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Top Home Remedies for Cleaning Your Pores
Regularly using a 10-percent benzoil peroxide cleanser is too harsh for most skin types and will only lead to further problems. Use one with a lower concentration of acne-fighting ingredients, or just a mild cleanser. You can use a toner after you cleanse, but again, you don’t want one with harsh ingredients. Even oily skin needs a moisturizer and SPF protection, so don’t skip this step regardless of your skin type. If you need extra medication, use a night cream with alpha-hydroxy acids that act as a gentle exfoliant to keep the pores clear.- Dry. This skin type is the opposite of oily, and often feels dry and tight, particularly after washing. It feels as if it can’t retain moisture and may have flaky patches. This type of skin needs to be cleansed with gentle cream cleansers that won’t strip skin of needed moisture. If you like to use a toner afterward, make sure it is gentle and does not contain alcohol.
If you have oily patches on your forehead, chin and around your nose that are shiny, and dry areas on your cheeks and around your eyes, you have combination skin. There are products out there that are balanced for this skin type, but you may have to experiment with different products for different areas of your face. Stick with products that are gentle, so they don’t cause irritation to either the oily or dry spots. You can spot-treat with a product containing glycolic acids for exfoliation, or with mild acne treatments for the oily zone. As with all other skin types, you should use a good SPF moisturizer daily.Clean Pores in Three Easy Steps1.The first step to clean skin is to use a mild cleanser formulated for your particular skin type. Use warm water, not hot, for cleansing.2. Use steam to relax your skin. You can either let the steam from a shower do the work, or hold your face above a steaming bowl of water. Do this for several minutes.
3. In addition to regular cleansing, you can add a simple mask to the home remedies for cleaning your pores. These are usually made with things you already have in your kitchen, but can be surprisingly effective.- Oatmeal mask. This is great for gentle scrubbing of all but the most acne-prone skin. Mix ½ cup of cooked instant oatmeal (plain variety only – apples and cinnamon won’t work for this recipe) with one teaspoon of olive oil. Smooth it onto your skin and let it sit for 15 minutes. Wipe off and rinse thoroughly. Many like to rinse with cool or cold water. This will feel great, but it will not help to “close†your pores.- Eggs and honey. For dry skin, mix one egg yolk, one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of olive oil. Let this mixture sit on the skin for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.- Avocado. Avocados have natural oils that are great for hydration. Mash half an avocado and smear it on your face. While you are letting that sit for 15 minutes, you can make guacamole with the other half. Wipe the avocado off with a wet washcloth and rinse well.- Baking soda. You can make a paste with baking soda and water, or a mild cleanser to use as a very gentle scrub. Rinse well.- Cornmeal. Mix cornmeal and water to make a paste and gently rub it on your face. Let it dry and rinse off. This is great for oily or acne- prone skin.
When discussing skin care and cleaning pores, it is important to remember some simple tricks to help keep your skin healthy: Don’t touch your face too often, and try to keep bacteria-prone telephones and other instruments that might touch your face away. This will keep your pores from collecting too much dirt and bacteria. Make sure eyeglasses and sunglasses are clean and free of oil where they touch your face. Remove makeup before going to bed, and choose products that are oil-free and non-comedogenic. When you have a breakout or a dry patch, it is tempting to throw all sorts of expensive preparations at it, but this may only make the problem worse. Stripping the skin of all of its natural oils will cause irritation and more breakouts and drying. Keep your skincare routine simple, and try some of these home remedies for cleaning your pores a few times a week.
Your face will thank you.
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