The word 'pores' has almost 3 billion search hits on Google with the most commonly asked question being 'how to get rid of open pores?'
So open pores are a major issue for many poeple.
However pore old pores get a bit of a hard time as they are key to keeping our skin healthier. Pores help moisturise our skin as well as allowing both sebum and the hair follicle to pass through to the surface of the skin, so they're a function that our skin really needs to keep working efficiently.
So why are so many products aimed at 'closing' or 'shrinking' pores? It's a myth that we can 'close' pores as skin pores are always open and need to stay that way for the healthy functioning of our skin.
However, Dr Eva Melegh, consultant dermatologist says, 'open pores are more of a perception in that pores on the facial area, especially on the nose, appear wider and more visible because the skin is thinner and more stretched and more light is reflected onto the face than other areas of the body.’
‘Inflammation is also a major factor in the appearance of widened skin pores. according to Dr Eva. ‘Facial skin is thin and sensitive so prone easily to inflammation from many factors including UV damage, pollution, reactions to chemicals in skincare products, spicey food, alcohol, illness, side effects from medications, stress and hormonal disruptions. Even a small amount of facial swelling can make the pores appear wider and more pronounced.’
Sebum is another factor in the pore widening process. ‘It can often pool in the pore as it oxidises with air on reaching the skin’s surface appearing darker and therefore accentuating the appearance of the pore,’ says Dr Eva.
‘In addition, dead skin cells from the natural skin renewal process stick in the pooled sebum. The skin pore therefore has to expand to fit all this matter, causing the appearance of a wider more visible pore.’
As we get older the skin cell renewal cycle gets longer, ‘this means that more matter accumulates in the pores before being naturally processed through cell renewal meaning that pores appear slightly darker and ‘expanded’ for longer periods,’ says Dr Eva.
‘With age less collagen is produced, meaning that the expanded pore doesn’t ping back to its normal size as quickly once the pore has been cleansed of debris due to the skin being less elastic.’
Dr Eva offers her advice on four practical steps and products to help reduce the appearance of open pores;
Pore Minimising tip 1 - Reduce Inflammation
Reducing inflammation of the skin primarily by avoiding sun exposure plus being mindful of anything that triggers flushing such as sun exposure, excess heat from weather or central heating, chemical and highly perfumed skincare and beauty products, spicy foods and alcohol. Some skin care products can also help dampen the inflammatory response of the skin in skin that is prone to flushing and inflammation.
Kalme skincare contains an extract of young caper buds that have natural compounds called Cappaprenols that aide in the reduction of the inflammatory response in skin as well as strong antioxidants to reduce inflammation linked to oxidative stress.
Pore Minimising tip 2 - Keep sebum pure
Reducing the oxidisation of sebum by keeping the sebum preserved and pure so that it passes out through the pore without pooling and darkening. Products that block or dry up sebum are often promoted as beneficial for reducing open pores and acne but the reality is if sebum is ‘dried up’ the skin becomes dry and so the body produces even more sebum to compensate.
New generation skincare products are tackling open pores and acne with sebum preservers as opposed to sebum driers as this approach keeps the skin sufficiently moisturised by letting sebum flow freely, which is essential for preserving skin, while reducing the oxidisation process.
Clarol Sebopure is a sebum preserving skin serum that contains a polyphenol extracted from the African cleome gynadra plant.
Pore Minimising Tip 3 - Double cleanse
Removing dead skin cells and debris from the pore through a process of exfoliation and cleansing is necessary for keeping the appearance of open pores to a minimum. Gentle as opposed to vigorous exfoliation is better so as not to further inflame the skin and an exfoliant with natural exfoliating ingredients can help reduce the risk of any minor skin reactions, which can also lead to inflammation.
Clarol Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash uses natural birch bark and rice bran exfoliants and also contains a silver ingredient that promotes the growth of good skin bacteria while reducing the growth of bad skin bacteria, so helping prevent contamination of debris in the skin pore.
Double cleansing with a dedicated pore-conditioning toner after exfoliation can further enhance the pore cleansing and pore retraction process.
Clarol Nordic Birch Pore Minimising Toner contains Nordic birch sap which is abundant in several fruit and amino acids that augment skin cell production and also helps with pore retraction after the pore has been exfoliated.
Pore Minimising Tip 4 - Increase Moisturisation
It’s a misconception that skin prone to open pores shouldn’t be overly moisturised the pores. for fear of ‘clogging’ In fact, it should be more moisturised to improve the skin’s elasticity to help the skin pore retract more easily after its been cleansed.
Products with super hydrating actions (Hyaluronic acid, squalene, vitamins E and B5) are essential for improving the skin elasticity to help pores retract faster after exfoliation.
Kalme TeQ Serum is made with extract of blue agave that is more hydrating than Hyaluronic acid plus plant-based squaline to super hydrate skin without clogging pores.
