As a beauty editor, I’m in the very privileged position of getting to try out new products and techniques regularly, and my hope is to report honestly on what works and what doesn’t. For the first time in my life, I have gotten regular monthly facials long enough to make a difference to my skin (my current favorites are gua sha with Britta Plug and Danuta’s facial at Rescue Spa, hands down). While my skin is the happiest it’s ever been—it’s clear, smooth, and glowy—keeping my pores unclogged feels like a maintenance game that depends on more than just regular facials. Is it just me, or do pores require seemingly unlimited maintenance? Diana Yerkes, head esthetician at Rescue Spa, agrees that genetics and diet play a huge role but insists that skin care regimens and environment can make a remarkable difference. “Heat, humidity, and air pollution increase the likelihood that pores will clog,” she told mbg. “For example, my skin was easier to maintain in Seattle than it is in New York City.” Good news for those of us in the northern hemisphere who are moving out of the summer season and into fall and winter, which typically tend to be less humid. Dr. Fishman added, “There are certain ingredients that can minimize the look of pores—namely my good friends tretinoin or retinol, and acids (alpha-, beta-, and polyhydroxy)—by helping the pore shed itself of excess sebum and keratin.” Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, induces the skin to peel, so pores are less likely to clog when the surface of the skin is being refreshed. Another preventive pore-unclogging measure you can take is double cleansing, or cleansing your skin twice, once with an oil-based cleanser followed by once with a water-based cleanser. According to the experts, it’s your daily skin care habits and products that will change your skin and your pores. Treatments can help, but it’s like the gym: it doesn’t work if you only go once in a while. Consistency is the magic ingredient.
