6 things you can do to shrink your pores

These simple tips will leave you with picture-perfect skin

It's the season for beach days, barbecues... and clogged pores. Enlarged open pores on the face can make your skin look aged and unhealthy. They can also increase other skin care problems, such as acne and blackheads - especially for people with oily skin. Many only make things worse by using products or treatments for large pores, instead of working to minimise them. 
The main causes for enlarged pores are: 
.Sun damage
.Ageing
.Excess oil production
.Improper skin care
Follow these tips to minimise the size of your pores and rock clear skin all year long.
1 Exfoliate - Regular exfoliation keeps clogged pores at bay. Use a gentle exfoliator 2-3 times a week - be sure not to scrub too hard or use harsh chemical products, as they can damage the outer layer of your skin and make pores look worse. Try using OLEHENRIKSEN Transforming Walnut Scrub, an exfoliating, cleansing facial scrub to purify pores, diminish dullness, and smooth the texture for more youthful-looking skin. 
2 Deep-clean - If you're struggling with large pores, get used to deep cleansing. Use a daily cleanser like Khadi Natural Orange & Lemongrass Face Wash which gives you deep cleaning without the chemicals, and try the Muddy Body Detox Mask weekly for deep purification and to help balance natural oils. Always remove your makeup at night! 
3 Protect - Shield yourself from the sun by wearing hats and sunglasses, avoiding the sun during peak hours of the day. Use natural sun protection that contains zinc oxide when you're going to be outdoors, even during the winter. Try using a makeup base, like a primer or a foundation with SPF. My personal favourite is The Balm Tinted Moisturizer with SPF18. Just Herbs Sun'nil Jojoba-Grapeseed Moisturising Sun Protection Lotion is another brilliant natural lotion for the body. Also, we tend to use sun protection only on our faces, but it's just as important to use it on any part of our skin that's exposed to the sun. 
4 Firm and tighten - Using ice cubes on the face helps in a great way to decrease the size of skin pores. Wrap an ice cube in a piece of clean cotton cloth and rub on the pores for two minutes. This will not cure large pores, but only shrink them temporarily. Try this remedy before applying makeup to close the skin pores. If you dislike how cold ice feels on your skin, use a toner to clean up oil from the face before starting your makeup routine. There are several good ones out there, but Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs And Rosewater really helps calm skin well. 
5 Moisturise - Moisturisation is tricky for oily and combination skin types (that are more likely to have large pores), because a lot of the products are too heavy and can feel clogging. That's why I recommend natural plant sources of moisturisation - they are more likely to be balancing and better at holding in hydration without clogging. You can try a herbal facial oil for light moisture; they usually contain ingredients that are dedicated to keeping pores clear.
6 Drink more water - Apart from cleansing the body, the wonderful effect of water is to fill out our cells (which are up to about 80 per cent water). When our cells are well-hydrated, there's less space between our pores.
You don't need to always use high-end pharmacy products to tackle skin woes. There are a lot of ingredients that you can find in your kitchen pantry, such as yoghurt (which is great for tightening pores), apple cider vinegar (acts as a natural astringent or toner), or coffee and sugar (both of which make excellent natural scrubs). 
wknd@khaleejtimes.com