Hi, I have very large, visible pores and would like to know if anyone has tips for my regimen.
My skin is permanently low on moisture (most cleansers give my skin that tight feeling) and has a slightly greasy T-zone
I get the occasional outbreaks with the biggest problem being that I have trouble leaving it alone (skin picker sorry)
also, because of my adhd I have difficulties keeping to my routines. I’ve learned it helps for me to keep it relatively easy so I only clean with my squalane cleanser in the shower or to take off make up, other nights I just stick to micellair water.
I just added the bha exfoliant yesterday and plan to alternate between the Azelaic and the bha
This might seem a little out of left field, but the best thing I have done to improve the look of my pores is a weekly OCM (Oil Cleansing Method). I'll massage a generous amount of oil on my (dry) face for about 5 minutes, then wipe or rinse off with an emulsifier, then moisturize that night only with pure jojoba oil. If I skip a week, I notice my pores look bigger again, so it's definitely a maintenance thing. Since there's no actives, it seems to calm down my barrier, and the oil also helps soften and hydrate my skin (those pimple crusties become less tempting to pick!), and in theory an OCM should be removing the oil from inside the pores to reduce their appearance.
I use 2% BHA before I oil massage, since it's oil soluble it can help break down the sebum in my pores before I start. But since the OCM is somewhat exfoliating itself, it might be too much at once for most people. What kind of oil to use? Up to you. I use pure mineral oil and it works fine (and is non-comedogenic.) But cleansing oils with an emulsifier built-in should work as well.
I am personally sensitive to niacinamide, so I can't vouch for it that helps. And micellar water breaks me out as well, so I can't speak on that, either. If you like the squalane cleanser, you might like jojoba oil too.