Contrary to what many people think, our pores don’t grow bigger and smaller, nor can you make them ‘open’ or ‘close’ with hot or cold water. And yet we often notice that when our skin is oily, our pores look much more prominent than usual. And toners seem to make our pores “shrink”. So what explains this? Are our eyes playing tricks on us, or do pores actually change in size?

The answer is: pores don’t change in size, but they can look bigger or smaller depending on a few things. Nobody wants to be seen with large, prominent pores on their skin: they look unsightly and it’s even worse when they become even more apparent underneath makeup. When we purchase toners, clay masks and makeup primers, it’s because we all want to make our pores disappear. But you can also minimize the appearance of your pores by avoiding making a few common skincare mistakes.

Here are 7 skincare mistakes that make your pores look larger.

1. Using oil blotting papers too frequently

Anything that dries out the skin WILL lead to your pores looking bigger. Why? Because our sebaceous glands produce even more sebum to compensate for the loss of moisture in our skin. Oil blotting papers are great when your T-zone is looking excessively shiny during the day, but don't use them too frequently because doing so can dry out the skin.

2. Forcibly extracting blackheads and pimples

Blackhead extractions should only be done by a licensed esthetician, in our view. Using blackhead-removing tools at home risks giving you scars, because you're much less likely to precisely extract blackheads out of your skin. At home, use oil cleansers and chemical exfoliants to prevent and banish blackheads. If you really want to go for an extraction, see a professional!

3. Over exfoliating

Exfoliation can give you brighter, smoother skin almost instantaneously. However, exfoliating too much is bad for the skin. We especially don't recommend using physical scrubs because they are excessively abrasive on the skin and can cause micro-tears. Instead, it's better for your skin if you incorporate a gentle chemical exfoliant in your routine for regular use. Our Glow Toner which contains 3% glycolic acid along with soothing botanical extracts like aloe, mint and chamomile along with hydrating sodium hyaluronate is perfect for regular use.

4. Drying out the skin

It’s never a good idea to try to mattify oily skin by drying it out. Dry skin actually leads to increased sebum production, which results in your skin becoming even oilier. Incorporate hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine to maximize hydration. It can hold up to a thousand times its own weight in water, keeping your skin hydrated for longer. Always apply hyaluronic acid on wet skin, and follow up with a moisturizer to seal in all the hydration. You can try this combination with our Jasmine Dew face mist, a hyaluronic acid based face mist that also contains glycerin, aloe, green tea and jasmine extract, and Cerapair, our barrier-repairing moisturizer that's packed with ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin E, and panthenol. Both these products are great for all skin types!

5. Comedogenic ingredients

Comedogenic ingredients are ingredients that can potentially cause clogged pores, i.e. comedones. Avoid products that contain cocoa butter, coconut oil and lanolin, three of the most common comedogenic ingredients found in beauty products. There are great non-comedogenic ingredients that you can use instead: like shea butter, and non-comedogenic oils like jojoba, almond, rosehip, and marula. If in doubt, you can always look up the comedogenic rating of an ingredient online before buying a skincare product.

6. Foods that make your skin oily

Eating too much refined sugar and deep fried foods can lead to clogged pores. Refined sugars lead to a spike in the body’s insulin levels, which can trigger increased sebum production. Try eliminating refined sugars from your diet and see how your skin improves over time. You can substitute refined sugars and processed foods with healthier alternatives that are just as delicious!

7. Setting your makeup with powder too often during the day

On days that we wear heavier makeup, like foundation, we understandably want to keep a compact powder handy to mattify our skin when it starts getting shiny around midday. However, using too much face powder throughout the day can lead to clogged pores. Oil and dirt build up on our skin throughout the day, and when you press more powder onto your skin on top of all that, it makes the skin even more congested. Try to limit the use of face powder on days that you wear makeup.