Visible pores are a completely natural part of your skin, but you may sometimes notice they look more prominent, particularly around the nose, cheeks, and forehead.
If you’re wondering how to minimize pores, understanding what can affect their appearance is a good place to start. But what exactly causes pores to look larger or more noticeable, and what can you do about them?
With expert insight from Christine Dunn, National Director of Education at Pevonia International, we’ve explored the key considerations that can help you better understand your skin. From the factors that can contribute to enlarged-looking or clogged pores to the ingredients and skincare steps that can help refine the appearance of your complexion, discover how to build a targeted routine for smoother, balanced, and healthy-looking skin.
What Are Pores and What Causes Enlarged Pores?
Pores are tiny openings on the skin’s surface associated with hair follicles. While everyone has them, their visibility can vary from person to person and across different areas of the face.
So, what causes large pores to become more noticeable? According to Christine, there isn’t just one contributing factor to large pores on the face. Genetics, oily skin, and hormonal changes can all play a role, while excess sebum and debris within the follicle can place pressure on the opening and make it appear enlarged.
Your skincare choices and how you handle your skin matter, too. Christine explains that some products can contribute to clogged pores, which is why choosing non-comedogenic skincare is important when managing congestion. Alongside this, Christine advises against squeezing blemishes, explaining that "damage to the surrounding tissue can make the ostium appear enlarged".
Age and sun damage can also affect how prominent pores appear. Christine explains that both can weaken the collagen and elastin supporting the follicular opening, making it look more noticeable.
Can You Shrink Pores?
If you’ve ever wondered how to shrink pores on your face or how to make pores smaller, it’s important to have realistic expectations. A follicle’s natural size cannot be permanently changed.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve how your pores look. As Christine explains, “Improving skin hydration, firmness, and turgor can make the opening appear more refined.” Rather than trying to permanently shrink or “close” pores, the goal of a targeted skincare routine should therefore be to support healthy-looking, moisturized, and balanced skin so pores appear more refined.
Enlarged Pores vs Clogged Pores
Despite these skin terms sometimes being used interchangeably, enlarged pores and clogged pores aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Christine explains that enlarged pores can occur even when a follicle is clear and unobstructed. Factors including genetics, excess oil, aging, sun damage, and hormonal changes can all affect the appearance of the follicular opening.
A clogged pore, on the other hand, contains a buildup of material within the follicle.
As Christine explains, “A clogged pore occurs when the follicle contains accumulated cellular debris, excess sebum, and sometimes bacteria”. This buildup can make skin look more congested and uneven in texture. If this resonates with your skin and you want to know how to unclog pores, Christine recommends keeping the skin appropriately cleansed and removing excess cellular debris to care for congestion-prone skin.
Your choice of skincare products matters here, too. Choosing non-comedogenic formulas can be a useful consideration for skin prone to congestion. If you’re unsure what the term means and how it can benefit your skin, discover what non-comedogenic means to inform your skincare choices.
A Simple Routine to Help Minimize the Appearance of Pores
When it comes to managing the appearance of pores, a complicated routine isn’t necessarily the answer. Christine recommends recreating balance with a simple routine, starting with an appropriate cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer.
Cleanse Consistently
A consistent cleansing routine can help remove excess oil, impurities, and surface buildup that may contribute to congestion and make pores appear more noticeable.
Christine recommends choosing a cleanser specifically suited to your skin type to maintain balance in the skin, rather than trying to strip away oil with overly aggressive cleansing. The aim is to leave skin feeling fresh and balanced while creating a clean foundation for the products that follow.
If clogged pores are a concern, your cleansing step should also focus on keeping debris from accumulating around the follicular opening with formulas that contain actives such as salicylic acid.
Exfoliate According to Your Skin Type
Regular exfoliation can help remove excess cellular debris from the skin’s surface and around the follicular opening, supporting a cleaner, more unobstructed follicle.
However, the type of exfoliation you choose should reflect your individual skin.
“Exfoliation should be selected according to skin type and condition. Enzymes are ideal for all ages and skin types because their keratolytic action helps remove excess cellular debris from the skin’s surface and around the follicular opening.”
Explore Pevonia exfoliators and peels to find options suited to different skincare routines.
Introduce Targeted Formulas
For those looking to take their routine further, Christine recommends incorporating targeted formulas to help refine the appearance of pores.
“For a more refined, glass-like finish, incorporate a glycolic acid or retinol treatment to encourage cellular renewal, strengthen the skin’s supportive network, and smooth the upper epidermis.”
Christine explains that, when used properly, these actives can also help create a more even, light-reflective surface that minimizes the appearance of pores.
As with exfoliation, choose formulations according to your skin’s individual needs and follow the directions for your chosen Pevonia formula.
Prioritize Moisture Retention
Moisture retention is particularly important when managing the appearance of enlarged pores to help skin appear more plump and smooth.
“Proper hydration supports healthy skin function, elasticity, and turgor, helping the skin maintain its natural resiliency and shape,” Christine explains.
In other words, managing visible pores isn’t simply about removing oil or exfoliating the skin. Supporting moisture levels and balance should be an equally important part of your routine.
Christine recommends using a moisture-binding mist and water-based serum twice daily alongside an appropriate moisturizer.
Add a Weekly Mask
A targeted mask once or twice a week can complement your everyday routine, particularly a formula that adds moisture or deeper exfoliation.
For a more advanced ritual, Christine recommends looking for formulas containing micronized charcoal or green apple extract for their detoxifying and skin-smoothing benefits.
Our Pure Skin Charcoal Mask offers an easy way to incorporate micronized charcoal into your skincare ritual and contains squalane and shea butter to support moisture retention while detoxing the skin.
Each step in this routine is just one part of a considered approach to pore care. As Christine’s advice highlights, minimizing the appearance of pores is ultimately about supporting your skin holistically, focusing on consistent cleansing, appropriate exfoliation, targeted application, and plenty of moisture.
If you’re wondering how to minimize pores, start by choosing products that suit your skin type and building a routine you can maintain consistently. Ready to find the right products for this routine? Explore Pevonia skincare and discover formulas to support your individual skincare needs.
