with your overall skin health. To keep your skin in good condition you need to have a balanced diet, which should consist of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other nutrient-rich foods. 

Important TIP: I know it's very tempting to extract and squeeze those blackheads out of your pores and you probably even have a tool for it, but I would not recommend it. You risk of damaging the skin and the shape of your pores. Leave it to a professional and if you follow the tips above you'll have less and less blackheads to deal with.

How do you take care of your pores? Do you have any tip that you've seen great results with? Please share below! <3