anecdata: could a skin regimen make pores WORSE?

November 5, 2023 8:11 AM

I'm not talking about acne. I'm talking about pore size.

I am a middle aged woman with decent skin that I thought I could make even better.

1. I'd used tretinoin years ago, never really noticed a lot of difference, but went back on it recently. Don't see any difference.

2. Niacinamide: a few weeks ago I got some from The Ordinary. Been alternating it with the tretinoin at night.

3. Salicylic acid: got this bottle maybe a week ago, also from The Ordinary. Use it in the morning after shower.

4. Hyaluronic acid: this one is just from Trader Joe's and I have no idea how effective it really is but seems to do no harm so I've been using it for a few months.

5. I've been much better about cleaning my face the last few weeks, I use one of those vibrating silicone thingies in the shower in the morning and often even clean my skin at night, with either cold cream or Squalane cleanser, before putting serums or tretinoin on it.

I was really hoping the niacinamide and salicylic acid would make my pores and sebaceous filaments smaller, but I don't see any improvement, and I think maybe they seem bigger?! Like I know that could be a trick of the light (I did get a new light in the bathroom which was previously very dark) but I thought I'd crowdsource experience anyway. Could this be happening?

posted by fingersandtoes to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

It's hard to say without knowing your full routine but it sounds like your skin might be dry, causing it to pull at the edges of pores and exaggerate their appearance. Another possibility is that you have oil buildup in your pores, which salicylic acid will definitely help with, but I've improved the appearance of my sebaceous filaments with double cleansing. In my case I use SA and oil cleansers and don't use an SA serum.

From what you've described, it sounds like you're using prescription strength retinol with higher strength products from The Ordinary *plus* pretty hardcore daily manual exfoliation with a vibrating tool. Those tools are very hard on your skin and can damage your skin barrier, causing it to dry out. I would stop using that for awhile and also look at your moisturizer--it may already have hyluronic acid and niacinimide in it.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 9:26 AM on November 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: niacinamide makes my skin worse, so if it were me I'd start by cutting that and see what happens. But I do think retinol and salicylic acid is a lot unless you have active acne problems, so could also be dryness as suggested above
posted by ch1x0r at 10:39 AM on November 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

FWIW, in my experience, “pore size” appearance is just as dependent on hormone fluctuations as anything else. Even when my skin is otherwise clear, moisturized, sleep/hydration on point, the appearance of pores tracks with my menstrual cycle. I agree that over-exfoliating can make things look worse so maybe dial some of that back.
posted by stowaway at 10:47 AM on November 5, 2023

Hyaluronic acid can puff up the tissue around the pore (I think by increasing water retention?) making the pore seem deeper.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 11:11 AM on November 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: To dial down the exfoliating, I'd skip both the tretinoin and the salicylic acid for at least a month to let your skin recover, and then maybe introduce them slowly, maybe once a week each and not on the same night. For now keep it to niacinamide at night followed by a moisturiser/emollient overnight (even if it's just another layer of cold cream), hyaluronic acid in the morning followed by SPF. You need to trap those active ingredients with an occlusive layer.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:27 PM on November 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

Other than potentially larger pores, what would you say your skin looks like right now? Does it look dry, or irritated, or about like usual?

Given you've started tretinoin, I think it's likely that your skin could be dry or irritated, as that would be typical. I'd be a little bit surprised if the hyaluronic acid or salicylic acid were aggravating that: in my experience, hyaluronic acid doesn't contribute at all towards dryness or irritation (rather, the opposite), and I find that salicylic doesn't really either, especially at only a 2% concentration (AHAs, on the other hand, are a different story). Both have also improved the look of my pores. Like ch1x0r, my skin doesn't like niacinamide - it turns red and scaly and irritated. But if that were happening, I think you'd notice that: on me it is pretty pronounced. I'm wondering whether it might be weather changes: as summer moves to fall moves to winter, my skin tends to get drier, which can sometimes makes my pores look bigger. For me, the solution is a heavier-duty moisturizer.

Unlike some above comments, I don't think you're using too many products. I use far more than you do, and introducing them has helped my skin a lot. There is substantial clinical evidence for the use of tretinoin in particular, as well as for some of the other anti-aging and hydrating ingredients you're using. You may need to back off and go more slowly because of the tretinoin, which I think is very likely the culprit if your skin is too dry and it's not the seasonal change. Either way, I might try a gentle moisturizer with no actives twice a day (my skin likes this one, although it's a bit pricey) to see if that improves things, before changing the current regimen. I also think an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid, like lactic or glycolic) might work better for you than a BHA (beta hydroxy acid, like salicylic), if pore size is a big concern. I use this a couple of times a week (lactic acid and vitamin C) and I find it really helps on the pore front. I currently use tretinoin about 4 nights a week and that serum about 2 nights a week. So it might be worth trying that, too.
posted by ClaireBear at 1:43 PM on November 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oh dear groff, if I did all those things I would have cystic acne all over my nose, chin, forehead, and cheeks. It's just a lot of slightly-harsh acids plus the physical stress of the scrubbing - too much stress (and that amount is lower than normal for me, truthfully) can make skin try to fight back :) I'm glad you don't have the same super sensitive skin I seem to, but-- be careful.
posted by amtho at 2:09 PM on November 5, 2023

Can you schedule a skin exam with an aesthetician who has an excellent reputation with complexion? S/he may be able to pinpoint a regimen that can help you make your pores smaller at least temporarily, particularly if they are clogged with dried oils. Sometimes they can gently remove the plugs. I honestly don't know if it is possible to permanently reduce the size of pores.

It seems like you already have most any product an aesthetician could attempt to sell you.
posted by citygirl at 2:28 PM on November 5, 2023

Best answer: Sebaceous filament management, once or twice a week regimen, from blogger Jude Chao (aka Fiddy Snails of Fifty Shades of Snail) (from virago's answer to a 2016 skincare AskMe).
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:31 PM on November 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

Count me in as another acne-prone, sensitive-skinned person who cannot tolerate niacinamide. It's a B vitamin and I can't tolerate them topically or orally. I bet you'll see some clearing if you eliminate it.
posted by simonelikenina at 7:50 PM on November 5, 2023

Definitely at the very least don't use the tret every day; it's so drying. If you dial it back to maybe 2x or 3x a week, I bet you will start to notice a difference overall. In general to reduce the appearance of pores (you cannot actually shrink your pores, that's not a thing), you want to keep them clean, which you're doing already, and plump the skin around them -- think collagen, steam, microneedling (that one is kind of extreme though).

There is a collagen serum from First Aid Beauty that I absolutely love for a temporary smoothing effect, but I do find it can break me out if I'm not judicious about it, so ymmv. But all pore size changes will be temporary!
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 6:02 AM on November 6, 2023

I have read that if your climate is dry, the hyaluronic acid can help facilitate the moisture moving from your skin and into the air, leaving you with drier skin. If you make all the above suggested changes and you still experience this, try dropping it and see what happens.
posted by BlueBear at 8:36 AM on November 6, 2023

Best answer: You don't mention using a lotion or cream--maybe one of your actives is formulated in a lotion/cream, but if not, you're probably needing some kind of occlusive to prevent water loss (especially at night). Hyaluronic acid is hydrophilic, but won't on its own prevent your skin from losing water. A plain night cream is easy to add, both Cerave and Cetaphil make neutral ones, and they can actually make your actives work better. Also, just in case, you should definitely be wearing a sunscreen daily--not only is it good practice generally, but retinoids like tretinoin make skin more sensitive to photo-damage (as do some other actives), so using them without sunscreen can actually make your skin worse (less healthy).

I really like Michelle at Lab Muffin Beauty Science for evidence-based explainers on the science of skin care.
posted by radiogreentea at 9:55 AM on November 7, 2023 [2 favorites]