The Pores
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PORES: THE GUIDE
Pore size is generally determined by how much oil you produce. Oilier skin types will tend to have larger pores simply because the skin adapts to excess sebum being produced and excreted by the body. If your oil glands don't produce a lot of oil, your pores may appear smaller because there is simply less oil being excreted. However, as we age we may notice that our pores start looking larger regardless of how much oil we naturally produce!
This happens for a number of reasons, many of which are listed below (along with how to address it).
1. Gunk. Gunk (bacteria, air pollution, dirt, makeup, sweat, spf, etc) gets stuck in the pores which can ultimately expand their size. Think of your pores like rubber bands - they can expand or contract depending on how much "stuff" is in them. Unfortunately, after repeatedly being stretched out to accommodate the amount of "gunk" that continues to build up day after day, they will start to lose their tone and just remain expanded, like an old, worn out rubber band.
The fix:
- Regular facials with a professional technician will keep the pores clean. It's their job to steam/prep the skin properly so that extraction of the pores can be done in a controlled and gentle way so as not to damage the skin. The cleaner your pores are, the less likely they are to expand and lose their tone. A professional facial about every 4-6 weeks is ideal.
- Oil cleansing is a time tested cleansing method that does wonders for keeping the pores clean. It may seem counterintuitive to apply oil to the skin when trying to clean oil from the pores but oil is actually a MAGNET for other oils. When you perform this ancient ritual, the cleansing oils will attract, stick to, and encapsulate the oil that is in the pores (and the gunk inside that). When you wipe the skin clean with a warm washcloth, it takes the debris along with it, effectively cleaning the pores and preventing them from getting clogged! Watch this oil cleansing tutorial to get a better idea of how I like to do it.
- You should leave blemishes and blackheads to professionals, but something I use to keep my pores clean is a tool called a Pore Press. It's like a mini cheese grater that, when glided across the skin, helps to remove gunk from the tiny pores that are starting to get plugged up. This kind of tool should only be used on the T-zone or hard surface areas (avoid soft, fleshy cheeks). I like to do this right after oil cleansing because it helps to make my pores a little more flexible and soft. After I use the tool, I wash my face with my regular cleanser to further clean the pores that were just extracted. Then to tone the pores, disinfect and exfoliate the skin, I use Seawater Mist Toner and the Marine Clay Mask to finish the ritual.
2. Lost Collagen. As we age, our collagen starts to break down and that youthful, smooth skin can start looking sallow and dull. Collagen loss is a not so obvious factor that leads to pores looking larger because the underlying structures that normally fill the surface of the skin have been "deflated." It's like removing half the filling from a firm pillow - the “deflated" pillow will look flatter, and you'll be able to see more bumps, lumps, and sunken areas.
The fix:
- Proper skincare is a must for maintaining collagen (see more info below), but to help the skin and body actually produce more collagen, I like to use wavelength technologies like LED and Laser. Both of these modalities use light energy to stimulate fibroblasts production, which helps stimulate more collagen-producing proteins within the skin. This results in pores appearing smaller (and flatter) because the skin will be more plump and full. I like to use LED wands because they emit the strongest concentration of energy to the skin (the lights are more dense and closer together), but an LED mask like this one is also an excellent choice because it uses a bunch of other wavelengths specifically targeting different layers of the epidermis to carry out various functions (blue light kills acne bacteria, yellow and green target pigmentation, amber helps inflammation and purple helps tighten pores). I recently started using a Laser mask as well which is just like LED but it uses stronger and more varied wavelengths to better target the deeper layers of the dermis (where collagen lives). I've seen great results using this mask (use code SHELLY10) and I'm so excited something like this is now on the market because you used to only be able to get results like this in a clinical setting.
- In addition to using different devices and tools, your lifestyle habits and choices can be one of the best ways to naturally plump and maintain your collagen: get adequate sleep, drink 2-3L of clean water a day, eat less processed food and more whole foods, cut down sugar, grain, and alcohol, remove toxic people, fumes, and chemicals from your environment, consume lots of antioxidants and clean protein sources to support tissue growth, practice deep breathing....all of these things support the body's detox and repair functions, which can make the pores healthier/smaller!
3. Improper Skincare Products. Using low quality products, or products that aren't right for your skin can play a huge role in how your pores age. Products that you find in drug stores, Sephora, or department stores typically have a ton of chemicals, fragrances, petroleums, silicones and plastics added to them to make them smell nice, glide onto the skin smoothly, all while maintaining a very long shelf life. This can wreak havoc not only on your lipid barrier but your pores as well because they act as open receivers for the chemicals you apply every day. Take this quiz to see what products may be best for your skin type.
The fix:
- You want your pores to age well. How you wash your face is one of the most important steps. We addressed oil cleansing previously, and one of my top recommendations is my Cleaning System Bundle for anyone looking to revamp their cleansing routine. The Cleansing Beauty Oil helps you clean the pores daily, the Sea Silk Wash deep cleans the pores to keep them from accumulating gunk, and the Shell Scrub is to periodically exfoliate dead skin (when dead skin accumulates, this can also lead to oil getting trapped in the pores).
Beyond how you clean the skin, you'll want to be mindful of what you apply to it. You'll need a gentle, alcohol free toner that has just enough acid to help balance the skin's pH. It takes time to find the right toner for your skin so be open to trying different ones; the acid in toners help to bring your skin back to a healthy pH and they also have to tighten and tone the pores (aka helping them "close" after cleansing).
Ceramides are one of the best ways to make pores appear smooth and plump because they contain fatty acids that fill in where you have gaps on the skin (loose pores, fine lines, acne scars, etc). Seaweed is naturally full of ceramides but the one product that stands out to me is the Vitamin Sea Serum. It's creamy, smooth, moisturizing, and full of ceramides, vitamin C and B vitamins. For aging skin, I highly recommend adding this product into your regimen (wear under your moisturizer or use it first thing in the morning in place of washing your face).
I also want to say something about applying oil. Many people believe that applying oil will clog pores; this may be true if you're using a heavy, impure, conventional oil. However, if you are using a high quality, lightweight, nutrient-rich oil, then the exact opposite will happen; you will experience less pore-clogging. We naturally have oil on the skin, a thin layer called the acid mantle (or pH/skin flora). These natural oils help to protect the skin from bacteria and also help keep the surface of the skin lightly moisturized and pH-balanced. When there isn't enough oil on the surface, our oil glands receive a signal that they need to direct more oil to the surface. One of the best ways to turn that signal off is to keep a light layer of a high quality oil on the surface of your skin. I like using 3-4 drops of one of my Omega Oils every single day and night. These oils have completely transformed my skin!