How To Unclog Your Pores

Having clogged pores on your face can sneak up on you and, before you know it, your skin looks like it did when you were back in high school.

No one wants to deal with acne, especially as an adult, but with a bit of knowledge and the proper skincare routine, you can unclog your pores and help keep them free and clear in no time flat.

Miami MD has products that can fit into any routine while also supporting your skin as it does the job it was born to do… leaving you looking as radiant as possible.

Pore 101

You can probably point out the pores on your face, especially the troublemakers. But do you know what they are and why there are so many of them? Before you can learn how to unclog pores, you need to know more about their purpose.

First of all, pores are just openings in the skin. But they aren’t just empty holes — there is a real purpose behind them.

The visible pores that you can see, and even the ones you can’t, are the very top of the hair follicle. The pore is where the hair follicle opens up to the air, and each hair follicle has its own pore. That also means that we have pores all over our body, whether our body hair is visible or not.

Did you know that there are around 5 million different hair follicles on the human body? This makes the few that are bigger than you’d like seem like not as much of a problem, right?

The reason we have pores isn’t just to allow the hair to break through the surface. It is also where the body’s natural oil, known medically as sebum, can be released from the sebaceous glands that are connected to the follicle and onto the top of the skin to help moisturize it.

So really, without our pores, our skin wouldn’t be able to stay hydrated.

Dehydrated skin, as we well know, can lead not only to premature aging concerns like fine lines and wrinkles as well as itching, tightness, and discomfort.

Why Do Clogged Pores Happen?

In general, pores get clogged as a combination of a few factors —  excess sebum, dead skin cells, pollutants, residue from makeup, bacteria, and other debris from the environment like dirt and grime.

Under normal circumstances and with a regular skincare routine, pores can unclog themselves — with a bit of manual help.

However, if you are lax with your self-care, the debris that builds on or around the pores can become impacted. When all that material can gain access to your pores, and your sebum production is more than it should be, it traps that material inside and gives it time to become infected.

The result is that you may develop various types of breakouts, like blackheads and whiteheads and other issues like congested pores, sebaceous filaments, papules, and pustules.

Ultimately, clogged pores lead to skin that can make you self-conscious.

What Other Issues Can Happen to Pores?

In addition to getting clogged and wreaking havoc, pores can also become more prominent in appearance. 

While some of that does come down to simple genetics, the same factors that can clog pores can also make the appearance of pores larger.

Aging also plays a part here, as the natural elastin and collagen start to break down quicker with each passing year.

Pores are also one of the places that the body can alert you if its moisture barrier is compromised. 

Dermatologists refer to this as “orange peel skin” because the appearance of the pores looks like the surface of an orange. If that sounds like it may describe your skin, it’s time to take a step back and focus on increasing its hydration level. 

You may need to stop using any skincare products other than a gentle cleanser and supportive moisturizer for a week or so until it can heal itself.

How to Unclog Pores

If you’ve noticed that your pores are getting clogged, or they appear more visible than you’d like, what exactly can you do about it? The first step is to take a close look at your skincare routine.

Don’t have one? Now is the time to start!

It truly is the key to keeping your pores clean and open while also reducing the signs of premature aging. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are; every person can benefit from a quality routine.

At a very bare minimum, a skincare routine should include a cleanser meant for your specific skin type and a moisturizer. You can add in other skincare products once you can control those factors, which may take trial and error. These are great options for serums meant to target specific areas of concern, like Miami MD’s Dark Spot Corrector, toners, and spot treatments.

And, while we’re talking about skincare products to add to your routine, if you’re prone to acne or clogged pores, consider a salicylic acid toner.

For people struggling with excess oil, this product can be handy. You can purchase it over the counter in lower concentrations — usually no more than 10%. You can also visit your dermatologist for a higher-strength product.

Salicylic acid toner works through a process known as chemical exfoliation. It dives deep into your pores and helps dissolve both the bonds that naturally occur between the dead skin cells as well as the dead skin cells themselves. It can also break up that excess sebum, which belongs to the BHA – beta hydroxy acid – family and is oil-soluble, and encourage the skin cell turnover rate to speed up.

The result is skin you can be proud of, with less worry about how to unclog your pores and more time just to be yourself.

Retinols and retinoids are also beneficial, as they increase how quickly the skin can turn over its skin cells. It may be good to see a dermatologist for the extraction or to have a chemical peel done in some more extreme situations.

How Not To Unclog Pores

Although they may be annoying and visibly unappealing, the number one thing not to do when it comes to unclogging pores is to squeeze or pick at your skin.

When you have a pimple, especially the kind with a noticeable “head,” your first thought is how quickly you can get rid of it… and “popping” it becomes the obvious choice. However immediately gratifying this may be, it can also lead to more serious, long-term issues.

For instance, let’s talk about touching open wounds on your face (and a blemish is essentially an open wound, especially after you’ve squeezed it open). There is a much higher chance that you’ll transfer the bacteria naturally found on your fingers into the area if you touch it. That can mean infection, leading to an even more significant problem.

Scarring can also result, and the area in general just becomes painful and leads to swelling. The same goes with using tools, so just leave your acne alone or treat it with the right skincare products instead of being tempted to “help it along.”

Clogged Pore Prevention

The most important thing that you can do for your skin, whether you are dealing with clogged pores or not, is to establish a skincare routine that supports your skin and targets your specific issues.

Once you’ve found products that work for you, make sure to wash your skin twice a day. Morning and evening cleansing routines are critical if you spend time outdoors or wear makeup, as those issues can make clogged pores even more likely.

Cleansing the skin also helps lift away any excess sebum and sets the stage for your other skincare products to penetrate deeper into your pores. If you work out or sweat excessively, wash your face off with water if you can as well.

Don’t wash your face too much, though — it can lead to dryness which can trigger the skin to increase its oil production.

Also, as we discussed, salicylic acid toners are an excellent product for anyone with issues with oily skin and clogged pores. While you will likely need to ease yourself into using them, as they can irritate sensitive skin, they can help keep your sebum production closer to the normal range.

Incorporating regular face masks into your routine can also be beneficial, as long as you read the list of ingredients. Clay masks, in particular, can help absorb excess oil before it can become a problem. 

No matter what your skincare routine looks like, it is essential to stick with it. Consistency is key to keeping your skin looking its best.

In Summary

Hopefully, with the knowledge you’ve learned in this article and a little trial-and-error, you’re able to unclog your pores and reveal your best skin.

Miami MD is your go-to skincare company, helping keep your skin firm, radiant, and youthful.

While we can’t keep the world from impacting our faces, we can do our best to help our pores do their job effectively. And don’t we all have more important things to worry about?

Sources:

Facial skin pores: a multiethnic study | NCBI 

Dry skin: Signs and symptoms | AAD 

Acne Resource Center | AAD