6 tips to make your pores look smaller

You may or may not have heard of someone telling you to stop popping and picking you're making your pores look so much bigger right?

Well, the great thing is there is always something you can do about it.

According to Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, your pore size is genetically determined, but you can reduce their appearance with a multipronged approach.

While no product can permanently shrink pores, there are some very effective pro tips and tricks that do a great job of making them look smaller. ESTHER MUCHENE

If your pores are clogged with dirt or oil, they will look larger and more noticeable. It is important to have an effective cleanser, preferably one that has between 0.5 to 2 percent salicylic acid. Always leave it on your skin for a few minutes before washing it off so that the ingredients work. Other ingredients to look out for in a cleanser are glycolic acid and lactic acid. Both keep your pores clean from dirt and debris.

The best thing for your pores is to make sure you have the right ingredients in your skin care products. A moisturizer with salicylic acid for instance will remove dead skin cells as well as get rid of excess oil from your skin’s surface. Having retinol in your products is also important as it will stimulate the production of collagen which helps support the structure of your pores and keep the opening on the surface quite small.

An important step to ensuring you maintain small pores is to get rid of dead skin cells and debris from the surface of your skin. An effective way to do this is by exfoliating. You can pay keen attention to areas where the pores are more visible such as the area around your chin and nose.

A primer is a great way to have small looking pores the entire day so make sure to apply some before you put on your make up. The primer fills in the holes of the pores which leaves your skin looking extremely smooth.

Do not underestimate the power of sun damage on your skin. Regardless of the weather or the time of the year, always coat your skin with some sunscreen.  Sun damage tends to make your skin weak and thus makes your pores look bigger. Always make sure to get a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more.

Applying a concealer is one way to hide those large pores. Just make sure to get one that is long wear and apply it using a brush.