Please help me with these damn pores!

[Mymsical]

I try to take really good care of my skin. It is naturally dry and sensitive but I've pretty much perfected my daily regime - I use No 7 hot cloth cleanser in the morning, followed by an Aveena toner for sensitive skin, then The Ordinary Buffet, and Abscorbic Acid powder mixed with hyaluronic acid. In the evening I use the cleanser and toner again, followed by a Skin & Me prescription of niacimide and azealic acid, The Buffet, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and a tranexamic acid overnight mask treatment.

But nothing I have tried seems to do anything for these GIANT STUPID PORES. I am getting really upset about it because I'm a drama queen perfectionist.

Any tips?

Sounds like you have a good routine - to be honest, if you have sensitive skin and have a routine that isn't irritating it, then I'd stick with it!! For comparison, I have sensitive, combination, hormonal spot-prone skin and I stick to Garnier Pure Action Sensitive Cleanser (sometimes double-cleansing with Superfacialist Vit C oil), regular but not nightly Alpha H or Nip+Fab glycolic, LRP niacinamide serum or Effaclar Duo, and Cosrx Snail Mucin with either LRP Toleriane moisturiser or a Cosrx honey one. I also use LRP Cica Baume B5 when my skin is stressed/for claiming redness. I so think the Alpha H/Nip+Fab make a bit of a difference to how my pores look, although they don't actually shrink them, IYSWIM!

Thanks @Laquila I am definitely cautious of introducing anything new to the regime because it is so easily irritated! Glycolic acid is definitely something that I just can't use, but if I stick to only using it on my nose it might be ok!

Nip+Fab (much cheaper than Alpha H) is often on offer in Superdrug or Boots, or sometimes in TK Maxx - might be worth a look! I'm sensitive to a lot of ingredients but somehow glycolic bad never irritated me, but I do use it fairly sparingly. My pores used to annoy me but I had a couple of years of horrendous skin problems (tuned out I'm allergic to PPD) and now I'm just grateful when I have reasonably clear, calm skin, regardless of pore size 😁 it's incredible how thankful looking at old photos from that time can make me!!

Those look like sebaceous filaments and I'm sorry to say but they're just going to be there (I have exactly the same on my nose and chin). Of course, you can minimise the look and keep them as small / clear as possible but they aren't going to go away and will just keep filling up. Sounds like you've got a solid routine (maybe a bit too much active ingredients for every eve, however if it's working do you!), but maybe a clay mask once a week will help draw the looser plugs out. I saw this tiktok video about sebaceous filament management but haven't gotten around to seeing if it actually works vm.tiktok.com/ZMLYT6gPR/

I have similar skin on my nose, chin and my inner cheeks. I did read recently that sun damage can make pores larger so I'm trying to use sunscreen on my face daily.

I have pores visible in some areas despite a good skincare regime. So I use Smashbox photo finish Minimise Pores Primer. On its own or under foundation.
It covers pores and takes away shine so well that you don't need powder later on.