SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 Refining Night Cream
"The sun breaks down your skin's collagen, which is responsible for keeping your face firm and elasticized, so you're left with larger pores and stretchier skin after repeat exposure," says Rachel Nazarian, M.D., a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology in New York.
Look for a product made with retinol or alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid. Prescription topical retinoids are also used to treat large pores. Pore strips may also do the trick. They help remove the uppermost portion of the blackhead, leaving the pore opening clear.
When spread on the skin, retinoids can unclog pores, allowing other medicated creams and gels to work better. They also reduce acne outbreaks by preventing dead cells from clogging pores. By clearing acne and reducing outbreaks, they may also reduce the formation of acne scars.
Retinol is a type of vitamin A that makes pores smaller by increasing cell turnover unclogging pores. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts collagen production in addition to protecting for photodamage which causes enlarged pores.
Cleanse your face twice a day
Cleansing twice daily can unclog pores, prevent clogged pores, and reduce oiliness. When cleansing your face, you'll want to: Use warm water. Hot water can irritate your skin, causing pores to look larger.
If you suddenly see the pores getting bigger on, for example, your nose, it's the sebum glands in the pores on your nose which have been working overdrive 24-hour shifts. With all this extra sebum to bag up, your pore will eventually begin to lose elasticity aka your pore size will stretch.
If you use it every two or three days, you may start seeing results after about ten weeks. If used weekly, it could take up to three months. Every person's skin is unique though, and results may vary.
Apply a facial pore cleanser with salicylic acid nightly. "It's a beta hydroxy acid that has increased solubility in oil and can travel deep within pores," Dr. Feely says. You can also talk to your dermatologist about a stronger in-office chemical peel to further clear out pores.
Exfoliate to Refine Your Complexion
One of the best ways to make pores look smaller is to use skincare products that help refine your complexion. Some of the best ingredients for the job include retinol and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additional benefits include fading age spots and softening rough patches of skin.
Laser Treatments
Several treatments are available at Dermatology and Laser Centre. Fractional ablative laser skin resurfacing decreases the appearance of pores and acne scars. For enlarged pores, Dr. Gallacher uses the Vbeam laser as well as fractionated CO2 lasers.
The bad news is that pore size is genetically determined, so you can't actually shrink pores. However, some products and treatments can minimize the appearance of pores, but none of them are permanent solutions. Pore-minimizing products work by stimulating and plumping the collagen that surrounds pores.
How does it help to shrink large pores? Niacinamide has been found to help balance sebum (oil) excretion rate and also improve elasticity to tighten up the skin around pores, making them look smaller. And it's gentle so even extra-sensitive skin types can reap its benefits without the risk of irritation!
extreme stress. poor skin care habits (such as not washing your face twice a day, or wearing oil-based makeup) dry skin (ironically, having dry skin can make pores more noticeable due to an increase in sebum production and accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin)
Combination skin is characterized by overactive oil glands in the T-zone. As a result, the nose, chin and forehead of combination skin are more prone to clogged pores. When sebum builds inside pores, they must expand to account for the excess oil, giving them an enlarged appearance.
Hormones play a role in stimulating these glands in order to produce more abundant quantities of sebum. That's why the pores on your face, most specifically those on your nose, forehead, and cheeks, may appear larger than they do on other areas of your body.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol. As for benzoyl peroxide and retinol, they cancel each other out.
A formula with retinol, like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment, should be applied after your serums and before moisturizer due to its consistency.