Pores don’t “open” or “close”! But here’s what you can do to make them APPEAR to be smaller….

What are pores? They are openings of hair follicles containing a sebaceous (oil) gland that secrete sebum and sweat onto the skin’s surface to prevent the skin from drying out and regulate body temperature. Pores may be more visible on certain parts of the face such as forehead or nose, where the sebaceous glands are bigger. 

Pore MYTH solved

Pores don’t actually open or close (washing your face with warm water to “open your pores” and with cold to “close” your pores issa MYTH!).

That’s because pores are not muscles, meaning they cannot contract to close or relax to open. A pore ‘opens’ (gets larger) when bacteria and excess sebum and dirt gets clogged inside, stretching the pores walls causing the pore to inflame and irritate the surface of the skin, forming spots.

However, you can do certain things to make them APPEAR to be smaller.

Here is what you can do:

• • DRINK WATER
    Water will remove toxins from your pores, making them appear smaller. So make sure to get them 8 glasses of water a day in! If you struggle, add a slice of lemon or cucumber for some flavours! 
  • STEAM
    Can also help to clean out the pores by removing excess debris and make up, making them appear to be smaller.
  • WEAR SPF
    This is SO important. Sun may dry out your skin, making the pores appear to look bigger. UV rays also deplete collagen and elastin and without those, pores stretch and sag. The minimum factor is SPF 30 and remember to wear it ALL YEAR ROUND! Sun damage may cause a lot of hyper-pigmentation (no thank you). 
  • USE SERUMS/MOISTURISERS
    A product containing retinoids is beneficial as it will speed up cellular turnover and stimulate collagen production = tightens skin = smaller pores 
  • EXFOLIATE
    But no more than 2-3 times a week my lovelies otherwise you will strip your skin and cause more problems! Exfoliants containing 2% salicylic acid (helps by unclogging the pores and making them go back to their original size) or retinoids/retinol (which increase the skin cell turnover strengthening the skin which results in tighter skin, decreasing the size of the pore). 
  • CLEANSE YOUR FACE X2 A DAY
    It’s important to remember to wash your face as soon as you wake up to get rid of the excess sebum and sweat produced throughout the night. Then, wash again before you go to bed after the skin has faced many challenges throughout the day! This will keep the skin clean and get rid of any excess dirt which may clog the pores, making them appear to be bigger.
    
    (if you have oily skin, gel-based cleansers are better and creamy cleansers are better for normal to dry skin) 

So why do pores appear to have different sizes?

Their size is often determined by genetics, but pore size is also affected by the sites in which the oil glands are the most active, which is why pore size appears larger on the nose and forehead in many individuals. As mentioned above, clogged pores may appear to be bigger due to containing excess oil and dirt inside which stretches the pore wall. 

There’s so much information out there (not necessarily always true) that it’s easy to get mislead!