5 Ways You Are Clogging Your Pores

Fact: We all have pores—and we’ve all been annoyed with them at some point. Pores are simply one of those little physical things that bother many individuals, both men and women alike. Certain habits can make them look bigger and cause skin issues.

Here’s what you should stop doing if you want to keep yours as unclogged as possible:

1. Picking Your Pores and Pimples
If your end goal is fewer pimples and smaller pores, quit picking, stat. When you squeeze and stretch skin, you’re contributing to the formation of fine lines, inflammation, and irritation, all of which affect pore size over time.

2. Touching Your Face Frequently Throughout the Day
Take a moment and think of all the different things your hands and fingers touch during the day—public doorknobs, desks and tables, sink handles, your credit card. Touching your face after the number of physical activities you use your hands for could cause oil, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and other impurities to transfer to your skin and clog pores.

3. Forgetting to Remove Your Makeup Before Bed
Removing your makeup is an essential step in your skin-care routine because not doing so allows the makeup, oil, and environmental pollutants that gather on your skin all day to settle into your pores while you sleep.

4. Skipping Out on Exfoliation
The best way to clear pores is through exfoliation. That’s because cleansers don’t fully remove the dead skin cells that build up throughout the week. Exfoliating once or twice a week will help remove impurities like oil and debris, prevent acne breakouts, and make your pores look smaller.

5. Wearing the Wrong Kind of Face Makeup
It’s tempting to try to cover up large pores with concealer. But anything comedogenic (a.k.a. pore-blocking) will clog your skin. So avoid applying products with waxes, oils, and butters in the formula.