The truth about pores (and how you can shrink them)

Don’t hate the messenger, but we’ve got some skin truths to share. Those pores on your face? They’re going nowhere. Ice cubes, sebum masks, head over a steaming pot, the at-home remedies just won’t work – pores are part of you, folks, it’s in the genes. But not all hope is lost. If you’re on a quest to conceal (though there’s really no need), like your favourite cashmere jumper, we can shrink ‘em. Yep, a few nifty tricks, and we can decrease their visibility by cleaning out the follicle. Here goes.

By Rachel Spedding

• 1 Let’s get technical

  Pores sit at the top of our sebaceous glands, all over the body, and produce sebum (the body’s natural oil), to keep skin moisturised and protected. If there’s too much secretion, or every day dirt and bacteria get involved, the pores can clog. Thus, pores are a structural part of your skin that simply won’t go away. They’ll continue to widen and deepen if constantly clogged, or squeezed. In short: only touch your skin when cleaning it. Easy.
• 2 Ignore the urban legends

  Plot twist. Pores don’t have muscles. They can’t get bigger or smaller. Diving into the bath for a steaming session – glass of wine safely balanced – will feel blooming lovely, but it won’t ‘get rid’ of pores. The same applies to ice. Holding an ice cube to a pimple can reduce redness, but won’t affect pore size. Why? Because the key to concealing is in the cleaning. We need to clean out the skin follicle to avoid whiteheads, blackheads and pimples (the result of clogged pores).
• 3 Which products to choose?

  The pore-shrinking superheroes go by the names glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and retinol (or AHAs and BHAs). Their superpower? Exfoliating – but without the heavy scrubbing. These chemical compounds are exfoliating acids, found within over-the-counter serums (like this one from The Ordinary), work to eliminate dead skin cells to encourage a brighter complexion, firmer skin, and cleaned-out follicles. Apply once or twice a day, depending on your skin type and reap the deep-cleaning benefits (less visible pores).
• 4 Or leave it to the pros

  A trip to the professionals for a facial peel will remove the top layer of skin through exfoliation. This speeds up cell turnover, to break down the bonds holding dead skin cells together (cleaning out follicles). You may feel a tingling sensation, and see a slight pink tinge to the skin, but you’ll struggle to see your pores – because they’ll have reduced in size (touché). Your skin will also feel smoother. An appointment will only take around 40 minutes. 40 mins of pore-blasting satisfaction.

  With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Discover amazing spas in your area.