How to Minimize Pores: Healthy Habits and Skincare Tips

Large pores are one of the most common skin concerns many people want to address. However, note that pores make up a structural layer of skin that will always be there and cannot be removed. So, maybe it's not the pores that are bothering you, but the appearance of them.

The appearance of large pores is probably due to them being more profound and prominent than they should be. This can result from clogged pores that prevent the skin from getting tight.

Fortunately, you can remedy clogged pores. With the right mixture of products and a lot of TLC, you can get smooth, supple, and poreless-looking skin! The following are some healthy habits and skincare tips you can follow to minimize pores.

How to Minimize Pores on the Face: 7 Healthy Habits and Skincare Tips

The look and size of your pores depend on multiple factors, including genetics, diet, skin type, sun exposure, age, and more. Think of them as the passageway between the inside of the body and the outside. Pores let your skin breathe, and we need them. However, we can make them less noticeable. Here are some tips that will have your pores looking flawless.

1. Wash your face in the morning and at night

The best skincare routine starts with a fresh face. It's recommended to wash your face in the morning to get rid of the product buildup, dirt, and oil from the night before that stays on the skin's surface. Not cleansing could lead to clogged or larger-looking pores. At night, wash the face to cleanse the face of dirt, sweat, and oil, refresh the skin, and bring back some moisture after a hard day's work.

Here are a few tips from the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) that you can integrate into your cleansing routine.

• Use a gentle, non-abrasive, non-alcoholic cleanser.

• Use lukewarm water to wet and rinse your face and your fingertips to apply the cleanser.

• Do this in the morning and at night, as well as after sweating heavily.

2. Eat healthily

As mentioned, diet can play a role in your skin condition, including pore size.

It's important to practice proper skin care and make lifestyle changes; however, researchers have also found that the body produces many insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) hormones during puberty, possibly increasing sebum production and clogging pores. This can lead to larger pores, or worse, acne, and why teenagers break out so much.

Certain foods also boost the release of the hormone by raising blood sugar quickly and increasing the levels of insulin in the bloodstream, stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

Some foods to stay away from include:

• High-glycemic index foods

• Dairy

• Processed foods

• Fried food

• Salt

• Shellfish

You may replace them with other foods like:

• Low-glycemic index foods

• Protein

• Leafy vegetables

• Fruits

• Healthy fats like omega-3

• Lots of water

3. Use a toner

After cleansing, using a toner helps prep your skin for the next steps. Washing the face can bring trauma to the skin, especially if you tend to rub and tug at your skin a lot. Depending on their ingredients, toners can help calm and soothe the skin. They can also visibly reduce pores and keep your skin refreshed and hydrated.

The Revitalift Milky Toner melts instantly onto the skin, leaving a bouncy sensation and helping reduce wrinkles, shrink pores, and lift and firm contours.

4. Moisturize daily

Sebum causes clogged pores, so you might be thinking that adding hydration or oil onto your skin would aggravate your problems further. While that's a fair concern, fortunately, there are oil-free options for moisturizers available today.

Apply your toner after washing the face, then don't forget to moisturize. Washing the face can strip it of its natural oils, leading to dry skin. Moisturizer brings back the hydration that your skin lost. Plus, you're allowing your skin to absorb all the goodness from your moisturizer. Knowing how to moisturize your skin with the right ingredients can make a world of difference in your pores' appearance.

In this way, moisturizing prevents pores from being clogged with oil and dirt, reducing their appearance. Try the Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Cream for instantly hydrated and refined pores.

5. Exfoliate

Exfoliating the skin makes the pores less visible. The skin sheds every 28 days, but there's no harm in helping it. To get the results you want, ensure that you exfoliate correctly and safely. Avoid using products that are too abrasive or harsh.

As per the AAD, here's how to exfoliate the skin properly. But, if you're not too keen on experimenting, seeing a dermatologist may help you figure out the best way to exfoliate your skin.

6. Remove your makeup before sleeping

One of the most basic skincare steps to remember is to never sleep with your makeup on. Makeup, especially foundations, are oil-based. Having them sit too long on your face can clog the pores up and make the makeup difficult to remove. This enlarges the look of large pores. Plus, the added layers of primers, blush, and powders add to the gunk that should never stay on your face.

Before going to bed, make sure that you remove your makeup correctly and completely. You can double-cleanse, which is essentially going in with a makeup-breaking component like micellar water, cleansing balms, or cleansing oils to easily take them off before using your regular cleanser to finish the job. Remember to look for non-comedogenic products so they won't clog your pores.

7. Use a serum

Since pores aren't going away, you can still minimize their appearance with serums enriched with hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acids bring moisture to the skin and keep the skin's pH level balanced. A balanced pH level also helps stop the overproduction of oil that can clog the pores.

Try the L'Oréal Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid Serum to help intensely hydrate the skin and smooth out the surface. It deeply penetrates the skin's barrier to re-plump lines from within and minimizes the appearance of your pores.

Minimize Your Pores with Healthy Skin

Large pores can be annoying and even make you lose confidence. Fortunately, all it takes is some skin-loving and proper products to unclog and retighten them. We hope that this guide on how to minimize pores helps bring your skin back to its tight, supple, and youthful state! 

L'Oréal Paris houses some of the best skincare and beauty products in the Philippines. You can find a wide range of our products in our online shop.