I Minimized My Pores in 3 Steps—Plus My ‘Fake It ‘Til You Make It’ Method

For better or for worse, you share some genes with your mom — and that could mean larger pores.

One beauty fanatic wasn’t happy about inheriting this trait, but at least she discovered tricks to minimize its effects.

2

She spoke candidly about the small gaps in her skin, responding to a post on Reddit.

“I have a problem with large pores (thanks mom!) and unfortunately there isn’t much you can do to reduce their size,” she said, writing under the name Sad starfish.

“However, you can minimize them.”

SLOW AND STEADY

Daily oil cleansing was at the top of her list of skin care habits for getting smaller pores in the long run.

“This has probably made the most significant improvement in pores and skin types for me,” she said.

“By thoroughly cleaning your pores to remove the ‘grains’, they become much less visible and easier to cover.”

Tretinoin has been part of her skincare routine for four months, along with AHA, BHA and Vitamin C to unclog pores.

She said using a cleansing toner with a cotton pad also improved the appearance of her skin.

“Many people don’t think this is necessary, but since I have issues with pores, I notice a huge difference in the clarity of my pores when I cut down on my travel routine and don’t have this with me,” she said.

TEMPORARY SOLUTION

According to the Redditor, clay masks can shrink pores for up to two days.

Her favorites are the Ciracle Jeju Volcanic Clay Mask, Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Clay Mask, Caolion Original Pore Pack, Origins Charcoal Mask and Origins Rose Clay Mask.

“The right sheet mask can also minimize your pores for about 24 hours,” she said.

“This is a good quick fix for an event or a date.

“The ones I find work best are MBD Apple Polyphenol and MBD Strawberry Yogurt.”

FULL CAMOUFLAGE

The Redditor revealed that she’s a fan of ‘fake it till you make it’ and has several products that temporarily cover large pores.

“Pore balms are your friend!” she said. “These fill in your pores like putty to cover them up.

“You can wear them with or without makeup and it still looks very natural because they are usually sheer.

“My favorite is Lioele Secret Rich Pore Balm.”

She said it can be exchanged for Algenist Super Defense Blurring Cream, but it is “way too expensive” for her.

The product costs $28 on Amazon, where customers have given it a 4.6-star rating.

Her third solution to temporarily hide large pores was a milky sunscreen.

“These usually have a sort of powdery finish that gives a sort of blurring effect,” she said.

“A few that I have tried are Biore Perfect Milk, Missha Safe Block Sun Milk Soft Finish, Naruko Am/pm peptide sunscreen and Omi Menturm Sun Bears.”

She added that products containing alcohol should be avoided “like the plague” as they accentuate the visibility of pores.

Readers praised the Redditor for sharing the tips.

One commenter said they’d also had “good results” with clay masks, while another raved about oil cleansing.

According to HealthlineOpen pores cannot be made smaller, but do not pose a medical problem.

High sebum production, genetics, sun exposure and reduced elasticity can all make pores appear larger.

Experts advise keeping the skin clean and avoiding the sun so that the pigment spots do not become even more visible.

2