Why Large Pores Appear And How To Get Rid Of Them

Being called as beautiful as the moon is flattering no doubt. But what if you and the moon share more than beauty? What if just like the moon, you can see large craters on your face? Technically known as large pores, these nasty cavities on the surface of your facial skin can rob you of your natural beauty. Your only remaining option is to cover your pores with makeup or be rid of them with the help of cosmetic procedures. Needless to say, both have their cons. While makeup can get tedious, professional removal of pores is quite expensive!

In this article, we’ll share with you safe, effective, and inexpensive ways to minimize your pores so you can retain your natural good looks. However, before we get to that, allow us to enlighten you on the causes of large pores. This knowledge will help you curb them.

What Are The Causes Of Large Pores?

The surface of everyone’s skin contains pores that produce sebum – your body’s natural oil (1). Sebum keeps your skin hydrated and healthy. In fact, small pores are not a problem, it’s the large ones that are. The appearance of large pores on your face can be blamed on three central causes, which are:

• Overproduction of sebum: When your sebaceous glands (ones responsible for producing sebum) go into overdrive, large pores appear on your face (2). Your sebaceous glands can become overactive due to the intake of unhealthy food, excess exposure to sunlight, stress, comedogenic beauty products, and not following proper skincare.
• Reduced skin elasticity: As you advance in years, your body’s natural production of the protein collagen goes down (3). This leads to your skin losing its elasticity, which can consequently make your pores appear larger than they are. Sunlight exposure can also reduce your skin’s collagen levels.
• Your genes: The only uncontrollable factor in the list, your genes can largely determine the size of your pores (4). In fact, as you age, your genes can make your pores seem bigger, which is definitely an unpleasant scenario.

What Can You Do To Get Rid Of Your Pores?

While you can’t do anything about your genes, there are other things you can do to minimize your pores. Controlling your skin’s oil production, preserving the levels of collagen in your body, and following a thorough skincare routine can all prevent your pores from becoming larger.

Let’s take a look at how you can reduce the size of your pores:

1. Eat The Right Foods

The diet you follow has the potential to influence the activity of your sebaceous glands in both a positive andnegative manner (5). Well, that’s good news as through your diet alone, you might be able to control the size of your pores. Experts recommend reducing the amounts of carbs and sugary items you have as these can trigger oil production. Instead, your diet should be composed of spices and herbs such as oregano, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and cloves as these preserve the elasticity of your skin. Green tea and fresh veggies and fish can also reduce both pores and acne (6), (7).

2. Deeply CleanseAnd Moisturize Your Skin

Proper skincare is crucial if you want to keep pores at bay. Your skin accumulates cosmetic residue, dirt and debris, which can clog your pores, enlarge them, and lead to breakouts. Hence, you should cleanse and moisturize your skin thoroughly so that it remains healthy and pore-free. Some beauty tricks you can employ to minimize pores are:

• Use peels on your face with either glycolic or salicylic acids as main ingredients. These keep your pores clean.
• Avoid scrubbing your face and use gel-based face washes instead.
• Never use regular soap on your face as it can increase the production of sebum.
• Use sunscreen daily (cloudy days included) to prevent the sun from damaging your collagen.
• Use water-based moisturizers as these don’t clog your pores.

3. Use The Right Cosmetics

If makeup is an inescapable part of your daily routine, ensure that you use cosmetics that are non-comedogenic and hence, safe. Such cosmetics won’t clog your pores and would help in decreasing oil production. However, for this to happen, you need to check the ingredients list of your cosmetics. They should include the following:

• Sarcosine, nordihyroguaiaretic acid, and NGDA that control sebum production.
• Zinc sulfate, niacinamide, biotin, zinc gluconate, Enantiachlorantha bark extract, and caffeine that control the sweat gland’s function.

You should avoid using cosmetic items such as those with alcohol or mineral oil and talcum powder as these can worsen your pores (8).

For these treatments to be effective, you’ll have to start as soon as you first notice the appearance of pores. Even if you start later, don’t worry. The above methods will still help you to control the size of your pores to a large extent.

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