BEAUTY CLINIC

Poring over pores, by Kate Shapland

ore size: we need closure here and not of the physical kind. There is a widespread notion, often perpetuated by beauty companies, that pores can be ‘closed’ like doors by using anything from ice cubes to toner. It is a wonderful idea – and complete nonsense.

First of all there is no such thing as an ‘open’ pore. Pores are either big or small, a reality which, along with their concentration, is genetically determined. With age, however, as skin loses its elasticity and suppleness, pores become enlarged, which makes them more visible, especially in parts of the face – forehead and nose – where, along with a greater density of sebaceous glands, there are more of them.

While nothing can physically reduce pores or make them disappear altogether, some products – those that work both on and beneath the skin’s surface – can minimise their appearance. The key products in your routine should be a deep-acting

Pcleanser and light-refective primer or foundation.

Dead cells and trapped sebum can emphasise pores too, and if a spot forms, squeezing it can cause trauma that permanently damages and widens a pore. So thorough daily cleansing, with a skinbufng muslin cloth or sonic power brush, to shift dirt and make-up is a must. Regular exfoliation with a scrub or retexturising mask containing alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), retinol or fruit enzymes is also benefcial because it lifts pore-enlarging dead cells from the surface.

I have sung the praises of light-refective bases before, and one of the reasons these are friends to skin is because their refective pigments work to diminish pores by illusion, pinging light away from pores, lines and blemishes so that they all look less obvious.