Dear Sandy,

I have large pores.  It's so distracting when I look in the mirror and see these 'holes in my face, especially my nose.  What causes pores to be large and is there anything I can do at home to tighten them up so they are less noticeable?

Want to go in hiding

Dear Hiding,

I have had the same problem and my first instinct was to keep washing that area.  I even used alcohol thinking I could dry up and shrivel those stubborn pores … wrong!! 

That was the worst thing I could do because our bodies produce oil called sebum.  And the more we strip away our own natural oils by washing, scrubbing and using “rubbing alcohol” the more sebum (oil) is being produced, which lies in our pores making them larger.

Another reason our pores become enlarged is because of all the chemicals and pollutants our skin is exposed to.  We don’t realize how damaging the products we buy to eliminate the problem and the chemicals in them that make the problem worse.  We are also living in a more toxic environment today than even 10 years ago.  All those things collect on our face and clog our pores.

So what’s a girl to do?

First and foremost do not wash your face more than twice a day.  No ifs, ands or buts about it. 

Then once a week give yourself a treat and put a hot towel on your face (wet a towel and put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds).  Or even boil some water, pour it into a bowl and put a towel over your head and the bowl for a wonderful steam.  This will pull out all those toxins.

Also, go easy with the makeup or powder as to not clog your pores and give your skin a chance to breath.

Lastly, look for beauty products, creams, makeup and scrubs that are natural.  When you use natural products you are not striping your own oils or putting chemicals on your face that make it worse and forcing your body to go into defense mode (producing more sebum).

One of the best natural scrubs I have tried is Glow by Pure Radiance.  It restores my natural oils and ph, makes my pores smaller and my face look fresher and tighter.  I really do feel like I “Glow” when I use Glow.  I use it 2-3 times per week after I wash my face.

Before long you won’t want to hide.  You will be able to show your face with confidence and no longer be distracted.

For a More Beautiful You,

Sandy DeRose

Natural Beauty Advocate