Enlarged
pores are one thing, clogged pores are another. The question you need
to ask yourself is: are your pores just enlarged with no congestion, or
are they filled with debris? Debris means anything that may be nestled
in the pore, which could be oil and dead skin or environmental debris
from the air. Congestion, therefore, is stuff (debris) clogging your
pores.
There
isn’t much you can do about the enlargement that has already occurred.
Once the pore is stretched, it can’t shrink down to a smaller size.
However, using appropriate moisturizers can help cut down on future
enlargement. If you are using a moisturizer, oil-free or not, that is
too much for your pores to handle, you could cause enlargement to occur.
If
your pores are clogged, it will determine what type of moisturizer you
will use, or rather what type of skin the moisturizer should be for
(oily and possibly problem). But to forgo lotion altogether is a
mistake. You want to use moisturizer, just be sure it is appropriate for
your particular skin type.
If
shininess is a problem due to oily skin, you want to avoid lotions that
employ mineral oil or petroleum as ingredients. These will simply add
to your already oily skin and could be the reason for your
self-described shininess. In general, oil isn’t bad as an ingredient,
but petroleum-based oils are not desirable. Due to their occlusive
(heavy) nature, they don’t absorb into the skin and therefore just sit
on top causing your skin to look shiny and even causing the potential
for enlargement of your pores. Search for a moisturizer that has vegetal
oil or nut oils. These will add moisture to your skin without creating
an oil slick on your face.
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| Don't use too much cream! |
Generally
I don’t tan outside or use tanning beds. I have, however, tried
self-tanning creams. The only problem is my enlarged pores usually
become more obvious after putting the cream on.
Self-tanners
have ingredients that essentially dye your skin. If you are
experiencing an increase in the appearance of your pores after using a
self-tanning cream, you may not be able to use one on your face. There
aren’t any magic solutions. Perhaps you can experiment with different
tanners and see if one of them doesn’t cause this problem. Some
self-tanners have less dye and more ingredients that help stimulate the
melanin in your skin to produce a tan. Maybe one of these would work for
you. I commend you for using self-tanning products versus going to a
tanning salon. That is a great choice!
HOT TIP: After spraying your face with toner, then apply your moisturizer. This way you get good spreadability as well as an even application.
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