Love Your Pores
For years cosmetic makeup and beauty ads have shown us that dry skin is old skin; we need moisturisers. This conditioning over the decades has led to a reliance on moisturisers that has damaged our skin leaving it unable to produce its own moisture.
Though removing pores is not a new ideal the rise of insecurities such as Instagram face has led us to the desire for a ‘pore-free’ filtered face. Severe filtering on Instagram has led to a new body dysmorphia where we look to get a look similar to an airbrushed filter. Though this is not a new phenomenon (airbrushing has been around for years), this is the first time that everyday people have had such access to quickly airbrush and share a photo.
A pore-free face is not possible, here’s why you should be good to pores and look to get them healthy.
Healthy pores are beautiful.
What are Pores?
For every hair on your body, there is a pore. Pores are all over your body leftover from when we descended from primates and use to have thick hair everywhere for protection. Pores produce sebum to protect our skin barrier from hydration loss. This keeps our skin from becoming ‘dry’, however using moisturisers stops this process stopping our skin from hydrating itself and damaging our skin barrier.
Overproduction of sebum blocks our pores causing them to become blocked and infected causing spots and inflammation. Underproduction of sebum leads to dry skin. Only about 15 % of people will suffer from dry skin, typically these are people who have been diagnosed with a skin disorder such as eczema.
What makes our pores look large?
You may notice that the size of your pores can change typically from when applying your makeup.
Pores change with age
Collagen and elastin loss can contribute to your pores looking larger as you age. This is because the skin around them tends to sag making them appear larger. This can be the same for the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Pollution
Pollution now covers 70% of the of the world. This now makes washing your face with water obsolete as water is not enough to remove pollution, it also makes wearing SPF daily even more essential. Pollution damages our skin’s barrier function in making our pores become larger and clogged.
UV Rays
Not wearing SPF damages our skin and pores. The harmful UV rays damage our skin barrier and damage our skin’s elasticity.
Hormones
As with acne, our pores are affected by our hormonal cycle Though there is little we can do to stop this it makes it more important to keep our pores healthy and functioning properly.
How can I make my pores look smaller?
The first step to ‘invisible” pores is to keep them healthy. Stop using moisturisers and after about 6 weeks your skin will start to start to produce its own moisture again.
Dr Zein Obagi one of the world’s most renowned dermatologists and inventor of ZO Skin Health has created a ‘Fundamental 5’ System that is the starting block for any skin type to repair their skin barrier and get healthy skin.
Fundamental 5 Products
The fundamental 5 is a simple system where each is a product that is directed at your skin type.
Wash 
Scrub
Tone
Strengthen
Protect
Each step of the fundamental 5 is customised towards your skin type, is this case oily, we can then add in targeted treatments to help with sebum control and pore size.
Wash: Exfoliating Cleanser – Excess Sebum Removal & Impurities
Scrub: Exfoliating Polish – 2 x weekly Healthy Cellular function & Enhanced product delivery
Tone: Oil Control Pads – Excess sebum & impurities removal, redness reduction
Instant Pore refiner –Add ON – anti ageing, normalise sebum production., mattifying, tightens pores, minimise inflammation, antioxidant.
Strengthen Daily Power Defence
Protect – SPF – 30 & Primer
After your fundamental products have been decided you can then add in target treatments for skin disorders such as acne, pigmentation, and premature ageing.
Adding in exfoliating treatments such as the Hydrafacial or skin resurfacing add to your treatment regime and improve pore minimising.
Post a comment