Let's talk about Large Pores!

We are gonna talk about large pores today. Everyone who has them wants to know either how to get rid of them or how to cover them up. I am going to talk about those two things, as well as WHY your pores are large in the first place. if you don't know why it's a problem, it's hard to understand how to fix it. You know me though, I'm thorough like that. If you don't care about why, skip down to learn about the fixes.


Why Do you Have Large Pores?

There are four main causes for enlarged pores.

• Excessive Oil - when the pores on your skin produce to much sebum (or oil) it can cause your pores to become large as they fill with the oil. If you have oily skin, this is likely your problem. 
• Skin Looses It's Structure - as we age our skin looses elasticity and structure. As the skin begins to become less supple our pores begin to look larger.
• Clogged Pores - when our pores fill up with pus, oil or pollutants, it can cause the pores to expand and become larger.  
• To Dry - yup, if your skin is to oily your pores will look bigger, but same if they are to dry. Your skin will flatten out and make the pores look larger. 

All of the fixes we are going to talk about combat at least one of these problems. I am also going to get the whole "dunk your face in cold water" thing out of the way. Cold water will constrict your pores, but only VERY temporarily. After your face returns to room temperature, your pores will go back to normal too. 

Moisturize 

The biggest mistake people with oily skin make, is they don't moisturize. You have to moisturize. Just use the right moisturizer! You skin reacts to what is happening around it. It often will overproduce oil because you live in a dry climate, or because of your fatty diet, as well as because it feels your skin isn't oily enough! If you are constantly washing oils off you skin and drying it out and then not moisturizing it after, your skin says "oh! we need MORE oil". It literally makes it worse. 

Make sure you aren't using any oils that are pore clogging. I love using this tool from Skin Carisma to make sure I am not using anything comedogenic. Just copy and paste your ingredients list into the box, answer a super easy math question to prove you aren't a robot, and it will tell you which (if any) of the ingredients are comedogenic, and if it's a mild chance it could clog your pores, or if it's highly likely to clog your pores. 

Make sure your moisturizer is water based and not oil based. Your skin has to much oil, why would you put more oil on that? There should be no oils listed in the first five ingredients, or better yet it could be oil free. So for example the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, which has Mineral Oil listed as it's second ingredient, is not the right choice for you. Instead opt for light weight, water based moisturizers like Dermalogica Active Moist (pictured on the right), or Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. But check Skin Carisma - oil free doesn't mean noncomedogenic. While researching I found a couple oil free high ends moisturizers that contained highly comedogenic ingredients. 

Choose Water Based Products

Moisturizer isn't the only oily thing you put on your face. Foundations and Primers play a major role too. Once again, check to make sure your foundation and primer doesn't have oil in it. I love the Clinique Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 (pictured on the left).  I also love the Dermablend Flawless Creator Foundation Drops. 

For primers I like the Fenty Beauty Pro Filter Instant Retouch Primer as well as the Benefit Porefessional Face Primer and best of all is the LancomeLA Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer. All of these options are free of oils and several are made specifically for minimizing large pores. 

Stay Consistent with Skin Care

You need to be sure that whatever cleanser you are using, you are using it consistently. Skip the makeup wipes, they don't get down into the pores. And use a brush that does get a good deep clean for the best results. You should wash your face every morning and every evening. While you sleep your body sweats and detoxes and you have to give yourself a clean slate. The cleansing brush is key!

I love the Dermalogica Exfoliating Face Brush (pictured on the right), which is an affordable hand, held option. There are DOZENS of these. Another popular option is an electric facial brush. Almost every skin care line has one from Mary Kay to Olay, to clinique and beyond. They are all pretty much as effective as one another ranging in price from $20-$60. There are a few stand outs that are a larger investment though. These not only spin, but they pulse which coaxes oil out from the depths of your pores. They cost much more, but are so worth it.

The stand outs that I can vouch for include the ever so popular Clarisonic Brushes (ranging in price from $99-$250). These are incredible and they have replaceable brush heads that come in a variety of options. Some are infused with minerals to meet certain needs, others are infused with cashmere or satin for those with sensitive skin. I also love the Foreo Luna, which doesn't need replaceable brush heads and comes in a variety of sizes and colors, and the prices range from $40-$200. The Foreo Luna is pictured on the left.

Make sure your routine includes a gel based cleanser, water based moisturizer, oil free makeup remover and exfoliation as well as a sunscreen. You do not need to exfoliate twice a day (2-3 times a week is sufficient), but the other steps are pretty important. You can't expect your skin to have good results if you don't take care of it.


Drink Water

It sounds to easy right? But drinking enough water, tracking it and watching it will change your life! You skin, nails, teeth and body will be so much healthier. Do it. Drink water!

Minimizing Options

To conceal the look of large pores I recommend a pore minimizing primer. There are a million of them. Make sure it is oil free though. I already recommended one of my favorites the Benefit Porefessional Primer. Also keep up with me and select a good oil free foundation as I mentioned above.

When you apply your products use a Juno & Co Velvet Makeup Sponge. It has a very full coverage effect that fills pores and fine lines beautifully. You can read my full review on it here, they are only $6, you don't want to miss out. Finish it off with a good noncomedogenic powder, which will blur fine lines, wrinkles and pores perfectly. You can not get better than Temptu's Invisible Difference Finishing Powder (pictured on the right). It's the stuff of dreams and doesn't contain a single acne-causing ingredient. Not one. It's talc free. That is SUPER important. Don't use anything with talc in it at all.

So that is it! What do you think? What are you favorite tips and tricks for minimizing your large pores? It's important to remember that in an instagram and face-tune world, it's so easy for us to feel insecure about things no one else notices. For us to find flaws where they aren't. I'm all about using makeup to boost your confidence and feel good, self care is important. But we all have pores. All of us. ♥