The most common kinds of pore treatments are intended to either minimize or shrink pores or to clear pores. The truth is, however, that most pore treatments do both of these things and are just marketed to emphasize one function or the other. By making sure that pores are clear from excess oil, dead skin cells, and dirt, the pores will also shrink in size. This is because when organic or foreign material builds up in the pores, the pores are stretched out. As such, clearing the pores cal also minimize or shrink the pores.
Pore treatments include a number of options that can be performed at home. Some of the most common pore treatments that can be performed at home include the use of an exfoliating product, the use of a pore-clearing mask, and the use of a pore-refining gel or moisturizer. Exfoliating products include exfoliating cleansers, exfoliating facial bars, and skin polish. All of these products help to lift dead skin cells away from the face and clear dirt and oil out of the pores.
Pore-refining masks are pore treatments that offer the same sort of skin benefits as the exfoliating treatments described above but may also help to firm the skin and hydrate the skin. A pore-refining mask may be a clay mask or a gel mask that is peeled away. Both kinds of masks are applied to the skin in an even layer, allowed to dry, and then removed. Clay masks are washed away with warm water and gel masks are peeled away in strips.
The kinds of pore treatments that are performed in spas include microdermabrasion and light chemical peels. Microdermabrasion is a kind of sandblasting for the skin and can be used to make the skin look younger and treat acne in addition to clearing and shrinking the pores. Light chemical peels remove a top layer of skin, which can include the dead skin cells that are most likely to clog the pores, leading to pimples and enlarged pores.
These sorts of spa pore treatments are often much more expensive than the kinds of pore treatments that can be performed at home. However, many people find them to be more effective. In order to allow people to have spa-quality pore treatments at home, there are now companies that make microdermabrasion machines that can be used at home. There are also people who formulate light chemical peels that can be applied at home.