Say ‘Good Bye’ to large pores; ‘Hello’ to great looking skin

Large pores are the curse of oily skin and are frequently seen in the T-zone of combination skin (normal skin). However, before you belittle them too much, remember that pores play a vital function in oil production and help keep the skin soft and supple.

So why do pores become enlarged? Well, genetics certainly plays a part and so does hormonal activity, but 78% of enlarged pores are because of incorrect skin care. Pores appear enlarged when they are irritated, inflamed, and clogged with debris, like dead skin cells, dirt and oil. So this is certainly an issue we can do something about.

So how do we reduce the appearance of these pores? First and foremost is cleansing. Washing your skin morning and night (if your skin is really oily, then maybe at noon too) is the most important step in pore reduction. Choose a gentle cleanser that encourages the health of the skin without drying it out.

Second, would be regular exfoliation. Exfoliating with a scrub such as derma e®’s Microdermabrasion Scrub helps remove embedded dirt and dead skin cells. Additionally the scrub helps stimulate healthy new cell growth.

Third on the list: moisturize with an appropriate skin crème. For those with normal skin an anti-oxidant crème that optimizes the health of the skin would be a good choice. For those with oily skin you probably need a crème that helps balance oil production such as the Very Clear ® Moisturizing Crème.

Never squeeze blackheads or pimples. For blackheads I do recommend a “strip” to gently extract them. Once a week, steam your face to open up the pores, loosen debris and help detoxify in general. This is actually good to do for all skin types. And lastly, deep-cleansing facial mask preferably containing bentonite clay (this is a great detoxifying ingredient!) will also help remove debris, retexture skin and bring out your healthy best.

Of course drinking those 8 glasses of water a day, exercising and eating lots of fruits and vegetables will help as well (remember skin is the outer expression of inner health). With a good skin care program in place you will be able to say ‘Good Bye’ to large pores and ‘Hello’ to great looking skin.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L.Ac., D. O. M.
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