How to Minimize the Look of Pores for Smoother, Balanced Skin

The Purpose of Pores

Each pore on your skin is an opening to a tiny canal called a follicle, which holds both a hair and an oil gland. This oil gland plays a crucial role in keeping skin healthy and hydrated by releasing sebum, the skin’s natural moisturizer. However, when pores appear enlarged, they often become a cosmetic concern—and a common frustration for those chasing a smoother, more refined complexion.

What Causes Enlarged Pores?

Pore size is partly genetically determined, but clinical factors include excess sebum production, reduced skin elasticity around the pores, and increased hair follicle size. Aging, sun damage, and hormonal changes all contribute to enlarged pores, too. It’s worth noting that the term “enlarged pores” is a tad misleading because pores cannot open or close—but their appearance can be made to look larger or smaller.

How to Minimize Pores

While you cannot permanently shrink pores, you can make pores appear smaller with a skincare routine tailored to your skin's needs. From keeping skin clear of impurities to daily sun protection, here are the most effective and important tips on how to minimize pores.

Cleanse Properly

Gently and properly cleansing your face twice a day is the first step to unclogging pores and reducing oiliness.

Exfoliate Consistently

Gently exfoliating may make pores less noticeable, says the AAD. This is because when pores are clogged, they look more noticeable, and effective exfoliation basically ‘cleans out’ pores, helping to eliminate excess oil, sebum, and dead skin cells while visibly tightening the appearance of pores. This can be accomplished with physical exfoliants (like scrubs) or chemical exfoliants (like AHAs and BHAs). Be sure to follow your exfoliant's instructions on frequency of use so as to not cause irritation.

Apply Sunscreen Daily

Not only is using sunscreen a great idea for the overall health of your skin, but consistent, daily usage protects from sun damage that causes the skin to lose firmness, making pores look more enlarged.

Clarify with a Mask

Face masks offer a range of benefits for the skin, especially when it comes to clarifying pores. A gentle, pore-purifying mask can help reduce excess oil and sebum in just minutes. Just be sure to choose one that’s formulated for sensitivity—overly harsh clay masks can dry out and irritate the skin.

Hydrate Thoughtfully

Those with enlarged pores might be tempted to skip a moisturizer altogether, but that can actually trick the skin into producing more oil to moisturize skin, which can lead to, yep, enlarged pores. When choosing a moisturizer, look for a lightweight, non-comedogenic one that hydrates and balances skin.

The Best Products to Minimize Pores

A Pore-Minimizing Cleanser

The Deep Cleanse. This gentle-yet-thorough formula both cleanses and exfoliates, carefully lifting dirt and oil to leave skin soft and balanced. The cleanser includes luffa fruit (a natural physical exfoliant) to help turn over dead skin cells, wild rose (to visibly reduce the appearance of pores and smooth skin), and leopard lily (to help minimize excess oil and prevent build-up).

A Gentle, Effective Exfoliant

The Texture Tonic. This game-changing liquid exfoliating treatment has AHAs to address dead skin cells and clogged pores, as well as niacinamide, Japanese mugwort, and wild rose to visibly even skin tone and texture—without stripping skin’s essential moisture. The formula is still gentle enough for all skin types, helping to visibly calm redness and irritation.

A Pore-Mattifying Sunscreen

Sunscreen is vital. Try our Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen, which has weightless broad-spectrum SPF 35 that blends effortlessly and invisibly for matte, poreless-looking skin. Or try The Silk Sunscreen. Formulated with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, The Silk Sunscreen is specifically designed to visibly even skin tone. The weightless, hydrating formula provides broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection.

A Pore-Refining Clay Mask

The Clarifying Clay Mask. The pore-targeting mask pairs Japanese konjac (for gentle exfoliation) with volcanic ash to minimize excess oil and sebum for smoother and clearer skin in mere minutes. In clinical studies, 100 percent of users noticed a reduction in the appearance of pores after just a single application.

A Lightweight Moisturizer

The Water Cream. Reach for a lightweight cream, like this clarifying water-based moisturizer. The gel cream releases a burst of hydrating nutrients and pore-refining botanicals for healthy, balanced skin. The unique formula delivers deep hydration, without leaving skin sticky or greasy. And the cream employs a few powerful botanicals, including wild rose (for visibly smoothing texture) and leopard lily (to control excess oil and clarify skin).