Can you "Shrink" your pores?
The verdict is in and the answer is NO...
Not what you were expecting to hear was it? What does this mean even though you spent years buying "Shrink Your Pore products" and were given years of advice on how to "shrink your pores by steaming your face, and then splashing it with ice cold water." Well my friends, sadly you were mistaken.
In fact, Skin pores are actually just the openings of hair follicles, oil glands and sweat glands. Because you actually inherited your pore size , you cannot change their size.
But wait! There are reasons why you would think otherwise. Certain conditions can actually make your pores appear larger. For example, if you have oily skin or are prone to acne you most likely have large pores. (Squeezing of blackheads and pimples may also lead to permanently widened pores, some of which may actually be tiny, pitted scars. So stop squeezing!)
Another example of when thought your pores were shrinking, is when you may have experienced sunburn. It's actually your skin reacting to the inflammation and swelling around the pores. You can get the same effect by pinching your skin or lightly slapping your cheeks to have a light pink look. But this is all temporary. Once the inflammation has gone down, the pores will return to their original appearance.
So what do we do when we believe we have the largest, ugliest, most visible pores? There are a few things.
1. Wash your face with a great cleanser up to 3 times a day. This will prevent oils from accumulating, clogging up, and distending the pores. I recommend Seacret's Deep Cleansing Facial Wash or Seacret's Mud Soap. Both are great to help with that excess oils on your face.
3. Exfoliate! This will help get rid of all the dead skin that is clogging the pores and making your oil glands produce more oil! I highly recommend Seacret's Mineral Rich Peeling Gel. It is great for sensitive and or oily skin, and removes your dead skin right before your eyes!
4. Use an oil-free moisturiser. It will allow your skin to breathe perfectly and reduce the chance of clogging your pores. Seacret has an amazing light weight OIL FREE Essential Moisture Face Cream.
*Last bit of advice, stop sitting in front of your magnifying mirror! Not many things look that amazing close up ;)
“Pore size is genetically determined,” says Debra Jaliman, a dermatologist in New York City