One of the biggest skin concerns we get asked about is how to treat open, clogged pores. While breakouts can be frustrating, they can at least feel temporary. Clogged pores can feel, for some of us, like they are a permanent part of our skin! But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can unclog your pores and keep pores clean. How? Well we need to first of understand why your pores get clogged up in the first place.
So a good place to start understanding how we can treat clogged and open pores is to look at what pores are and what they’re meant to be for. You have pores all over your skin, not just on your face. But the main place that you notice clogged pores is your face. Your pores are tiny holes in the skin at your hair follicles, that allow the release of sebum (oil) that naturally moisturise the skin.
We want the oil produced by our sebaceous glands - this is what gives us a healthy lipid barrier on top of the skin, that protects the deeper layers. When the sebaceous glands produce too much oil, however, that’s when your pores can get clogged up with that oil, along with everyday dirt, grime, dead skin cells and bacteria. So it’s really important to cleanse your skin deeply to clean out pores, but it’s also important not to over-cleanse your skin, as this can actually cause your skin to produce even more oil!
We’ve already touched on how we have pores all over our skin. So why are some pores more visible? And why do some people seem to have larger pores?Visible pores can come down to three factors:
Some of us naturally have larger pores. We’re born that way. You may have seen ‘miracle pore eliminator’ products online - but if you naturally have larger pores, nothing will change that! It’s like having darker or lighter skin. But your pores can become more visible as you age and also during times when you have changes in hormones, like during pregnancy.
So what can help treat clogged, open pores? We asked a skin therapist for their top tips, and some of the might surprise you!
We all are guilty of spending more time than ever before on our phones. Your smart phone isn’t just a phone - it can be a map, a calendar, mail, a way of keeping up with people, a camera, a mirror even… so it’s natural we spend more time holding and use our phones than ever before.
But what you may not have considered is that every time you touch your phone you are spreading bacteria. You are opening doors, touching handles, buttons… all of which have been touched by many other people before you. Then you check that text or social media update, transferring that bacteria onto your phone. Later on your phone rings and you put it up against your face. You may not realise it but that phone touching your face is spreading bacteria.
At Jersey Beauty we are massive fans of the double cleanse! It is especially important for oily skin and cleansing deeply into the pores. What we mean when we say cleanse twice is that the first cleanse is to get rid of surface makeup, dirt and oil - you can use a gentle cleanser to get the skin clean, the second cleanse is able to cleanse deeply into the pores.
FOR THE 1ST CLEANSE - There are some brilliant options for your first cleanse. Dermalogica Precleanse and Precleanse Balm melt through makeup and dirt accumulated on your skin throughout the day. Your skin really will thank you for making the effort to cleanse twice.
FOR THE 2ND CLEANSE - The choice of cleanser for your second cleanse really depends on your skin. There is a cleanser for every skin type, condition or age. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel is great for combination skin, Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser is best for sensitive skin, Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser is perfect for ageing skin, Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Foaming wash is the choice for teen skin and Dermalogica Clearing Skin wash for breakout prone skin.
Finding a great double cleanse combination for your skin is key to unlocking the happiest and healthiest skin you can!
When you have problems with oily skin, breakouts and clogged pores, it is important to keep changing and washing your face cloth regularly. As we’ve just talked about, cleansing should be about pore cleansing and getting rid of that bacteria that causes breakouts. That will mean some of it ends up on your face cloth. If you suffer from breakouts or acne, consider getting a stack of face cloths and washing them after every use during breakouts. Also make sure you change your pillow regularly too - at least once a week.
What is a fizz mask, you might be thinking! Well Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz mask is an amazing new skin care product for breakouts and clogged pores. It’s got a unique active fizzing technology - that’s how it’s gets its name! The mask actually fizzes when it hits your skin - this isn’t just a novelty, it works to open pores, and clear out pores and blackheads.
How does it do that? It has three key ingredients you need to know about for your clogged pores. Firstly, Sulfur which is antimicrobial - it attacks the bacteria deep in your pores to stop breakouts forming. Secondly, it has Kaolin Clay, which is a natural super absorbent ingredient that works to soak up excess oil and purify your skin. Finally, it has Pyrus Malus (Apple Fruit) Extract which hydrates the skin.
When you have clogged pores, not only can things not get out of the skin but also moisture struggles to get in to the deeper layers, so your skin may lack hydration. All of the amazing active ingredients, combined with the unique fizzing complex, help to declog your pores and make them less visible.
It can be super tempting but when you squeeze blackheads and spots, you don’t help your skin to recover. In fact, popping spots and squeezing blackheads can leave marks and darken pores and even lead to scarring. When you try to squeeze out the ‘black’ stuff in a blackhead you can sometimes force bacteria deeper into the pores. The best way to deal with blackheads and spots is to use skin care products with active ingredients like salicylic acid - this is a
beta-hydroxy acid that has particles that can get deep into pores to cleanse skin thoroughly.
Exfoliation is great. When it is used right. Now here’s a surprising fact - not everyone should exfoliate. But for many of us, it can be a great tool - so long as we don’t overuse it. Exfoliation helps to get rid of dead cells to encourage cell renewal. If you are in your 20s, your skin cell turnover rate is usually pretty good - so you won’t need to exfoliate as often. As your skin ages, your natural cell turnover rate will decrease - your skin won’t renew as quickly and needs some help. That’s where exfoliation comes in.
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a powder exfoliant that will buff away dead skin cells to reveal the newer cells underneath. Daily Superfoliant adds in active ingredients to protect the skin from environmental triggers that accelerate skin ageing. You can use these daily exfoliators post cleansing or you can mix a little in with your cleanser to boost cleansing power!
Our final tip is about how temperature can help with clogged pores. When your skin gets hot, your pores open and when you are cold your pores tighten. That’s why sometimes being in hot weather conditions can make your pores more visible and open to clogging.
When it comes to cleansing, you should start with hot water (obviously not so hot it could hurt your skin!). This will open up your pores ready. You should use lukewarm water to rinse, as this slowly starts to tighten pores but also leaves them open enough to take in moisture and boosters.
Steaming is also a great use of temperature for a weekly treatment for clogged pores. You can get a reasonable priced face steamer that will regulate time and temperature. When steaming you need to:
You can get your hands on your very own Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask to check out its unique fizzing technology on your clogged pores today from Jersey Beauty:
