Every pore is blocked

[RosieIs44]

Not a new thing for me, sadly, but usually controlled with The Ordinary’s red peel. But seems to have got worse recently! Not quite blackheads, waxy comedone things.

Anyone suffer the same and have any tips? It’s sort of beyond extractions (I can do the bigger ones myself - sorry if TMI) but it’s a peel, acid, great cleanser thing I think - if anyone can recommend something that’s worked?

You need a BHA exfoliator - Paula's Choice is regarded as the gold standard but most brands have one. Apply as a toner after cleansing, leave to dry and carry on with your routine. It works to unclog pores by breaking down the oils. You should also wear a sunscreen as it is an acid product but make sure you remove this by cleansing thoroughly in the evening.

What's your current routine? Post the products you are using Am and Pm and then we can advise. you don't need anything harsh, you probably just need to switch out a few products

Glycolic serum will do the job too, no need to wash off. Most seem to be liquid. Drunk Elephant has a gel one but it’s super expensive.

That made my face peel terribly. It looked bloody awful.
Luckily it was during Covid, so i was able to wear a mask and cover it up

Are you using a magnifying mirror? Pores are normal features of human skin. It’s easy to get obsessed with them. I would bet that nobody else has ever noticed your pores.

Every pore on your face or just your nose or something

Yep, pretty much every pore in my face. Have quite enlarged ones… the ones on my nose are more noticeable but also forehead and chin, nose…

Think using quite a rich face cream could have exacerbated it (Bare Minerals Butter Drench), using to offset dryness from Medik8 Retinal (have recently upped the strength, weirdly the 1 percent seemed to help with this but not the stronger).

Have tried the Paulas’s Choice BHA but didn’t find it as effective as The Ordinary wash off one used every few days.

The glycolic serum looks good but yikes £££ and the DE baby skin did nothing for me

You could also go down the route of hydrofacials. They use suction to clear out the pores. Maybe a few of those to get on top of the issue and then see how your skin goes after wards with at home care

Glycolic (AHA) is for ageing/mature skin and doesn't go into the pores like salicylic (BHA)

CeraVe cleanser with salicylic, or La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo range are good salicylic ranges. Dermalogica also do a range though that has essential oils in it.

The moisturizer is perhaps clogging your pores. If your skin is oily and blackhead prone, you're probably better with an oil free, or gel moisturizer.

My skin was like this as a teen - nose, cheeks, forehead, chin so pretty much everywhere - I think they’re called sebaceous filaments and are considered normal on the nose at least. Age killed mine other than my nose and inner cheeks - long term use of tretinoin has controlled the rest.

Yeah sounds like sebaceous filaments. I'm pretty sure Jojoba oil is recommended for that.