Cosmopolitan USA – September 2019

$ $$$

TRY A PRO

LASER

TREATMENT

Willing to spend some

more? Hit up your

derm for a Clear +

Brilliant treatment. It’s

a resurfacing laser

that exfoliates the top

layer of dead skin

cells and helps boost

collagen production.

Most appointments take

around 20 minutes and

cost between $400 and

$600—and you might

need up to six separate

treatments. But they

work. About a week or

two after each lasering,

your pores will start

to appear smaller

and your skin will be

smoother overall.

GRAB A

RETINOID

You know it’s an acne-

fighting powerhouse,

but it’s also clutch for

minimizing the look of

your pores. Retinoids

increase cell turnover

(your skin’s natural

renewal process) and

boost the production of

collagen and elastin,

the proteins responsible

for smoothness and

firmness, explains Dr.

Sobel. Translation: This

stuff helps prevent dead

skin from building up

and plugging pores, and

supports the foundation

of each pore, preventing

it from sagging and

stretching. Don’t sleep

on this ingredient. (Try

Lancôme Visionnaire

Skin Solutions Retinol

Serum, $75, lancome-

usa.com.)

USE AN ACID

TONER

Specifically, one with

salicylic acid. It’s oil-

soluble, which is a

fancy way of saying

it can work its way

deep into your pores

and dissolve the stuff

(sebum and dead skin

cells) lodged inside,

says NYC dermatologist

Howard Sobel, MD,

founder of Sobel Skin.

“When you remove that

gunk, it prevents pores

from stretching and

looking larger.” The best

part? There are a ton

of inexpensive salicylic

acid toners out there (try

Bioré Witch Hazel Pore

Clarifying Toner, $6.50,

drugstores). Just dab a

little on a cotton pad

and swipe it on.

un facts first:

Your body is

covered in

approximately five

million pores (I swear that’s

not an exaggeration), and

your face alone is home

to about 20,000 of them.

The truth is that you need

all these teeny divots to

release oil and sweat and

to maintain healthy skin.

They’re part of being a real

live human—which

is why there’s no getting

rid of them. Most of the

time, this isn’t an issue. But

if your skin is naturally

oily or acne-prone or has

suffered UV damage,

chances are, some of those

20,000 are looking a little

less tiny due to excess oil,

inflammation, or a lack

of collagen. If yours are

driving you nuts, check out

these three cost-conscious

ways to shrink them down

to their OG size and get

smooth skin in the process.

$$$ $$$

Solves on a scale from cheap to bougie.

By AMA KWARTENG

So this

is

how you

get invisible pores

CHEAP FIX NOT TOO COSTLY PRETTY PRICEY

58 Cosmopolitan September 2019

GE

TT

Y^ I

MA

GE

S.

beauty