Can You Shrink Your Pore Size?

This is a very common question I hear in my consultations. No, you unfortunately cannot shrink your pores. I do see products that claim this, but we cannot change pores other than making them bigger. This happens when we self-extract (pick or squeeze our blemishes). Our job is to keep our pores clean with facial treatments and gentle exfoliation. This can minimize our pore size and help keep our skin looking healthy. Gentle exfoliation in my book means using a scrub once per week with micro beads and avoiding products with apricot kernels, husks or natural grains. Scrubs with these ingredients can easily scratch or lacerate the skin causing more damage than good. Gently scrub with your finger tips in a circular motion- do not be rough or vigorous.