If am gifted with a magic wand and can change one thing about my skin, guess what it is? Can’t figure out? Well, it’s the size of my pores! Pores are small openings in the skin that are designed to secrete oil for skin protection and lubrication.

Now you must be thinking what’s the big deal about the size? Well, most skin pores are small in size and barely visible to the naked eye. But if you have large open pores staring back at you in the mirror like large moon craters, they are definitely a cause of concern.

Even though I follow a regular CTM routine and keep getting compliments about my glowing complexion, I wish could also rave about its pore-less quality. And viola, earth would be mine! While, there is no beauty voodoo, there are certain tricks and tips that can effectively shrink your pore size and wield magic on your skin.

All that is required is a little research, understanding, and dedication and flawless skin can be yours. So here goes my quest for porcelain complexion and pore-less skin challenge. If you too are bugged by those large open pores that constantly show up no matter what you do, here is a useful piece of information. Jump in and let’s take this ride together.

Causes of Large Open Pores:

It is always better to start with what causes large open pores in the first place? Is it the genetics, age, stress, pollution, oily skin or bad habits? Well, the answer is all of them! While, pore size is genetically determined, there are several other environmental factors that are most likely to contribute to this problem.

If you have ever suffered from or are suffering from acne, odds are not much that you must be struggling with enlarged pores problem as well. Oily skin and large pores often go together. And as skin ages and loses collagen, pores become larger, continually trapping more and more dead skin cells along with oils.

But the worst however is, if you have been lucky with all this but strangulated your own neck with your habits. If you think you are doing your skin a favor by frequent scrubbing and polishing, think again. While, exfoliation is essential to good skincare, too much of it can spoil the delicate fiber of your skin, breaking tissues and leading to large open pores on the surface.

Treatment/Solutions for Large Open Pores:

There are various home remedies for large open pores available on the net. Just google treatment or solutions for large open pores and you will be flooded with myriad home remedies and tips to treat open pores at home. But do these remedies really work? Well, it depends. Some work and some don’t. Here is a collection of the most effective home remedies for open pores or large pores. You have to try and experiment to see what works best for you:

Eat Right:

Since how you look on the outside, largely depends on what you put inside, the best way to approach this problem of large open all over face is to start from within. This works for everyone, no matter what your age and no matter what the cause of your large pore size.

Eat a diet rich in proteins, anti oxidants, and essential minerals and vitamins. Foods high in protein, vitamins A, C and E, copper, zinc and iron all play important roles in collagen formation. It is collagen that keeps your skin taut, elastic, and supple.

Keep Your Skin Fresh and Clean: Dirt and oil also tend to make the pores look large and ugly. So try to keep your face as clean as always. Use gentle oil free products to clean your face. Use cleanser no more than twice a day. Splash your face with cold water many times a day.

This not only keeps your skin clean but also shrinks pore size. Another effective remedy to keep skin looking fresh and reduce pore size is to use diluted raw apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon of vinegar for 8 ounces of water) instead of soap.

Oil Cleansing Method: One beauty tip that never fails to do the trick in giving a clear and flawless complexion is my favorite OCM or Oil Cleansing Method. Do this once every week for a wonderfully radiant complexion. All you need to do is take a generous amount of oil of your choice(I prefer olive oil) in your hands and smear it all over your face.

Massage this oil on your face for five full minutes and then take it off quickly with a wash cloth dipped in hot water. It is based on the theory that as poison kills poison, oil pulls out the oil from deep skin pores thus clearing the skin of all hidden dirt, debris, grease and gunk.

The Good Old Clay Mask/Multani Mitti: Clay mask or a pack made with mixing rose water and fuller’s earth (Multani mitti) is an age old formula to get rid of the oil and impurities in the skin. A good clay mask clay soaks up oil, draw out impurities, and tighten the skin’s surface, making pores appear smaller.

Exfoliation: While over scrubbing is bad for your skin, gentle daily exfoliation with the help of a facial dry brush or a micro fiber wash cloth is really a good way to keep skin looking glowing, fresh and pore-less. Exfoliation helps get rid of the dead skin cells thus reducing pore size.

Help from the Kitchen: Tomato Mask: Slice tomato into circles. Rub on your face. Let the juice sit on your face for 20 minutes. Rinse. Astringent quality of tomato will remove excess oil and reduce pore size.

Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is a natural cleanser and purifier. It is known to tighten skin and shrink pores. Rub the inside of the peel on your face or mix equal parts of lemon juice and honey and spread it on your face if you have sensitive skin.

Egg White Mask:Mix the white of an egg with a table spoon of fresh orange juice. Apply to the face and neck for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

Baking Soda Solution:

Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a little water to form a white paste. Apply the paste to your face and let it dry completely. Rinse off with water.

Get Chemical: If help from the kitchen is not enough in getting the desired results, try getting chemical.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 3% hydrogen peroxide with distilled water, a 1:1 ratio. Pour this into a spray bottle, and spray on your face after using any mask or scrub. This neutralizes bacteria, moisten skin, and reduce large pore size.

Salicylic Acid:

Apply 2 % salicylic acid based solution daily at bed time. If you are unable to find such a solution, you can also try using a good salicylic acid based cleanser (Saslic ds face foaming face wash) at night.

Always use a good moisturizer after using salicylic acid to avoid excess dryness. Finally, the road to the pore-less skin is a long trek. You need to be patient and consistent.

As for me, I am currently following a weekly OCM followed by a clay mask, and hydrogen peroxide toner to get rid of my large open pores. Let me know which products or remedies have helped you in this journey to a reduced pore size. Please share your thoughts in comments below.