Help! My Pores Are Huge!

Ever had a “help, my pores are huge!” moment? Although you can’t eliminate visible pores entirely, you can make them less noticeable. 

PORES 101

Pores are a necessary structural part of your skin— these little openings help your body release sweat, toxins, and natural oils that keep the skin hydrated.

Despite what you may have heard, pores don’t open and close— even if you apply cold or hot water. Muscles don’t control them, so there’s no way for them actually to dilate and shrink. While you can’t instantly close or tighten pores using skincare products, you can make them look smaller by keeping them clean and healthy. 

HOW DO PORES ENLARGE?

Although your default pore size is largely genetic, pores stretch and expand when they become clogged with excess oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. A pore becomes clogged by dead skin trapping sebum and debris inside the pore causing the pore to stretch. The pore can remain stretched and visible even when the clog is gone.  It's best to treat this and maintain your regimen to avoid stretching the pore even further.  By treating it, you can prevent them from becoming enlarged and noticeable.

HOW TO SHRINK PORES AT HOME:

No single skincare step can solve enlarged pores on its own. Combine these healthy skin habits to balance facial oil, dislodge clogged pores, stimulate cell turnover, and smooth your texture over time.

1. Reduce Oil

To prevent pores from clogging in the first place, start by controlling excess oil and dirt. Cleanse twice daily with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser like our PREBIOTIC GEL CLEANSER to remove makeup, oil, dirt, and debris.

Prebiotic Gel Cleanser

2. Exfoliate

Exfoliate 3-5 times a week with an at-home peel to prevent dead skin cells from getting trapped inside your pores. Our TCA Multi Acid Face Peel is formulated with salicylic acid to help dislodge clogged pores. Dermaplaning weekly to slough off the dead skin will also help to maintain clear, healthy skin.

TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel

3.SEE AN AESTHETICIAN

Regular extractions performed by an aesthetician can help reduce the size of your pores. An aesthetician can remove blackheads and congested pores without damaging your skin. A monthly visit will keep your pores clean so they don’t become larger over time.

4. SUPPORT CELL TURNOVER

The key to smoothing out textural imperfections like visible pores starts with stimulating your skin’s healing response so that it creates new skin cells. Our EGF ACTIVATING SERUM is formulated with powerful growth factors that help stimulate cell turnover. Use the serum with a MICRONEEDLING SKIN REFINING TOOL to drive it deeper into the skin, maximizing its efficacy, and stimulating your skin’s healing response.

EGF Activating Serum

5. Moisturizer

When skin is dehydrated, your oil glands can start over-compensate by producing excess pore-clogging oil. Use a lightweight moisturizer to replenish your skin’s hydration levels. Our MICROBIOME DAILY RESCUE MOISTURIZER is formulated with a ceramide complex that helps strengthen the skin’s lipid barrier and prevent water loss that leads to excess oil production.

Microbiome Rescue Daily Moisturizer

6. Use SPF

The sun breaks down your skin’s collagen, making enlarged pores look worse over time. UV rays are also responsible for free radical damage, which causes premature signs of aging and cancer. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to protect skin against UVA and UVB damage.

Our StackedSkincare System is a curated selection of products and tools to solve enlarged pores and most other skin concerns.