Home Remedies for Skin Pores

Nothing ruins having a flawless complexion faster than having large pores that become clogged, inflamed or oily.

 

Pore size is mostly genetic, though age and excess oil can affect the size and visibility.

 

Pores are actually hair follicle openings. Their presence is essential for sweat and other toxins to escape from the body. Oil and dirt are two breeding grounds for enlarged pores. Cleaning your skin thoroughly can help reduce acne-causing oil.

 

However, it is possible to clean your skin too much, which results in more oil production. The pores on the face are openings for our body to release sebum. Sebum is the natural oil our bodies produce to moisturize skin. Too much oil production causes oily skin and oily hair.

 

People with large pores are more prone to breakouts.

 

Now that we’ve given a brief explanation of what pores are, let’s talk about whether it’s possible to close pores permanently and natural remedies for large pores.

 

What Causes Enlarged or Clogged Pores

The most common cause of large pores is simple genetics. Like hair and eye color, large pores are hereditary. Here are the other common reasons for large or enlarged pores:

 

Sun damage

Constant exposure to the sun can damage skin collagen and lead to large pores. Collagen is responsible for the elasticity of the skin.

 

Excess sebum production

Acne is generally caused by excess oil (sebum) production. This can lead to clogged pores. To accommodate the clogged pores, the walls of the pore expand. This stretching makes the pores visibly larger.

 

Age

Part of the skin’s aging process is the collagen and sebaceous gland to slow production. This increases the visibility of pores.

 

Poor Hygiene

Washing your face at least once per day is an important step in the most basic skin care regimen. Not washing your face allows oil and dirt to clog the pores and the pores end up looking larger.

 

Makeup

Somewhat related to hygiene, makeup should be washed off completely before you go to sleep. It keeps the oil and dead skin cells from clogging your pores or transferring to your pillow. Too much makeup also leads to clogged pores and oily skin.

 

When you do wear a moderate amount of makeup, it should be comedogenic. That means a water-based products. If it isn’t labeled as comedogenic, that means it is oil-based. You want to put less oil on your face; not more.

 

How Do You Unclog Pores?

Unclogged pores are most often caused by too much oil production or dead skin cells. There are several easy ways to unclog pores.

 

Exfoliate

Exfoliating removes dead skin cells and other debris from the skin. The common methods of exfoliating include brushing, scrubs and cleansing cloths.

 

Dermatologists recommend exfoliating one to two times a week. However, if you are in the middle of an acne breakout, you should skip the exfoliating to avoid further skin irritation.

 

Pores Strips

Pore strips are adhesives that stick to the skin and remove hair, bacteria, dead skin and dead skin when the adhesive strip is pulled away from the skin.

 

Steam

Steaming is a common face care treatment. It usually used a special skin steamer that blows moist air onto your face. The plug that clogs pores is called a comedonal core. Steaming helps loosen the plug and makes it easier to remove the blockage from the pore.

 

Professional steaming is usually done prior to other skin care treatments, such as moisturizing masks.

 

Charcoal Masks

Charcoal is a trendy ingredient found in anything from toothpaste to facial cleansers. When used in a skincare product, usually masks, the charcoal removes dirt and environmental pollutants from the pores.

 

Extraction

Skin extractions should only be done by a dermatologist or other skin care professional. A metal tool is used to extract the blackheads from the clogged pores. Extreme pimple popping, if you will. Soothing masks or antiseptics or put on the face after the extraction to help prevent further breakouts.

 

Can I Permanently Close My Pores?

While many drugstore products claim to be able to close pores permanently, the ability to close pores is just a marketing tool. You’re pretty much stuck with the pore size you were born with.

 

Even if it were possible, you wouldn’t want your pores closed completely anyway. Pores secrete the oil (sebum) that keeps your skin moisturized.

Without pores, your skin would dry out completely. That oil is essential and healthy.

 

Skin problems come from the glands producing too much oil and clogging the pores. Clogged pores look larger than they normally would because the walls of the pore have to expand to secrete (good) oil.

 

So, although you can’t change the actual size of your pores, you can minimize how visible they are to the eye. If a pore is enlarged, you can ‘shrink’ it back to its normal size. Proper face washing and exfoliating are two methods of making pores appear smaller and keep from clogging.

 

In short – you can shrink your pores, not close them permanently (or at all.)

 

Can You Really Shrink Your Pores?

As we established above, it is physically impossible to change the size of your pores. You can, however, make them LOOK smaller. So, while products that claim to close or reduce pores are incorrect, they aren’t entirely useless. They can leave the skin looking brighter and softer by clearing away dead skin cells and too much oil from the pores.

 

Here are a few other ways to shrink your pores:

Exfoliants

The ingredients of exfoliators increase the production of new skin cells by scrubbing away the dead cells.  This benefits your skin by preventing clogged pores and giving your face and overall smoother look.

 

Prescription Medications

If you have struggled with acne for many years without any success with a skin care routine and over-the-counter products, you can get a prescription from a dermatologist. Topical retinoids are creams applied directly to the face to clear up acne, reduce breakouts and heal acne scars.

 

The medications are also effective at making pores appear smaller and slowing premature aging.

 

Professional Treatments

Treatments at a professional skincare spa or dermatologist office can include microdermabrasion, chemical peels and laser resurfacing to shrink pores.

 

Pore-Minimizing Lotions

Pore-minimizing lotions don’t change the actual size of the pores, but they can temporarily minimize the appearance of large pores. When makeup settles in the area around the pores, it can cause pores to be more visible. These lotions help stop makeup from settling.

 

What Home Remedy Can I Use to Minimize My Pores?

Your skin pores will never permanently get smaller than their healthy, normal state –  no matter how many magic potions cosmetic companies invent. However, there are certain steps you can take to reduce the appearance of your pores.

 

Here are 6 home remedies that work:

 

Ice

The coldness of ice tightens the skin, which can temporarily reduce the size of the pores. Simply put a few ice cubes into a cloth and hold it to your face for 30 seconds. Repeat daily. You can also wash your face in cold water, but that doesn’t sound enjoyable.

 

Egg White

Egg whites draw the skins excessive oil. Too much oil is a big cause for enlarged pores. The steps are easy – whisk an egg white and apply it to your face daily. You can mix lemon and oatmeal with the egg white. Wash the mixture off when it dries.

 

Aloe Vera

Massaging your face with fresh aloe vera moisturizes and helps reduce pores. Apply the aloe vera to your face, wait ten minutes and wash it off with cold water.

 

Cucumber Juice and Lemon Juice

Cucumbers contain a high amount of silica. Silica helps strengthen the connective cells in the body. Applying it to your face, in the form of cucumber juice, will help tighten your face, which reduces the visibility of pores.

 

Lemons contain an astringent that also helps reduce the visibility of pores. Lemon should be used sparingly, though, because it can also dry the skin out.

 

The mixture is made from combining the juice from lemons and cucumbers and applying to your face. Wash off when dry.

 

Turmeric

We are all aware of the great antibacterial and healthy benefits of turmeric. Turmeric can reduce the skin inflammation by killing harmful bacteria that lives in the pores. The removal of such harmful bacteria results in the reduction of swelling of the pores. Mix Turmeric powder with water to form a paste. Apply to your skin and wait ten minutes. Rinse with cool water.

 

Milk and Oats

At this point, you’re probably wondering if you are eating breakfast or shrinking your face pores! Oats are considered one of the best skin exfoliators. The oats absorb dirt and oil to prevent clogged pores. The mixture of milk and oats should be applied to your skin, allowed to dry and then scrubbed after drying. Wash your face with cool water.

 

Once you’ve returned your pores to their normal size, be sure to follow a daily skincare routine to prevent the pores enlarging again.

 

References

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-to-unclog-pores

 

https://www.labelle.in/how-to-remove-open-pores-from-face.php

 

https://www.dermstore.com/blog/top_ten/what-are-pores/