Get Smooth-Looking Skin with the Best Pore Minimizers
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Perricone M.D. Intensive Pore Minimizer -
Dr. Brandt Pore Minimizer -
Benefit Cosmetics Pore Minimizer -
Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Primer -
Buyer's Guide
Pores are necessary for sweating and flushing out toxins from the body, but large pores are often considered unsightly and may cause your skin to appear older. An accumulation of dirt, makeup, and oil buildup can lead to large pores; individuals with oily skin are also naturally susceptible to them. Fortunately, it's possible to shrink pores by exfoliating or using products that minimize their appearance. The following products exfoliate and firm skin to minimize the look of pores, promote a healthier-looking complexion, and transform skin into a smooth base for makeup application. Check out our top picks for the best pore minimizers in 2022.
Here Are the Best Pore Minimizers of 2022
Perricone M.D. Intensive Pore Minimizer - Best Pore Minimizer Overall
Dr. Perricone's Intensive Pore Minimizer works in three ways to treat pores at their source. It starts by gently exfoliating skin, followed by a firming of sagging pore walls, and finally it controls excess oil production which can lead to clogged pores. While most pore minimizers just mask shine in order to to conceal pores, this formula fortifies pore walls and actually reduces their appearance. This pore minimizer is made with DMAE to help correct and prevent loss of skin elasticity, alpha lipoic acid (an antioxidant) to minimize enlarged pores, and salicylic acid to gently exfoliate debris which can lead to clogged pores. 90 percent of consumers who used this product reported their pores felt and looked tighter.
Dr. Brandt Pore Minimizer - Runner Up
If you have large pores or even pock-mark scars from acne, CLINIQUE Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector can help. According to users, just a small amount of this silky-smooth treatment is extremely effective at reducing the appearance of large pores,. It visibly improves your complexion, making it appear smooth and sweat resistant for up to eight hours with a natural-looking matte finish. In some cases, users claim this product even reduces oil production and suggest it may even help reduce pores size if used regularly.
Benefit Cosmetics Pore Minimizer - Consider
For those who need an oil-free, pore reduction formula, the POREfessional by Benefit Cosmetics may be the perfect solution. Known as a “priming phenomenon", this professional balm quickly minimizes the appearance of fine lines and large pores, resulting in a smooth canvas for flawless makeup application. Mattifying, lightweight, and translucent, users claim it helps make their complexion appear poreless and helps makeup stay in place even in humid weather conditions. POREfessional truly is a game changer for individuals who are serious about their pore reduction.
Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Primer - Best Pore Minimizer
This is an extremely versatile primer which performs multiple functions at once to save you time during daily makeup routines. This primer absorbs oil, resists humidity, and prevents unwanted shine throughout the day. Expect a smooth, matte finish that keeps your makeup intact while also making your pores appear virtually invisible; yes, no more worries about large pores. Users claim Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing helps their makeup stay on for eight hours or more, but does require some layering in order to keep pores completely hidden.
Buyer's Guide
The size of your pores is predominantly due to genetics— if your parents have large pores, you likely will too. To some extent, poor diets and getting older can also affect your pore size. As much as we want our pores to be invisible, it would be unwise to wish them away altogether. Pores secret oil onto our skin that prevents overdrying and protects it from sun damage and various pollutants.
Despite being unable to shrink your pores, you can make them look smaller and take certain precautions to stop them from getting bigger. One way to do this is by using a pore minimizer. A pore minimizer removes dirt from your pores and firms your skin, making the walls of the pores firmer and less likely to expand.
With so many pore minimizers on the market, how do you choose the best product for you? To help you decide what pore minimizer to buy, we have listed several features you may want to consider when purchasing one.
Continue reading to see our suggestions of things to consider when buying a pore minimizer.
What are pores?
Pores are tiny openings in the skin. There are two different types of pores: one releases sweat, and one releases oil. The pore that releases oil is a hair follicle - this is the one most people seem to have a problem with. The average adult has 20,000 pores on their face alone and over 5 million on their entire body. With this in mind, it is lucky that most of us only have a problem with a dozen or less on our faces.
8 bad habits that can clog your pores
Several bad habits can clog your pores and make them look larger. These include:
Smoking
Smoking can age skin by reducing its elasticity and strength. This causes the walls of your pores to become weak and expand, making them look larger.
Sleeping on dirty sheets
Dirty sheets and pillowcases can harbor a build-up of dirt, oil, and dead skin, all of which can cause clogged pores and blemishes. If you sweat a lot, consider changing your pillowcases every three days.
Touching your face often
Throughout the day, you touch various germ-, bacteria-, and oil-ridden items. By touching your face, you are transferring these items to your skin which can block your pores. You reduce any risk of clogging your pores by regularly washing your hands and refraining from touching your face.
Sunbathing
UV rays damage the supportive structure of your pores, making them appear larger. To combat this, wear a comedogenic (does not block pores) sunblock every day. This will keep your pores open, allow your face to breathe, and protects your skin from UV damage. In addition to minimizing pores, you should be wearing sunblock every day, a lower SPF like 15 or 20, to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Talking on the phone
How often do you sanitize your phone? Your phone carries a lot of bacteria and oils from handling it often. When you place it on your face to speak, you add oils to your face, which will block your pores.
Wearing makeup during a workout
When you work out, you sweat. Makeup keeps the sweat in your pores, making them expand. Makeup itself can also block your pores with or without exercise.
Picking at acne
Picking at a spot will cause inflammation and cause more spots, creating larger-looking pores. Use spot remover treatment instead of picking and squeezing for the best results. Stopping picking will also help pimples and zits heal faster without any scarring.
Things to consider when choosing a pore minimizer
Don’t be fooled
It is a myth that your pores open and close. Instead, they can dilate like a pupil and go from narrow to wide. When searching for a good pore minimizer, don’t trust a product that claims that it reduces the size of your pores, only that it narrows them.
Sunscreen
Collagen holds up the walls of your pores. When the elastic fibers of collagen are destroyed, it causes pore walls to fall and makes your pores appear larger. One way in which we lose collagen is through sun damage. UV rays cause the breaking down of collagen. To prevent this, you should wear sunscreen every day. Some pore minimizers have added sunscreen— a useful preventative measure at combating large-looking pores.
Collagen-building ingredients
Building up lost collagen will stop the walls of your pores from becoming weak and effectively push them back up. This prevents your pores from looking larger. Look for pore minimizers containing retinoids, including tretinoin, adapalene, retinol, and tazarotene. These ingredients replace lost collagen. Vitamin C will also aid collagen production and can be found in many pore minimizer products.
Oil decreasing ingredients
When your skin produces too much oil, it can fill your pores, causing them to expand. To make your pores look smaller, it is important to reduce the amount of oil you produce and remove any excess oil from them. Look for oil-decreasing ingredients in your pore minimizer. These include niacinamide, green tea extract, and L-carnitine.
To remove the excess oil produced, you can opt for pore minimizer products that include salicylic acid. These are also great for treating acne.
Primers
You may wish to choose a pore minimizer that covers the problem while trying to solve it. Pore minimizer primers act as a foundation and hide your large pores. First, find a primer that matches your skin tone. Apply a small amount for even, light coverage on your skin.
Pore minimizer price range
You can buy a pore minimizing primer for as little as $4. For pore minimizers that contain many of the ingredients we have recommended, you would need to spend in the region of between $20 and $55. You could easily spend more than this on pore minimizers. However, we recommend combining this treatment with the other advice we have given for the best results.
FAQs
Does drinking water reduce pore size?
As mentioned earlier, you cannot make your pores smaller; only tighten them. However, water does reduce the appearance of large pores by plumping up the skin and creating a better balance between the water and the oil in your skin.
What are blackheads?
Contrary to widespread belief, blackheads are not dirt-filled pores. Instead, the black you see in a blackhead is the oxidation of serum that has been produced by your pores— built-up oil around a hair follicle is the common culprit. You can reduce blackheads by cleansing regularly and taking steps to reduce your oil production, as mentioned earlier in the article.
