You cannot permanently shrink a pore. You can make it far less noticeable, and the part most people skip while trying is hydration.
I always want to remind people that you cannot permanently shrink your pores. Pore size is largely determined by genetics, oil production and the structure of your skin.
What you can actually change
What we can do is make pores look significantly less noticeable, by keeping them clear, regulating oil, improving skin turnover, and making sure the surrounding skin is healthy and hydrated.
The mistake I see every day
People focus so much on exfoliating their pores that they end up making the skin dehydrated and irritated. Dry, dehydrated skin will always make pores and texture look more noticeable. So yes, we want to keep the pores clear. We also need to keep the skin hydrated.
You are not trying to strip the pore. You are trying to improve the quality of the skin around it.
What I use instead
For someone dealing with visible pores, I want a combination rather than a scrub every day.
Antioxidant support
Skin that is managing environmental stress well looks smoother and more even overall.
Controlled exfoliation
Enough to keep congestion clear, timed as a treatment rather than a daily habit.
Retinoids
Turnover is what keeps the pore from refilling and what firms the skin around it.
Hydration
The step most people skip, and the one that changes how pronounced everything looks.
My picks from THE LA FACIALIST
Stressed and uneven skin
Mystro Active Balance Serum
I love this for skin that looks stressed, uneven or out of balance. It supports the skin's ability to respond to environmental stress while improving the appearance of texture and redness. It was never intended as a pore product, and yet we see incredible resurfacing on clients who use it consistently, with pores appearing smaller as a result.
A treatment, not a daily step
Retinol Plus® Mask
Retinol with exfoliating and antioxidant ingredients to encourage turnover, smooth the surface and keep congestion under control. I like it a few times a week rather than as another daily exfoliating step, especially if the routine already has actives in it. I use it on the nose, chin and cheeks to lift excess oil, dead cell buildup and debris. Clean pores always look smaller.
When you need more resurfacing
Active Peel System
Exfoliating acids with antioxidants and botanicals to improve texture and brightness while keeping congestion under control. The neutralizing step is built in, which is what makes an at home peel controlled rather than a gamble.
Pores with breakouts
AlphaRet® Clearing Serum
One of my favorites for combination or acne prone skin. AlphaRet retinoid technology with salicylic acid addresses turnover and congestion at once, which makes it especially useful when enlarged pores come with breakouts or excess oil.
Do not skip this one
Hydrate+ Serum
This is the piece I do not want people to skip. Hydration matters as much as exfoliation when you are working on pores and texture. When skin is dry and dehydrated, everything looks more pronounced. I want skin plump and hydrated, so we are improving the quality of the skin around the pore rather than only stripping the pore itself.
The targeted one
Pore Reduction Plus
If enlarged pores are your primary concern, this is the most targeted product I recommend. It is formulated to refine the look of enlarged pores and improve the appearance of the skin around them, while supporting the skin's strength over time.
The goal is not to make your pores disappear. It is to create healthier, more hydrated, more balanced skin, so the pores become much less noticeable. Everything selected for this concern lives together on the Enlarged Pores page.
In the chair
How much exfoliation can your skin take
That is the question behind most pore routines, and getting it wrong in either direction shows on the surface. Our estheticians will set the cadence with you at the Beverly Hills studio, or on a virtual consultation if you are not local.
