POREFECTING Your Skin

POREFECTING Your Skin

by Michael Wong

POREFECTING Your Skin


By: Geelda Raoofi
I notice a lot of people are concerned about their larger pore size and want to know what they can do to minimize the look of them. You actually can't make your pores "smaller" because larger pores mean that you have skin on the oilier side. If you notice only some areas of your face have larger pores, it means that you have combination skin and those areas with the larger pores are where you produce extra oil. Today I will share with you the products and treatments that help reduce the appearance of pores, but more importantly keep the pores clean to prevent congested skin.
For starters, you should have a good and consistent skincare routine. Make sure you are using an SPF daily regardless of the season, exfoliate regularly, and go for facials/ treatments that help with skin texture. Now that we went over what to do, let's get into the details!
  • Cleanse your skin twice a day. You want to remove dirt, oil, and other unwanted debris from the skin. SkinCeuticals - Simply clean is a wonderful option for patients with larger pores. If you want something to give you a deeper clean, ZO - Exfoliating cleanser is another option. Both of these cleansers contain either an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid). AHAs are primarily used to treat enlarged pores, fine lines, and other surface-level concerns. BHAs help new skin cells replace old ones, exfoliate the top layer of skin and dissolve excess oil and sebum, an oily wax found in congested pores. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Both of the face cleansers contain some hydrating agents as well to prevent the skin from becoming overly dry.
  • Never go to bed without cleansing your skin. Whether you are wearing makeup or not, going to bed without washing your face is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Not only is there a buildup of dirt and pollution, but the products you wear need to be washed off otherwise they will be clogging your pores as you sleep. A lot of people might think "I am not wearing makeup today, so it should be okay that I skip washing my face tonight". This is far from the truth because the buildup of oil and dirt throughout the day is still there. You will notice your skin texture will change for the worse and more fine lines start to form when the skin isn't being cleansed regularly. 
  • Exfoliating your skin regularly. Clearing your pores of dead skin cells and excess oil will make your pores appear smaller. Our most popular/best-selling exfoliant is the
    ZO - exfoliating polish. It has an exclusive 12-hour time release antioxidant complex and stable vitamin C ester that helps to brighten skin.
  • Incorporate acids into your routine. AHAs and BHAs work as exfoliants for the skin. AHAs are "water-soluable"(work on the skin's surface) while BHAs are "oil-soluable" (work on the surface, as well as within the pores).
  • Wearing SPF. Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen will help protect the skin from UV rays which are the leading cause of losing collagen and elastin. It's recommended to use SPF 40 or higher for optimum protection.
  • Considering specific in-clinic procedures. Chemical peels, microneedling, and laser treatments. Each of these are effective ways to shrink pore size because you are either dissolving away dead skin cells, making tiny holes in the top layer of the skin causing it to stimulate the skins healing process, or gently heating the deeper layers of the skin to boost the formation of collagen which reduces the appearance of pores.
  • Choose your face makeup wisely. Using oil absorbing powders and/or blurring pigments can really help minimize the look of pores. 
  • Choose the right products for your skin. Using the right products for your skin will prevent more breakouts, skin irritation (tight/itchy skin/redness), hyperpigmentation etc.
Important products to be using daily for skin health is a good physical exfoliant, antioxidant (e.g. Vitamin C) and Sunscreen (Ideally SPF 40+). Aside from those essentials, additional products to consider if you deal with textured skin and large pores include:
  • ZO: Exfoliating Cleanser 
  • ZO: Acne Treatment Pads
  • ZO: Complexion Renewal Pads
  • ZO: Instant Pore Refiner 
  • ZO: Exfoliation Accelerator
  • ZO: Enzymatic Peel
  • ZO: Complexion Clearing Masque
  • ZO: Wrinkle + Texture repair 0.5%
  • ZO: Retinol Skin Brightener (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%)
  • ZO: Radical Night Repair 1%
  • SkinCeuticals: Simply Clean Cleanser
  • SkinCeuticals: Equalizing Toner
  • SkinCeuticals: LHA Toner 
  • SkinCeuticals: Retexturing Activator
  • SkinCeuticals: Clarifying Clay Mask
  • SkinCeuticals: Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment
  • SkinCeuticals: Phyto Corrective Gel
  • SkinCeuticals: Retinol (0.3%, 0.5%, 1%)
In conclusion, the reason why these specific products can help reduce the appearance of pore size is by..
  1. Keeping the pores clean
  2. Removing dead skin cells
  3. Removing excess sebum from the surface of the skin
  4. Repairing the skin barrier to improve product penetration
While using actives, it's really important to make sure your skin keeps a healthy level of moisture as well. Using a serum that contains hyaluronic acid is great to prevent dehydration and you can lock that in with a suitable moisturizer. Once you start using these skincare products and going for regular treatments, you will notice such an improvement in your skin.
If you have any other questions about products or want to book a treatment to help with your skin texture, send us an email at hello@aerskinlab.com or call (604)-262-4111.