Even though my skin is very dry, my pores look bigger than they should. Am I using the wrong kind of cream and actually stretching my pores making them more visible? How can I shrink my pores?
If you can see your pores, and you have not gone through menopause, you do not have dry skin. The pore size is an indication of oil (sebum) secretion, the greater the amount of sebum excreted by the skin, the larger the pores. A dry skin has almost invisible pores, a normal skin has visible pores but not enlarged, an oily skin has larger pores. Treating your skin too aggressively can damage the skin ( i.e. excessive exfoliation, too strong of product for your skin type, or excessive rubbing) and can dehydrate the skin. A dehydrated skin will produce more oil in a defensive action to try and hold moisture resulting in enlarged pores. Occlusive products that tend to seal the pores can upset the skin balance as can stress, medications, and poor diet. How to shrink your pores? Many products will claim to do this, but at best they offer an astringent property that has a tightening action on the pores. Some work well, but it is temporary. Microdermabrasion can work wonders on enlarged pores and so can some products that have actual retinol (vitamin A) in them. Be prepared to give your skin a little extra care if you decide to try one of these, and realize it involves a series of treatments. They are definitely not a 'one time fix'. But then, when you think about it, what is?
