Like unsightly breakouts and hyperpigmentation, clogged and enlarged pores are oftentimes the culprit behind highly textured, problematic skin. 

While it’s completely normal to deal with both of these issues every now and then, it might be time to rethink your environment and habits if you’re constantly experiencing issues stemming from the poor state of your pores. 

Need a little help? No worries! Here’s a quick look at home clogged and enlarged pores can create problematic skin; Plus, a few solutions to help get you started on healing your skin. 

So, what factors cause clogged and enlarged pores in the first place? 

Clogged and enlarged pores are oftentimes the result of a combination of things coming from both external factors and your own personal habits, so how you treat it depends on what the cause is. There are 4 main culprits to clogged or enlarged pores:

• Excess oil. Whether your skin is naturally oily or if you’re just using too many products formulated with oil, excess oil on the skin’s surface can clog your pores like no other.The way around this is obviously to reduce oil production or use oil-free products. In either case, you may need to formulate a whole new skincare routine to fit your needs. At the very least, simply add in a toner, moisturizer, and/or cleanser meant for oily skin.
• Dead skin. Our bodies are always shedding dead skin cells to make room for new ones. And if we don’t cleanse and exfoliate regularly, those same dead skin cells will clog our pores to the point of creating rough, problematic skin. This is only made worse when we add poor habits to the mix, such as not wiping off makeup before bed or using skincare products that are too heavy for your skin. 
• Over-cleansing. It is true that cleansing is an important step in making sure your pores aren’t clogged, but did you know that cleansing too much can actually lead to enlarged pores? Yup! It’s true. Over-cleansing your face (either by washing too much or repeatedly using a harsh cleanser) eventually leads to dry, tight skin that creates the perfectly imperfect environment for visibly enlarged pores. 
• Environmental factors. We can’t control all things that impact our skin on a regular basis. Factors such as weather patterns and air pollution can do just as much damage to our skin as, let’s say, poor skincare habits. Dry climates and letting the salt from sweat sit on your face for too long are among the most popular reasons why just regular ol’ living can cause issues with your pores. 

How do you implement ‘pore care’ into your skincare routine?

If clogged or enlarged pores are a consistent problem for you, there are 4 core things you can do to work both solution and prevention into your skin routine:

• Swap something out. Sometimes your issues are coming from a single product in your routine that is highly comedogenic due to an ingredient like lanolin or coconut oil. So, do your research and make the necessary swaps! 
• Invest in a pore minimizer. If you’re doing everything else correctly, perhaps you just need that extra push from a toner or serum that doubles as a minimizer. 
• Find a solid exfoliant. There are so many good chemical exfoliants to choose from but when it comes to decongesting pores, salicylic acid is your pores. It’s known to break down dead skin cells and then deeply cleanse the skin of impurities.  
• Clean everything regularly. It’s not only important to cleanse your face but everything that goes on it or near it. This means pillow cases, makeup brushes, towels, hats, and the like need to be cleansed after every other use.