How To Deep Clean Your Pores

Clogged pores are the fucking WORST. 

Not only is gunk in your pores gross, but it can also cause blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, and acne! 

And, if your pores don’t get cleaned out, they can make those pimples bigger, more painful, and more difficult to get rid of. 

Even if you don’t struggle with acne, clogged pores can fuck up your skin’s smooth texture and leave it all looking dull. There’s no glowing skin with blocked pores!!!

So, what can you do??? Not everyone can swing regular professional cleanings. That’s why we’re sharing how you can clean your pores and get beautiful, glowing skin at home. 

Here’s the skinny:

 

How To Deep Clean Your Pores

Exfoliate your skin. 

Dead skin cells are often responsible for your clogged pores. (Yuck, right?) So, you NEED to be regularly exfoliating to brush away all that dead shit. 

And, by regularly, we mean 1-2 a week depending on your skin type. When you exfoliate, PLEASE BE GENTLE. Getting too aggressive with the exfoliation process can damage and inflame your skin. It could even make your acne worse! (Learn more about reducing cystic acne here. )

There are two ways to exfoliate your skin. You can use a manual exfoliator like a brush or sponge, but doing JUST that can be really rough on your skin, because you’ll have to scrub pretty hard.

However, a chemical exfoliator with some baby wash cloths will be less abrasive and get the same job done, so that’s what we recommend!  

Find a great cleanser. 

Okay, but what cleanser should you use??? You’ll want a skincare product with BHAs like salicylic acid/citric acid and AHAs like glycolic acid/lactic acid. Bonus points if the cleanser also has vitamin C, which is fucking GREAT for your skin. 

Anyway, these acids will break down the dead skin cells along with any other junk in your pores and clean them out. You can find good cleansers anywhere! They’re only on your face for literally seconds, so don’t spend a million dollars on a fancy cleanser. Just get something with the RIGHT ingredients. 

Try a facial steamer. 

If you don’t have a facial steamer, you NEED to get one. Last week’s post talked about the acne benefits of hanging out in a sauna. But, let’s be real. Not everyone can afford a legit full-body sauna . . . but anyone can swing a facial steamer, which has all the same pore-cleaning benefits!!

We love this pro facial steamer from our friend Dr. Dennis Gross. It feels so fucking luxurious and it enhances the benefits of every other skincare process. 

It’s great for unclogging pores, promoting collagen production, and keeping your skin dewy and snaaatched. Run for one of these!!! You can read more about why we love them HERE. 

Use an apple cider vinegar cleanser. 

Vinegar is a strong, but natural antibacterial agent that isn’t too harsh on your skin. And, using a vinegar solution can really help with clogged pores. (Apple cider vinegar, that is.)

Apple cider vinegar is AMAZING for your skin. It can treat your acne, balance your pH, and even have anti-aging benefits. To make your cleanser, just combine 3 capfuls of ACV with 1 cup of water.   

Apply a turmeric mask (it won’t turn your face yellow, ladies.) 

Turmeric is another natural ingredient that’s great for your skin and unclogging pores. Here are some skin benefits of turmeric—yeah, there are a LOT. We love turmeric lol. 

For unclogging pores, though, we prefer a good turmeric mask. You can make them yourself with a DIY recipe found online, but there are great products out there too! 

Beyond unclogging your pores, turmeric can also reduce redness, bumps, and acne scars. It’s naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, too! 

Use a retinol serum. 

Retinol is aaalll the buzz lately, and for good reason. Our founder, Lauryn Bosstick and her husband Michael even chatted with Dr. Dennis Gross about the benefits of retinol in this episode of the Him & Her podcast. 

Essentially, reitonal promotes cell turnover, which makes your skin thicker and prevents dead skin cells from clogging your pores. It doesn’t actually shrink your pores (that’s a skin care myth, fam), but when your skin is thicker and cleaner, it def reduces the appearance of pores too!

Best Skincare Routine For Clogged Pores

Step One: Gently cleanse and exfoliate your skin. 

For the best pore-cleaning skin care routine, start by gently cleansing and exfoliating your skin. Get your baby cleaning cloths out and wash your face with a cleanser similar to this one from Dr. Dennis Gross. (Yeah, we think he’s the GOAT of skincare.) 

The gel cleanser has AHAs and BHAs as well as other beneficial ingredients like jasmine, farnesol, and bisabolol! And, this cleanser won’t break the bank either. Again, cleansers are on for .2 seconds, so don’t go crazy. (Or, again, you could just use that vinegar solution if you wanted!) 

Step Two: Use that fucking facial steamer. 

Aaahhh yes. It’s time for the facial steamer! Fill it with distilled water, turn it on, and steam for between 8-20 minutes depending on your skin type. Here’s our guide:

• 8-12 minutes for dry skin/sensitive skin
• 12-15 minutes for combination skin
• 15-20 minutes for oily skin

Bonus tip: If you want to get extra pore-cleaning action, add essential oils like lemon, black currant oil, tea tree oil, or calendula to your steamer!!

Step Three: Wear a face mask. 

Time for that turmeric mask! Again, you can make a mask yourself if you get some turmeric powder, but if you want something super easy, grab this vitamin C clay mask that has turmeric, aloe vera, and lime all wrapped into one amazing mixture! 

You just apply it on your face with a brush, wait about ten minutes, and then rinse with warm water. It’s super easy, and your skin will start to glow like you want! Bye, bye gross pores! 

Step Four: Apply retinol serum. 

Serum time! Dr. Dennis Gross has a bunch of retinol serums, but the Advanced Retinol Ferulic Texture Renewal Serum we think is the best for acne and clogged pores. Just apply 8-10 drops onto your clean dry skin and massage it in with your fingers or the PINK BALLS FACE MASSAGER. 

Step Five: Ice roll with the HOT MESS ICE ROLLER.

At this point, your pores are clean!! So, now you’re trying to prevent future breakouts and keep your skin looking radiant. A great thing to do at this point is ice roll! It’ll lift, tone, and tighten your skin up. And, we have the best product ever for ice rolling called the HOT MESS ICE ROLLER.

And, when you combine our roller with our ICE QUEEN FACE OIL? Unstoppable. When you apply the oil with the HOT MESS ICE ROLLER it'll help totally restore your skin’s natural moisture barrier.

This is SO important, because if your skin doesn’t get moisturized after you cleanse, your body will produce more oil from your sebaceous glands which will RECLOG your pores. Fucking, no thanks. 

Step Six: Moisturize. 

Remember, we don’t want our body to produce excess oil. So moisturizing after all this is key. You’ve already got your oil on. Now it’s time to finish up with a quality moisturizer. 

We love The Method: Nourish moisturizer for sensitive skin and the Water Drench Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer for other skin types. However, we know they’re a bit pricey, and honestly, Cetaphil lotion works great, too. 

We know, we know, it’s been on our shelves since we were like 13, but that’s because this shit is tried-and-true and fucking works. So, if you don’t want to break the bank, try Cetaphil before going with the pricier options. 

Deep clean your pores with this genius skincare routine!

Okay, are you ready to get all that shit out of your pores? It’s time to kick dead skin cells, dirt, and oil the fuck out and reclaim your GORGEOUS DEWEY SKIN. Use these tips to reach your skincare goals and boost your confidence. 

For more skincare tips and the BEST beauty products around, check out The Skinny Confidential Shop. Honey, we are here for you and your glow-up!