Dermatologists Want You To Start Paying More Attention To Your Pores—Here's Why
The secret to smooth skin might be easier than you thought.
Make sure to keep this in your medicine cabinet for whenever you have clogged or enlarged pores. (Photo: Kyle Ericksen)
How many times have you heard the term “clogged pores?” And how many times have you stopped and thought: “What does that even mean? We wouldn’t be surprised if the amounts were identical. Well, you’ve come to the right place for the final answer.
According to Neal Schultz, M.D., a clogged pore results from the buildup of oil and dead skin cells underneath your skin’s surface. “We all have glands on the second layer of our skin (called the dermis), which produce oils that moisturize and protect our skin,” says Dr. Schultz. “The tube that filters the oil to our skin’s surface is called a duct and where it opens is the pore.” Dr. Schultz likes to think of the duct as a water hose—if you step on the hose, water will continue to flow and you’ll begin to notice a bulge in the hose at the side of your foot. Consider the water your natural oils, the pressure from your foot on the hose the buildup of dead skin cells that naturally fall off of your face, and that lovely little lump is your pore—five times its normal size. Dr. Schultz’s definition for clogged pores? Pore sludge. “The exact definition of the term sludge is the mixture of a liquid and solid, which is the perfect description of what goes on in a congested pore.” Got it? Good.
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Unfortunately, clogged and enlarged pores are most common between the ages of 13 and 25. Hello, homecoming, prom, graduation, and that first real job interview—a fine time indeed. “If you want to see normal-sized pores, look to your 8-year-old sister’s smooth skin,” says Dr. Schultz. But before you start to hate on her, note that she’ll be in your shoes soon enough. “Once you reach puberty, your hormones are off and running, causing a surge of oil to rush to the surface of your skin.” Like a less flattering version of freckles, enlarged pores are commonly dispersed along your nose, cheeks, upper lip, and chin region and sometimes between your brows—all spots that Dr. Schultz says mirror the areas with the most oil glands. Hate to break it to you, but those pesky pores may continue to be a bother even past that quarter-life benchmark. According to Dr. Schultz, enlarged pores can taint your skin from the moment you reach puberty and forever after.
But of course, we’re happy to be the bearers of good news! There are great resources for working a disappearing act on pore sludge and shrinking those gaping holes back to their normal size. “My favorite ingredient for treating enlarged pores is glycolic acid because it works the best at dissolving dead cells and absorbing oil,” says Dr. Schultz, with lactic acid as his second-string contender. “Lactic acid is the weaker sister to glycolic and can be equally effective.” However, there are some ingredients to stay away from when trying to treat enlarged pores. “I’d steer clear of retinoids—retinol or prescription-strength—as they so frequently irritate people. We love Dr. Schultz’s own glycolic-rich BeautyRx Dermstick for Pores for it’s easy-to-use pen applicator and use of natural ingredients like tea tree oil and pumpkin seed extract.
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A common mistake Dr. Schultz says his patients make when trying to treat the side effects of clogged pores is trying to scrub them away with rough exfoliators. “Though exfoliation is important for ridding the skin of dead cells, you can end up irritating it, which can lead to swelling that causes your pores to appear even larger.” And while pore strips have good intentions, Dr. Schultz says they’re not super effective, as they don’t get deep enough into the pore to cleanse that sludge.
If you’ve got dry skin and think you’re safe from enlarged pores, think again. “People with dry skin can create their own sludge,” says Dr. Schultz. “Remember, dry skin has the absence of water, not oil. You’ve naturally got the solid part of the sludge (the dead skin cells) and if you’re lathering on heavy oils or oil-based creams (that includes natural oils like coconut and olive!), you’re now creating the liquid part.” Instead, use water-based products to avoid clogging your pores and don’t forget to exfoliate regularly.
By Lyndsay Green
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