We are so pleased to share this blog on www.truthinaging written by the founder, Marta Wohrle.

I am prone to the odd open pore and, like most of us, can become obsessed with treating them and even (I know, I know….) squeezing them. Recently, I had an epiphany and it has led me to find successful solutions to minimize, refine and even obliterate open pores without jabbing at them with pincered fingernails.

The term pore refers to the openings of adnexa at the skin surface. Open pores are associated with sweat secretion and oily skin. I do think that the open pores on my nose qualify as oil/sebum related. There is also the clogged pore issue. As sebum is produced by the skin’s oil glands it cannot reach the surface and starts accumulating inside the pore, expanding its diameter. Dead skin cells, oils, and bacteria pool in this follicular opening, often leading to the formation of blackheads.

However, the activity of the sebaceous glands diminishes with age whereas the number of visible pores appears to increase with age. So something else must be going on. The open pore or two smack in the middle of my cheek where the skin is dryish did not look to be the result of oil, no amount of exfoliation helped and my fingers twitched every time I looked in the mirror. Then I reflected on another cause of open pores.

The theory is that the pore walls are slackening due to decline of the matrix (elastin and collagen). And, according to the Silab (a laboratory that has developed an ingredient called p-Refinyl based on lentil extract), dilated pores are also caused by an abnormally accelerated keratinization process, leading to the accumulation of nucleated cells around the pores.

So based on all of this, there are three types of problematic pores and, therefore, they require different solutions:

Oil and Sebum-Related Open Pores

Look for salicylic acid since it is oil-soluble and lipophilic and penetrates sebum filled follicles and cleans out clogged pores. You'll find it in ClarityRx Fix It 2% Pore Perfecting Solution ($34 in the shop). A natural form of salicylic acid is found in neem, which is a key ingredient inSkinveda Amlaki Chamomile Cleansing Crème ($27 in the shop).