Large open pores. I saw the trouble every time I took a close-up selfie. 

Thanks to the era of HD, everything is zoomable. This makes most of us—no matter how comfortable we are in our skin—dig deep into our “flaws” and find fixes. 

Not that I could fix pores. The small openings all over our body release sweat and sebum to detoxify our skin. But large pores tend to become a common problem amongst men. 

Our skin produces more oil to maintain moisture as it’s thicker than women’s.      

The excess oil enlarges our pores and fills them up with sebum. 

Thankfully, a few lifestyle changes I decided to make helped cleanse, calm and conceal my overexcited pores. 

It All Started With Double Cleansing 

Using a no-soap, oil-based cleanser to get rid of excess oil on my skin was the first step but was that enough? No. My skin needed exfoliation to slough off dead skin cells and refine texture. 

I would recommend exfoliants with AHAs and BHAs, as these skincare acids showed quick results. And just so you know, they’re already a part of the popular Korean skincare routine.  

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Applied My Vitamins

You can choose to eat them. Vitamin B5 (Niacinamide), C and A are necessary for skin’s hydration and slowing down the ageing process. I made sure that my skin is getting enough of those. 

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Picked Up A Retinol Serum

Retinol helps minimise oil production and congestion build-up in the pores which can lead to enlargement. I used a retinol serum but in breaks for optimal results. I applied the serum before going to bed for 1 week. Then, gave it a rest for the next. 

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Kept Calm & Used A Clay Mask

… On weekends. Clay masks are super relaxing, they help remove excess oil, dirt and dead skin from deep inside the pores and make them look smaller. 

You can use a clay mask once or twice a week but not on the days you exfoliate. It can irritate your skin.

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Stopped Ditching My Sunscreen

As I already confessed, I am a lazy person and don’t prefer applying sunscreen every time I step out. But the more I witnessed the premature signs of ageing, the more I valued SPF. 

The best way to apply sunscreen is 15 minutes before you head out.

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Got Rid Of Face Dirt Before Bedtime

Not cleansing and moisturising my face before bed was probably the biggest mistake I was making. Skin can do so much while you’re sleeping. It can heal itself in peace. I was letting that window go to waste but not anymore. 

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Drank Infused Water

In addition to all the right products, I took good, old-fashioned water, added some flavours to it and kept myself hydrated. This helped in removing toxins from the pores and improved overall complexion. 

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If That Fails… 

Fortunately, these lifestyle changes worked for me but if open pores continue to bother you, visit a dermatologist. 

Treatment for open pores like micro-needling, microdermabrasion and chemical peels can help shrink those bad boys by reducing the oil production function of the sebum glands. 

Before you know it your flawless face will be ready for no-filter-added selfies!

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