Annoyed With Your Pores? We Spoke With an Expert On How to Get Them Under Control
Put plainly and simply, out-of-control pores suck.
If you deal with enlarged pores, you know what we mean. They're seemingly never-ending and are so hard to get rid of. So, what are we supposed to do?
We spoke with Courtney Rashidi, licensed esthetician and in-house expert at Perfect Image, all about pores. Keep reading for our full interview with her, where she tells us how to get our pores under control.
Sweety High: What exactly is a pore?
Courtney Rashidi: Pores are small openings on the skin at the top of our hair follicles that release oil and sweat.
SH: What is inside of a pore?
CR: Pores are mostly made up of sebum, which is oil that your skin naturally produces, as well as dead skin cells. When there is a buildup of those dead skin cells, debris and bacteria, acne is formed.
SH: What are the best products for getting rid of pores?
CR: Unfortunately, we cannot completely get rid of pores or change the molecular size of them. However, what we can do is minimize the appearance of them! The best thing you can do to help minimize the appearance of pores is to use acids, such as BHAs and AHAs. If you have oily skin and experience blackheads and acne, then a clarifying cleanser such as Perfect Image's Salicylic Deep Gel Cleanser and Salicylic 10% Gel Peel are great products for unclogging and ridding the pores of excess sebum, dirt and debris.
If you fall on the dry/combination scale and are wanting to minimize the look of pores, then use an AHA such as Perfect Image's Glycolic 30% Gel Peel. This Glycolic peel helps to resurface the skin, improve overall texture and exfoliate that top layer of skin. It's also enhanced with Retinol which can "tighten" the pore, making it appear smaller. Professional microdermabrasion is also a great treatment to help exfoliate any extra buildup of dead skin cells revealing an overall even skin texture.
SH: What should you do to help out your pores?
CR: Always perform a double-cleanse when cleansing the skin, use non-comedogenic products and always wear an SPF 30 or higher. The sun breaks down the collagen and elastin in our skin which can result in larger, stretched out pores.
SH: What should you never do when it comes to your pores?
CR: Contrary to popular belief, pore strips can actually make the appearance of your pores worse. The adhesive that binds the pore strip to our skin can cause more harm than good when ripped off the skin, causing redness and inflammation.
SH: What are the best methods for helping out pores?
CR: A consistent skincare routine, such as using AHA and BHA acids, as well as professional facials and treatments will help you maintain clear and healthy pores.
SH: Why do some of us have enlarged pores?
CR: The size and structure of each person's individual pores are due to genetics. So if you have inherited oily skin, you most likely have larger pores due to them actively releasing oil.
SH: How do we avoid getting pores around our nose?
CR: Unfortunately, we all have pores around our nose, which seems to always be an area that we get frequent blackheads on. Incorporating products that can draw out impurities and excess oil will help us to keep the pores around our nose clear and debris free. Check out Perfect Image's Exfoliating & Clarifying UltraMud that is formulated as a mud mask and peel in one. It is enhanced with kaolin clay and bentonite that absorb oil as well as salicylic, mandelic and glycolic acids that exfoliate, cleanse and unclog pores and buildup.
SH: Anything else we should know?
CR: We cannot permanently get rid of large pores or change the size of a pore. With the right products and treatments, you can minimize their appearance where they appear smaller!
Want some more skincare tips? Look HERE for our interview with an expert about covering up acne with makeup.