Blocked pores stand as one of the original skin woes. As we made our way through our teenage years, we discovered that blocked pores have absolutely no part to play in that ideal, glassy complexion. As a result, we may have reached for the scrubs made up of little sharp particles that promised to sweep away the entire pore itself. Of course, we soon learned that tearing away at our skin's delicate surface is not the solution. However, the woe that is blocked pores remains. So, it's about time we overcame this obstacle to the skin of our dreams once and for all.
Here's all you need to know about how to reduce the appearance of blocked pores.
What are clogged pores?
Let's begin by discussing what clogged pores are, besides being a hindrance that everyone has experienced at some point.
Our pores are the tiny openings on our skin’s surface. Their main role is to release oil and sweat, keep us cool, and flush out those toxins in our body that we don’t need. Pores are a very normal, essential part of our skin’s surface.
What clogged pores are is when these openings are full of sweat, sebum, dead skin cells, daily SPF, makeup, and any other form of dirt. Therefore, these openings can become blocked pores easily, especially without a thorough cleansing regime at the end of every day.
What does a blocked pore look like?
A blocked pore can look like a black dot, which we know as a blackhead and is commonly found scattered around the nose and chin. Alternatively, a blocked pore can take the form of a white or skin-colored raised bump, which we call a whitehead.
If the blocked pore progresses to have more bacteria and inflammation inside of it with pus, redness, and swelling, it has unfortunately taken the form of a pimple or an acne cyst.
What are sebaceous filaments
While we are on the topic of what clogged pores are, let's touch on what sebaceous filaments are. These natural structures of the skin are often confused with blackheads. However, what sebaceous filaments do is allow the skin's natural sebum to get to its surface. While they are completely normal structures of the skin, when the body overproduces sebum, sebaceous filaments can fill up. This is what makes them become visible and resemble enlarged blocked pores.
Sebaceous filaments cannot be completely removed, however, they can be shrunk to the point where they are nearly invisible. The way to do this goes hand in hand with how to clear blocked pores.
How to clear blocked pores
The first way how to clear blocked pores is to thoroughly cleanse every single night. Even if you do not wear makeup, an accumulation of SPF, oil, and dirt will gather on your face regardless and unless you would like this to sit in your pores, you must wipe your face clean of it. Ameliorate's Clarifying Facial Cleanser is a creamy, non-stripping foaming facial cleanser specifically designed for blemish-prone skin. The formula of this cleanser contains our LaB6 Skin Clearing Complex which works to mattify shine, remove excess oil, decongest and make the pores feel tighter.
This will not only instantly clear the appearance of blocked pores, but help to prevent clogged pores in the future.
The second step to clear blocked pores is to add salicylic acid and retinoids to your skincare routine. Salicylic acid breaks down the bonds between dead skin cells so that they can release from the pore more easily, clearing the blockages. It also decreases the skin's sebum production, leading to fewer breakouts and further preventing clogged pores. Meanwhile, retinoids work to clear blocked pores by sweeping away excess sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria and stimulating the cell turnover of your skin.
Ameliorate's Transforming Clarity Facial Serum works as a two-in-one, containing willow bark extract, a natural source of salicylic acid as well as a retinoid. Not to mention, it also has other skin-loving ingredients such as vitamin C to help brighten and niacinamide to help to improve the skin's lipid barrier. Simply apply a layer to the face before bed and allow this concoction of ingredients to work their magic against your blocked pores.
Finally, for the blocked pores that escalate to result in blemishes, leave the Ameliorate Blemish Overnight Clearing Therapy on the trouble areas overnight to tackle the appearance of blemishes and refine pores as you sleep.
How to prevent clogged pores in the future
As we can see, once you implement the steps in your routine to clear blocked pores, you're multi-tasking and working to prevent clogged pores in the future. Combine these pore-clearing tips with keeping your hands away from your face, drinking plenty of water, and sticking to a daily skincare regimen, and you will finally be able to say hello to that clear, glassy-looking skin.
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