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We’ve always been told “you can’t make your pores
smaller”, but new skincare advances are proving that
old adage wrong. Here’s how to shrink ’emSMALLER
PORES?
YES, REALLY!
BLUR THEM OUT
Waiting for results to kick in from the
treatments mentioned? Get an instant
skin fix with a pore-minimising primer,
aka blur cream. Optical reflectors will
mattify skin and visually fill in pores
so they look smaller – just be sure to
look for an oil-free formula to avoid
re-clogging up those pores. #Truth:
Oversized
pores can
make anyone
feel loopy.1
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VACUUM
YOUR SKIN
Oversized pores and
excess oil go hand in
hand. When sebum
gets trapped in your
skin’s pores, it can
cause inflammation
that then physically
expands the pore,
says dermatologist
Adam Geyer. A very
easy way to suck out
all that oil is to use a
charcoal face wash.
Charcoal’s renowned
for its ability to bind
itself to grime and
extract it from your
pores, says Geyer.
In fact, charcoal can
apparently bind up
to 800 times its own
weight in dirt and oil!Bioré Charcoal Pore
Minimizer, $10.99.SLOUGH SMARTER
In an attempt to keep pores
clear, it’s common to over-
exfoliate, but this can actually
cause pore inflammation –
the opposite of what you’re
going for, says dermatologist
Carlos Charles. Swap gritty
face scrubs for a gentler wipe
or pad infused with chemical
exfoliants like glycolic acid
or salicylic acid. Only use it
two or three times a week to
give skin a break.Ole Henriksen Grease
Relief Cleansing Cloths,
$22, available at Sephora.Ella Baché Purifying
Treatment Lotion, $69.TIGHTEN UP
As you age, your skin
loses collagen and
elastin – the building
blocks necessary for
tight skin and pores.
That causes sagging,
which scientists now
believe is why pores
shift from a round to
a droopy, teardrop
shape. “The original
thinking was that
you can’t change the
shape back – but
you can,” explains
Geyer. Ingredients
like yeast extract
firm up pore walls
and help to restore a
circular appearance.La Roche-Posay
Anthelios XL
Melt-in Cream
SPF 50+, $27.95.SHIELD FROM
THE SUN
In addition to oil and
age, the sun plays a
big part in how big
your pores become.
UV rays tear up the
collagen in your skin- which we know is
what’s responsible
for keeping pores
tight, says Charles.
Using a daily SPF can
prevent structural
skin damage before
it happens. Winning.
Lancôme La Base Pro Pore Eraser, $55.WORDS BY MARTA TOPRAN. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ALEXANDRA WHITING. STILLLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEVAK BABAKHANI/BAUER. GETTY IMAGES/FLICKR OPENbeauty edit