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Wondering why the pores on your face look so large, dark, and noticeable?
Let’s start with the bad news. The size of your pores is determined by genetics, meaning that there’s nothing that you can do to physically change this. Some people naturally have larger pores than others.
However, the good news is that enlarged pores can often be attributed to a number of other factors too, and these can easily be controlled. Today, VouPre will be taking a closer look at five of the most common scientific reasons behind huge pores, along with how you can overcome each one to make your huge pores look invisible once again.
1) High Levels of Sebum Production
As mentioned, the actual size of each of your pores is determined by genetics. However, your pore openings are more elastic by nature. They expand to allow sebum to flow through, so that this can then moisturize and lubricate the surface of the skin.
Unfortunately, sometimes, the skin produces more sebum than it actually needs. With such a large volume of sebum flowing through the pores, the pore openings widen. This then makes the pores look significantly larger.
What Can You Do About This?
If your huge pores are due to your skin producing too much sebum, then your focus should be to try to minimize how oily your skin feels, and there are a few ways in which you can go about doing so.
First, let’s talk hydration. If your skin is lacking moisture, it tries to overcompensate by ramping up sebum production. Of course, oil is very different from water, meaning that the extra sebum doesn’t do much to improve skin hydration levels. Instead, it simply leaves your skin even greasier.
To counter this, make sure that your skin is kept consistently hydrated. Since your skin type is oily, avoid using heavy, comedogenic moisturizers. Instead, seek out lightweight hydrating serums that provide moisture via humectants. These ingredients bind water to the skin, immediately plumping up the complexion while leaving it feeling deeply hydrated.
Some of the most effective humectants around are sodium hyaluronate and glycerin. You’ll find both ingredients in the VouPre Perfecting Facial Serum, which is in our Thermal Collection. This serum is also brimming with antioxidants to leave your skin looking brighter and smoother.
Your diet also plays a big role in sebum production. Refined carbohydrates, such as pasta and bread made from white flour, have been linked to an increase in oiliness and acne. On the other end of the scale, research shows that a Mediterranean diet, meaning one that’s high in fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish, and legumes, can help to reduce how oily the skin feels and, therefore, also minimize the appearance of huge pores.
2) Clogged Pores
Not only can high levels of sebum production lead to enlarged pores, but they also contribute to blockages within the pores. This then makes those already huge pores look even bigger!
Of course, sebum alone isn’t responsible for clogged pores. These blockages form when sebum mixes in with dirt, dead skin cells, and other impurities. Together, they form a plug that gives the pores a noticeably darker appearance.
What Can You Do About This?
One of the fastest ways to make huge pores look smaller is to focus on preventing and clearing pore blockages.
The first way to do this is by ensuring that you’re regularly cleansing your skin. Some people may find that a single cleanse each day suffices. However, if you’re prone to clogged pores, then twice-daily cleansing would be a better fit.
It goes without saying that the cleanser you use should be thorough. While you don’t want to strip your skin completely dry, you also need to ensure that all of the impurities from the surface of your skin have been removed. If not, they’ll soon end up in your pores.
One cleanser that never fails to impress is the VouPre Radiance Facial Cleanser. Its coconut-derived surfactants deeply cleanse the skin without drying it out, while its amino acids leave the skin feeling stronger and more resilient.
Exfoliation is also vital when dealing with huge pores. While a cleanser cleans the surface of the skin, an exfoliant will pull blockages out of your pores. The right exfoliant will immediately make your pores look less visible, with the VouPre Deep Renewal Facial Peel famed for its ability to do exactly that. Designed to be used once or twice a week, this exfoliant is one that you’ll be able to rely on to periodically leave your pores feeling clear and clog-free.
3) Skin Aging
When the skin is young, it produces an abundance of collagen and elastin. These are the proteins that form the skin’s structural fibers. The more collagen and elastin the skin has, the firmer, smoother, and bouncier it will feel.
Sadly, as the skin ages, collagen and elastin production decline. This is why the skin starts to sag and wrinkle as it matures. Of course, your pores, which are also made of skin, aren’t immune to this. This means that, just like the rest of your face, your pores will also lose their tightness and elasticity with age. As this starts to happen, the pore openings begin to droop. This makes the pores look larger and longer.
What Can You Do About This?
Fortunately, there are a number of ways in which you can tighten up the feel of your skin, as well as the appearance of your pores.
The first step is to arm yourself with the right topical skincare products. The best formulas for halting the look of aging are those that are packed with vitamins and antioxidant-rich botanical extracts. At the same time, they should also be hydrating since dehydrated skin struggles to produce the proteins that it needs.
Finding the right products can be tricky, which is why we created the VouPre Cannabis Collection. This four-step system provides everything that your skin needs to start feeling younger. In addition to a serum, moisturizer, and mask, this set also comes with a derma roller. Research confirms that microneedling is able to improve the appearance of skin laxity and tightness, meaning that this tool is ideal for shrinking the look of huge pores.
At the same time, it’s worth understanding that topical products can only penetrate the skin to a certain extent. For deeper and longer-lasting improvements, consider LED light therapy. The L’Rae Beam is a device that you can safely use yourself at home. It comes with three different modes, each of which will help to reduce the look of enlarged pores in its own way. This tool can also help with a range of other visible skin concerns, making it worth investing in!
4) Sun Damage
We’ve already explained how the natural aging process causes the skin to produce fewer proteins. Well, sun exposure is something that drastically accelerates this. The more sun damage your skin experiences, the faster it will age. This means that your skin will lose laxity sooner than it otherwise would have, with your pores looking large and droopy relatively early on in life.
UVB rays have also been shown to increase sebum production. As you know, this is something else that contributes to huge pores, making sun damage worth avoiding as much as possible.
What Can You Do About This?
Don’t worry, keeping your skin safe from the sun doesn’t mean that you need to spend sunny days hiding indoors. Instead, find a good sunscreen and use it diligently. This means applying it every morning, no matter the time of year. Reapplying it every two hours is vital too – skip this and your skin won’t be protected anymore.
It goes without saying that picking the perfect sunscreen for your skin is also key. If you don’t like to layer too many products onto your skin in the mornings, consider an SPF moisturizer instead of a dedicated sunscreen, just like VouPre’s Age Defence Cream SPF 30. This way, you’ll be able to moisturize and protect at the same time.
When it comes to reducing the look of existing sun damage, antioxidants are what you need. Antioxidant serums are the best way to go, with the VouPre Vita C Serum being a popular choice. Not only does it boast two forms of vitamin C, which is known for being one of the most potent antioxidants available, but it’s brimming with a plethora of other antioxidants too.
5) Skin Irritation
Finally, let’s talk about skin irritation. This can happen for many different reasons. Be it overly abrasive skincare formulas, a change in environmental conditions, or chemicals in makeup products, it sometimes doesn’t take much for the skin to feel irritated.
Everyone’s skin responds in its own way to irritation. Some may develop red patches, others may experience itching, and some people will, as you may have guessed, notice huge pores.
What Can You Do About This?
The best way to keep skin irritation to a minimum is to treat your skin like a temple. Be extremely gentle with it in every way. This not only applies to the skincare products that you use (make sure that they don’t contain any harsh ingredients or irritating preservatives), but also to the way in which you apply them. If you scrub or tug at your skin when applying any of your products, you’ll only be irritating your skin further.
There are also certain skincare products out there that have been designed to soothe the complexion. The VouPre Hydra-Glow Revitalizing Face Mask is a good example. Featuring lavender oil, aloe vera extract, and Irish moss powder, this hydrogel mask will immediately leave your skin feeling calmer and happier, as well as deeply hydrated.
Shrink the Look of Huge Pores With VouPre
Enlarged pores are never fun to deal with but, fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to make your pores look smaller and less noticeable. Whether this means giving your skin some extra hydration or clearing out blockages more thoroughly with a better exfoliant, the tips and products that we’ve shared above will not only tighten the look of your pores but will also leave the rest of your complexion smoother, brighter, and softer.
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