K-Beauty Tips for Minimising Pores

Large, visible pores are the stuff skincare nightmares are made of!

If you’re wondering how to minimize pores and stop yours from looking so big, then tune in because on today’s episode of the Korean Beauty Show podcast. 

In this episode, we’re covering the best ingredients and skincare products to keep pores as clean, tight and small as possible.

 

  

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K-BEAUTY NEWS HEADLINES

Rise in the Sale of Cooling Cosmetics

Sales of cooling cosmetics are rising as golf continues to be popular even in the middle of summer. 

According to Shinsegae International, more than half of customers who purchased golf brands last month purchased cooling cosmetics together.

We previously spoke about UV Sun Patches and these are booming in popularity at the moment in Korea. 

K-Beauty Tips for Minimising Pores

WHY DO PORES APPEAR LARGE?

So, first things first it’s important to know that the pores do NOT expand and contract – they are not a muscle.

This means that it’s not actually possible to shrink them. What causes pores to look large in the first place is oil, so it makes sense that in order to keep your pores looking their smallest you need to first get a handle on managing your skin’s oil levels.  

 

What are PORES?

Pores are small openings in the skin that link to the oil and sweat glands below the skin’s surface. They can become larger and more visible due to a number of causes.

For those of us with oily skin, excess oil is responsible for stretching the pores out, making them appear larger and more visible. Pores can also become enlarged through picking and squeezing at them. If you damage your pores like this, there is a danger of permanently enlarging them.

Pores also become visible when they attract build-up in them. This is often caused by a mixture of oil, bacteria, dead skin cells and hair that fill up the pore. Environmental factors can also contribute, including pollution in the air, the use of pore clogging products, sweat, and oil from your hands transferring to your face.

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

Step away from the tweezers!! Attacking pores with your fingers (or worse) can damage them, causing them to look larger than they really are. If you really succeed, you may even permanently damage them.

Uh oh… Instead, opt for ingredients that help clear the pores out, keeping them looking smooth, fresh, clean and – you guessed it – smaller!    

 

 

BEST INGREDIENTS FOR CLEARING PORES

Some of my favourite ingredients for pore clearing include:

Charcoal Powder, which binds to dirt and helps pull it out of your pores, making them less visible.

Volcanic Ash or Clusters, which acts as a suction, vacuuming impurities from the skin to keep it smooth, fresh and clean.

Kaolin, which controls sebum and reinforces firmness.

Bentonite, which is a clay-like ingredient that works to absorb oil and other impurities from the skin.

Taean mud, which contains natural minerals and is well known for its effectiveness for moisturising the skin and removing  micro dust.  

 

PORE CLEARING TECHNIQUES 

 

Steaming

Steaming is one of the quickest, cheapest and easiest ways to remove dirt from the pores.

To do a steam at home, start by cleansing your face and then place a bowl of steaming water in front of you. Sit in front of the bowl with a towel over your head, covering both sids of your head so it traps in the steam. Massage your face gently for 5-10 minutes in front of the steam, but without getting too close to it.

Once your pores are open, follow up with a clay mask, like Subi's Holo Dream Mask. This will help draw any remaining impurities from the skin.

 

Cleansing

Pore cleansing soaps are having a moment in Korean Beauty. Thanks to their ability to pull dirt and impurities from the pores, they are great for clearing away excess oil.

If you suffer from over-active oil glands and congestion, try a natural cleansing soap.

 

Exfoliating

There are several ways to exfoliate the skin to cleanse them of dirt and buildup, from facial scrubs, to masks and even natural remedies like silk cocoon balls.

If you have normal or oily skin, try a manual exfoliator like Skinfood Black Sugar Wash Off Mask, which uses a mixture of self-heating and granule exfoliation to deep cleanse.

 

Masking

The best masks for removing congestion from the pores are those with charcoal, mud and other detoxifying ingredients. 

 

  

Sebum Dissolving

Sebum dissolving treatments work to clear the pores by cleansing oil and blackheads from the T-Zone. They use a mix of ingredients that pull impurities from the skin, purify and dissolve oil.

 

Pore Treating

One popular way of exfoliating the pores is the “grits method”, which involves using a BHA product, a clay mask and a cleansing oil to bring any “grits” in the skin to the surface.

To do a grits exfoliation, apply a 2% BHA product (like COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid) for 20 minutes, followed by a clay mask (like Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask). Don’t wash your BHA off but simply apply the clay mask over the top for 15 minutes.

After you wash off the mask off, apply an emulsifying oil cleanser (like APLB's Blackout Cleansing Oil) to help pull any plugs out of the pores. Gently massage the surface of your skin with the cleanser for 2-3 minutes to help bring any clogged parts to the surface.

When doing the massage, take care not to damage your skin by exfoliating too vigorously or you risk damaging your skin’s barrier.

 

 

K-Beauty Tips for Minimising Pores - Suggested Routine 

If you’re looking to make a routine around unclogging your pores, try this pore-cleansing combination:

Step 1 Oil Cleanse

Bare Skin Balm

Step 2 Foam Cleanse

Subi Brightening Powder Cleanser

Step 3 Tone

One Thing Centella Toner

Step 4 Essence

Tosowoong Green Tea Essence

Step 5 Mask

Subi Holo Dream Brightening Pore Minimizing Face Mask 

Step 6 Serum

AXIS-Y Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule: 

Step 7 Moisturiser

APLB Vitamin C Propolis Lotion 

Step 8 Sleeping Mask

Jelly Ko Cherry Blossom Sleeping Mask

 

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