Pore Care 101: Keep your pores happy and healthy all winter long

by Carolina Malis 

Let’s go straight to the point and drop the bad news already ‘cause it’s better to just rip off the bandaid: we can’t change the shape or size of our pores. I know, really difficult to hear but is the hard truth. Every single time I find a skincare product aiming to reduce the size of your pores my face turns pretty much into the emoji rolling its eyes up because that’s nothing but a big lie. 

Trust me, when I learned about it I was just as disappointed as you must be right now. Our pores are not muscles, in consequence they cannot shrink or expand, they’re just there hanging out on our skin and doesn’t matter who we are or how we take care of it we ALL have to deal with them because there’s no one in this word that looks like a poreless photoshopped magazine cover in real life.

The size and shape of this tiny little dirt traps is determined genetically and while you can’t do anything to change that you can reduce their appearance by following a few golden rules and using the right products. For the last 3 weeks I’ve tried some of Neogen’s Pore Care Superheroes and here’s a little insight into how they worked for me:

 

Canadian Clay Pore Cleanser

Looking for a product to improve circulation, exfoliate, get rid of dead skin cells, unclog your pores and hydrate at the same time? Then you came to the right place ‘cause this is what this clay cleanser is gonna do for your skin. Yep, you’re not misreading, this is a cleanser and a clay mask, all in one. While it claims to be able to remove makeup, I prefer to use it after I already removed it for better results. The fun part comes after a few seconds when the formula starts bubbling up and turning into foam to get rid of the excess sebum that's been trapped on you pores for god knows how long, bringing you the deep cleansing power of a clay mask without the over-drying/over-tightening feeling. Once the bubbles show up, your only job is to wet your hands a little and massage the product for a few minutes in order to cleanse and remove toxins before rinsing off.

 

Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine

I always say it but will repeat it one more time just in case: exfoliation is the key to clear, healthy, good-looking pores. Some of us need to be really careful though, as mechanical exfoliation can be too much if you’re on the sensitive side. That's why I relay on my Peeling and exfoliating pads to get the job done. These double layered ones, formulated and soaked in a Wine Serum (yep, your read correctly. Real and very good smelling red wine) exfoliate skin and help even out its texture while delivering tons of antioxidants for smoother, tighter and brighter skin.

 

CODE9 Sebum Clear Pore Mist

This is what I like to call a picture-perfect product. This mist not only will keep your skin moist and hydrated but also looking flawless all day long. If you just as me, are forced to fight excess sebum in some areas of your skin (hello T-Zone), this mist is the answer to that. While my skin tends to get drier during the Fall/Winter Season, at the end of the day I still find some uncomfortably greasy and shiny spots taking over my face, but the dual layer formula on this mist (you can actually see the powder at the bottom of the bottle before shaking it) has helped me fight that. Formulated with Green Tea, Lime and Tea Tree oil to absorb excess oil and refine pores, this is a must to accomplish a long-lasting and dewy-but-not-greasy look.

 

Have you tried any of these? Or do you have any other pore related secrets to share with us? Be our guest! Just remember the golden rules for your pores to remain happy: keep them clean and clean, exfoliate at least twice a week, use the right type of toner with a neutral pH and never ever ever forget your sunscreen.