AIBU to think my pores would have shrunk after a year of no make up.

[poppingpea]

I have olish T zone and have always worn foundation to hide my large pores that are very noticeable without it.

Since last year I feel my skin can finally breathe. I use salicylic acid cleanser glycolic toner vit c serum collagen night cream and regularly use a salicylic mask and latic acid scrub and no make up.

Please where am I going wrong? I still have tons of blackheads and large pores.

I would love to find a machine or magic cream that doesn't clog my pores so I won't have to start using foundation again when I start back at work next month. First world problems I know.

Don't need any judgement on this. there's a lot of other emotional and stressful things going on in my life that makes this minor problem more manageable to focus on.

Thanks for any good kind advice.

Same op, so following with interest.
I used to wear make up every day but didn't wear any in lockdown and now I hate the feel of it! It feels so heavy on my face!

Pores are a tricky one. They don’t ‘close’. Some people just have larger pores than others. I’ve got really big pores and there is nothing I’ve tried that makes a huge difference. As long as I’m not getting blocked pores I just accept that it is what it is now.

Anecdotally niacinamide can be good for reducing them in size. The Inkey List does a good serum at a reasonable price if you wanted to try it.

Have you tried a tinted moisturiser if you’re conscious of them? Or just using a lightweight primer without the foundation.

You can't close them. Are they blackheads or sebaceous filaments? (Google has pics of both)
You could use a pore filling/blurring primer

Some people have naturally larger pores - it's just something that is different for different people. Equally, pores can be stretched out - but they cannot shrink back once they've been stretched - the "damage" is done. You can sometimes make them appear smaller with the methods you're using but it won't actually make them any smaller.

Pore closing is up there with 'reduces the appearance of wrinkles' in the lies peddled by the beauty ' industry'. Don't worry about it.

Some people just have larger, more noticeable pores. You say you have oilier skin OP, so this is probably just the case I'm afraid
Your skin care routine sounds great, if a little hard core. Hopefully not all those at once!
How about a cream or oil cleanser before your salycylic wash? A double cleanse can really help.

I swear by Paula's Choice stuff to get rid of blackheads. The bha 9 inparticular. It was only available in the US (had a friend order me some and post) but might be available here now too.

Last year I started with horrendous deep acne - antibiotics didn’t help and in desperation I signed up to Dermatica. Not only has the acne gone but my pores are less noticeable now (don’t think they have shrunk or anything, but they don’t stand out as much) and overall the texture of my skin looks much better. Still get the occasional spot but nothing like before.

Would definitely recommend trying for a few months. Costs me £20 a month but compared to what I was spending trying a constant stream of beauty products that only seemed to make things worse, it’s worth it for me. About to go down to every other day so will only need a bottle every 2 months.

@PawsQueen

You can't close them. Are they blackheads or sebaceous filaments? (Google has pics of both) You could use a pore filling/blurring primer

. Thanks for sharing that I hadn't heard of sebaceous filaments. I think both.

@NotExactlyHappyToHelp

Pores are a tricky one. They don’t ‘close’. Some people just have larger pores than others. I’ve got really big pores and there is nothing I’ve tried that makes a huge difference. As long as I’m not getting blocked pores I just accept that it is what it is now.

Anecdotally niacinamide can be good for reducing them in size. The Inkey List does a good serum at a reasonable price if you wanted to try it.

Have you tried a tinted moisturiser if you’re conscious of them? Or just using a lightweight primer without the foundation.

Thank you. I've heard of niacinamide I'll give it ago.

I always feel I do a good job double cleansing etc then I have to put a moisturizer on and I'm sure that's what is clogging up my skin. I feel like I want a mini Hoover to suck it all out but I tried one and I'm sure it broke a few spider veins.

Do you wear a high factor sunscreen ? UV rays can cause or make pores and blackheads worse. It's a good idea to always use it anyway. You could try retinol or prescription retinoids.

I'd recommend Porefessional by Benefit. One of the few beauty products that actually works!

Pores don't 'shrink'. The toners that claim do to so, actually work by causing inflammation - the slight swelling gives the impression that they're smaller. Unfortunately pore size is genetic.
The good news is that the size will be far less noticeable to the people around you then it is to you in a mirror, and I'm sure your skin looks better overall for the break in make up (even though it may not be a difference you can pinpoint exactly!)

I’ve been using skin&me for a month, it’s helped my skin. You get a prescription from a dermatologist online. You just fill out the survey and send in some photos.

I don’t understand why people assume makeup wrecks their skin. Your skin is naturally oily and you naturally have large pores - makeup isn’t the cause of that. It’s genetics. Even the best skincare and dermatologist in the world couldn’t eradicate your pores, as it’s just how your skin is. You’re naturally susceptible to blackheads - it’s just your chemistry.

Personally I like azelaic acid but you just have to keep experimenting until you find a routine that works for you. It’s clear that you probably need to use something stronger if you want a boost.

Pore size is genetic - you can’t shrink them (much as I would love to).

A good primer can help minimise the appearance of pores and provide a good base for foundation, but it can be trial and error to find one which isn’t greasy and doesn’t block your pores. I like the hourglass mineral veil one, but it’s bloody expensive.

If you do wear foundation again, it won’t ruin your skin. Just ensure that you take it off at the end of the day of course

I use salicylic acid cleanser glycolic toner vit c serum collagen night cream and regularly use a salicylic mask and latic acid scrub

Have you ever tried going old school? Wash your face with a clean flannel wrung out in warm water and then leave it alone?

I get a lovely gel moisturiser which contains niacinamide from face theory, also a serum which has helped improve the texture of my skin loads. The moisturiser is very lightweight and doesn't give that feeling of undoing all the cleansing.

Fellow massive pore owner here. All the more strange as my skin isn’t really oily at all, I just have this awful saggy orange-peel skin on my cheeks. The only thing I’ve found that makes a real difference is retinol (small improvement) and tretinoin combined with azelaic acid (much bigger improvement).

Vitamin C serum and glycolic acid toner also slightly improved their appearance temporarily.

I was plagued with these for years until I discovered Me+ Niacinamide and zinc booster, about £5 in Superdrug.
After cleansing or washing my face I put 4 drops in the palm of my hand and rub into my t-zone. Allow to dry before applying serum and/or moisturiser.

Wish I'd found it years ago. I still have pores but they are reduced in appearance and aren't congested, I don't have that orange-peel look to my skin any more.

There is virtually nothing you can do to change your skin, certainly nothing you can apply to the top of it. Staying out of the sun prevents long term ageing but all of these new wonder ingredients like niacinamide, peptides, retinol etc are a con.

@Pedalpushers retinol isn't a con, it's the only proven thing to work but not in most OTC products where it's in a teeny tiny amount in a rubbish formula. I mean prescription retinol
Stuff like acids and vitamin c can help but SPF works for preventing and retinol works (clinical trials) for ageing

Mine are much less noticeable after I was advised not to use any toner or moisturiser, just this serum twice a day:

thetweakmentsguide.com/shop/products/belgravia-dermatology-potent-c/

It's a bit pricey but made a big difference after a couple of months of use.

I've now switched to a slightly cheaper option of buying the individual chemicals from The Ordinary and will see if my skin stays the same. I suspect just giving up oil based products may have made the biggest difference.

What @proven says. Wash your face with water and leave it alone. Mine improved greatly when I gave up moisturiser.
All these paint-strippers, scrubs and creams - why? And by your own admission, you don't look any better for it.