Wondering if there’s a way to minimize pores that look large and dark?
There is and there isn’t. Technically, you can’t change the size of your pores. They’re determined by genetics. If your parents and grandparents have/had large and noticeable pores, then there’s a good chance that you will as well.
However, there are certain factors that can make pores look even bigger and wider than they actually are, and this is something that you can control. While you may not be able to minimize pores in terms of actual size, there’s plenty that you can do to make your pores look smaller and less visible. Read on as Celestolite shares some top tips for shrinking and refining the appearance of your pores so that you can enjoy a clear and flawless complexion.
Cleanse Your Face Twice a Day
One of the reasons why pores look larger than they really are is due to pore blockages. Everything from excess sebum and dirt to dead skin cells and other impurities sink into the pores after they’ve been sitting on the skin’s surface for a while. Not only do pore openings then have to stretch to accommodate this but all of those unwanted substances mix together to form clogs. This gives each affected pore a darker appearance.
You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’. Well, in this case, prevention refers to keeping all of those impurities away from your pores so that they don’t have the chance to work their way into your pore openings. The best way to do this is by cleansing your skin twice a day, once in the morning and then again at night.
Using a gentle cleanser is key. Causing any form of irritation to your skin will only exacerbate matters, making your pores look even more visible. So, stay away from exfoliating cleansers or sulfate-infused formulas. Instead, opt for a cleanser that makes use of gentle surfactants to thoroughly clean the skin’s surface without aggravating it. The Celestolite Estrella Cleanser Mousse, which is filled with skin-loving amino acids, is great for this!
Use a Witch Hazel-Infused Toner After Cleansing
Certain skincare ingredients are classified as astringents. This means that they can temporarily tighten the look of the skin. This shrinks the appearance of pores. Although astringents won’t actually minimize pores, they’ll certainly make them look much smaller.
What makes things tricky is that certain astringents can be overly drying on the skin. In the long run, this can make your pores look even larger. This is why natural astringents, such as witch hazel, tend to be favored over synthetic compounds.
To maximize on the astringent properties of witch hazel, it’s best used immediately after cleansing in the form of a toner. However, make sure that the toner you pick incorporates hydrating ingredients as well. This way, the witch hazel will be free to work on the appearance of your pores without running the risk of drying out your skin.
The Celestolite Estrella Facial Toner is the perfect example. In addition to witch hazel extract, it also contains cucumber fruit extract, aloe vera leaf juice, and allantoin, all of which are incredibly hydrating. This formula boasts chamomile extract too, which will soothe your complexion to leave it looking calm and balanced.
Exfoliate Those Pore Blockages
Cleansing twice a day will go a long way in keeping your pores clear of blockages. However, if your skin type is oily, then there’s a good chance that some of the excess sebum that it’s producing will still manage to make its way into your pores in between cleanses.
One solution would be to add in a third cleanse, but over-cleansing can really take its toll on your skin. Instead, you would be better off exfoliating your skin every two to three days. This will pull out any blockages from within your pores, quickly clearing up your complexion.
If you don’t yet have a go-to exfoliator, check out the Celestolite Estrella Facial Peel. It’s a physical exfoliator that happens to be extremely gentle, making it a great way to exfoliate without damaging your skin. Like all Celestolite products, this one is also infused with meteorite powder. You’ll notice your skin taking on a radiant glow as soon as you’ve used this product!
Protect Your Skin From UV Rays
While it’s understandable for your focus to be on how to minimize pores, it’s just as important to learn how to prevent your pores from looking large in the first place, and sun protection is an important part of this.
Each time your skin is exposed to the sun, those UV rays weaken your skin’s protein fibers. The effects of this may not be instantly visible but, over time, the damage that your collagen and elastin fibers undergo will end up accelerating the skin aging process. Your skin will start to loosen and sag sooner than it otherwise would have. In turn, this will make your pores sag too, causing them to look large and droopy.
This is why sun protection should become a priority for you. The more you protect your skin from the sun, the less damage your protein fibers, as well as your pores, will experience.
One way to make sun protection more convenient, as well as more enjoyable, is with the Celestolite Nova Bright Skin Cream (SPF 30). It’s a decadent moisturizer that doubles up as an SPF 30 sunscreen. It feels ultra-luxurious when applied to the skin. It won’t leave your skin feeling greasy or looking white in the way that other sunscreens can. Give your skin a fresh layer of this product every couple of hours and you’ll be able to keep sun damage at bay.
Look For Skincare Products That Firm and Tighten the Complexion
Although sun protection is vital for preventing your pores from sagging, it’s not going to address any sun damage that you’ve already experienced. For this, you need products designed specifically to counter the look of aging and UV damage.
Fortunately, there are plenty out there to choose from. We would recommend starting with a vitamin C serum, such as the Celestolite Estrella Renewing Vitamin C Serum. In addition to vitamin C, which has been proven to effectively firm and tighten the look of the skin, it also contains vitamin A. This is another ingredient that’s often recommended to those who are trying to minimize pores because of how it leaves the skin looking smoother and more supple.
The Celestolite Cosmic Firming Serum would be another great addition to your skincare routine. This formula has been infused with lactic acid, a gentle alpha-hydroxy acid. It will offer mild exfoliating effects each time it’s used. This will give your skin a clearer appearance, with pores looking noticeably smaller.
Use a Clay Mask Once a Week
Nothing compares to the way in which exfoliation clears out the pores, but clay masks certainly come close. Clay has been used on the skin for centuries due to how it’s a superstar at absorbing excess sebum. Apply it to your skin and it will soak up any oil that happens to be lingering in your pores. This will save you from having to deal with pore-enlarging blockages.
The Celestolite Luna Lava Mask takes things a step further. This clay mask formula contains thermal catalysts. As you apply the mask to your skin, they cause the mask to gently heat up. This makes the pores feel relaxed and, therefore, more flexible. This allows the clay in the mask to draw up excess sebum even more easily, meaning that results will be even more impressive than if you had used a regular clay mask.
What makes this mask even more appealing is the blend of complexion-tightening ingredients that it contains. From vitamins A and C to coffee seed extract and lemon fruit extract, regular use will leave your skin feeling firmer and your pores looking smaller.
Avoid Comedogenic Skincare Products
We’ve talked about how important it is to prevent blockages from developing within your pores, as this will quickly make your pores look bigger. However, even if you cleanse twice a day and exfoliate a few times a week, you’ll struggle to stay on top of those blockages if, at the same time, you’re using comedogenic skincare products.
The term comedogenic refers to how likely a product or an ingredient is to clog up pores. If you’re trying to minimize pores, then avoiding comedogenic ingredients is a must.
How can you tell whether or not a product is comedogenic? Unfortunately, this will require some work on your part. You’ll need to look up the comedogenic rating for each ingredient within that product. If any are highly comedogenic, then that’s a product worth avoiding. Do this for the products that you currently regularly use and you may be surprised to find that one of your go-to formulas could be responsible for your enlarged pores.
Turn to LED Technology
LED light therapy is becoming increasingly popular in the skincare world. It can target a wide range of visible skin concerns, one of which is the appearance of large pores.
Clinical studies have found that, when used regularly, LED light therapy is able to reduce the look of pore size in 90% of patients. At the same time, it also increases the appearance of skin clarity while diminishing the visibility of wrinkles.
The best part is that you no longer need to rely on visits to your dermatologist to soak up the benefits of LED light therapy. There are now plenty of at-home devices that you can choose from, making life so convenient!
The Photonix-2 Eye Wand is one example. It features multiple modes, enabling you to customize each session to focus on your main skin concerns. You’ll need to use it a few times a week to start with. However, once you see results, you won’t need to use it quite as often for maintenance.
Summary
As you can see, there are a number of steps that you can take to make your pores look smaller and lighter. Rather than focusing on just one of the above methods, try following as many as possible. This way, you’ll notice a difference in your complexion so much sooner. Not only will your pores look less visible but your skin should also take on an overall firmer, brighter, and healthier appearance.
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