Pore Patrol
Suffer from large pores? You’re in luck. So do two of the Woman’s Way Crew. Carissa Casey and Rachel Spillane share their hot tips for keeping those pores looking as small as possible.
First the bad news. Nothing is going to change the size of your pores, no matter what a product or treatment claims. But here’s the good news, by adopting good skincare habits, you can make them less noticeable and appear smaller.
1.Cleanse
Dirt, makeup residue and dead skin cells all combine to make our pores look larger. So the first step to smooth, glowing skin is keeping it clean. That means a good cleanse every morning and night. The night-time cleansing is by far the most important because that’s when you need to take off every scrap of makeup and then wash your face. Notice that there are two steps there - take off makeup and then cleanse. Water and a simple reusable makeup cleansing pad will do a pretty good job of getting makeup off. Depending on how much you wear, you may need to use more than one pad. Just keep going until the pad comes away clean. Then use a gentle non-comedogenic cleanser to wash away any dirt left in the pores. (non-comedogenic is just a fancy way of saying not-oily by the way!). If it doesn’t irritate the skin, you could also use a cleansing brush, which will help sweep away any surface dead skin cells. A good test for whether your face is clean is to take a white face cloth and smooth over your skin. If it’s still white when it comes away you’re good to go.
The Ordinary Aha 30% + Bha 2% Peeling Solution €8.30 , Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask €24 , GlamGlow Supermud Mask €15.90, Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment €100
2.Serum
There are three ingredients recommended for keeping pores appearing small. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps tighten pores. Salicylic Acid or Glycolic Acid are exfoliants which take away dead skin and can cause pores to become unblocked. Retinol (vitamin A) stimulates cell growth and rejuvenation, helping to minimise pores. In our experience, it’s best to use just one of these ingredients at a time, since over-stimulating the skin can result in the production of more sebum (skin oil) which will actually increase the appearance of pores.
3.Moisturise
Even if you suffer from oily skin, it’s important to moisturise. Products that include humectants like hyaluronic acid will attract and bind water. Again go for non-comedogenic (non-oily) products.
Dermalogica Microfoliant €69 Skingredients Sally Cleanse €33, Dr Jart Pore.remedy™ PHA Exfoliating Serum €40, La Roche-Posay Niacinamide B10 Serum €39, Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-Light SPF 30 €40
4.Exfoliate
Some exfoliating products are gentle enough to be used daily. These are great for a morning wake-up for the skin. Otherwise, exfoliate at most two to three times a week. Again, too much exfoliating will damage the skin barrier and could lead to breakouts or an increase in oiliness (and pore size appearance). Steaming the skin twice a week, either with a professional steaming tool or simply a bowl of hot water is also great for both hydrating and deep cleaning the skin. When it comes to weekly or twice-weekly exfoliants, go for products containing AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids). AHAs are water soluble and work at the surface level to remove dead skin. BHAs are oil soluble and work at a deeper level - ideal for people with oily skin and prone to breakouts.
5.SPF
Sunscreen doesn’t just protect our skin from sun damage. It also protects from pollutants. Many now contain antioxidants to further protect the skin. This really isn’t a skincare step to skip, particularly if you want to keep your skin as healthy as possible with clean, tight pores.