Clogged Pores: Best Tips and Ingredients to Minimize Large Pores, Blackheads, and Whiteheads
Before anything else, pores are a completely normal part of your skin; it would be bizarre if you didn’t have it! No matter what type of products or treatments you apply, there’s no way you can get rid of it completely. Be wary of products that promise to banish your pores—technically, you can’t! The size of your pores relies on genetics, and you can’t shrink it permanently.
Pores are actually just tiny openings of hair follicles on our face, and much like everything in the body, it has a vital purpose. Pores produce oil and sebum for natural moisture, which is your body’s way of protecting the skin from dirt and bacteria. Each pore contains its own sebaceous gland, which produces oil. It’s no wonder, then, that pores get clogged with oil and enlarged so frequently. But, sudoriferous glands (sweat) are completely different from our sebaceous glands (oil). With about 5 million pores on our bodies, though they get a bad reputation, pores help our skin breathe and detoxify.
Blackheads then form when our pores get clogged with dead skin cells and oil, where squalene, found in our natural oil, gets oxidized by the exposure to sun and air, hence the name “blackhead.”Whiteheads, on the other hand, are a form of acne, which form when dead skin cells, bacteria and oil become trapped in your pores. Our own sebaceous glands work against us by producing much more than the amount of oil we need thus clogging our pores.
Chances are, you may apply a nose strip from the drugstore on a regular basis—it is deeply satisfying to use after all! The thing is, this adhesive-like product is simply a temporary fix. Here are our recommendations to minimize the appearance of pores and other unwanted buildup on the face like blackheads and whiteheads.
Best tips & ingredients that help fight clogged pores and minimize the appearance of large pores
1. Wear your sunscreen!
Sunscreen is a non-negotiable in our daily morning skincare routine for many reasons. Aside from protecting skin from sun exposure, it prevents early signs of aging in the long run. Sun damage can actually break down skin’s collagen—keeping skin tight and firm—making it easier for pores to stretch. Wearing sunscreen diligently can easily prevent it from doing so. But of course, make sure to remove it at the end of the day or else it can easily clog your pores!
2. Use products with these superstar ingredients: Vitamins A, B, C, E.
When shopping for products for enlarged pores, look for products formulated with Vitamins A, B, C, and E. Vitamin A acts as an exfoliant and also balances sebum production, thereby shrinking pores to prevent it from getting clogged and inflamed. Hero ingredient niacinamide, a form of Vitamin B-3, helps regulate sebum production, and it’s even suitable for almost all skin types. Potent and powerful Vitamin C not only brightens skin, it also protects skin from free radicals from UV rays. More importantly, it helps increase skin’s collagen production and elasticity; when the skin is plump, your pores appear smaller, too! Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant ingredient that discourages sebum oxidation, which prevents blackheads.
3. Incorporate Green Tea as antioxidant ingredient.
Meanwhile, Green Tea is an effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent for treating acne and unclogging pores. It cleanses and even reduces the appearances of pores and even gets rid of blackheads and whiteheads without any serious side effects.
4. Exfoliate moderately with AHA or BHA.
A gentle exfoliation on a regular basis does wonder for the skin. AHAs and BHAs exfoliate on a cellular level, allowing penetration on a deeper level to remove dead skin cells clogged in pores aka blackheads. These acids eliminate the build up of dead skin cells and natural oils, which clog pores, and even help regulate oil and sebum production.
We hope this quick guide answered your questions about pores. We have so many more tips in store! Tune in to our next blog post and video next week!