Will CBD Skin Care Products Minimize My Pores?

Find out if CBD can minimize pores for healthier skin.

CBD may work for a lot of things, but reducing pore size is probably not one of the of the most common. Image Credit: By Merla on shutterstock.

The quest for smaller pores has led many of us on a quixotic adventure through the skin care world. When CBD hit the beauty scene, some hoped that it might offer a solution, just as it has for preventing pimples or slowing down the signs of aging. But if you’re hoping that these lotions and potions will help minimize pores, you’ll have to temper your expectations for the time being: nobody’s quite sure if it will actually work for this.

But why would anyone care about the size of their pores in the first place? It’s simple: the larger your pores, they more easily they can become clogged with dead skin cells, dirt, and excess oil. Clogged pores are the root cause of acne, so reducing the size of your pores means it’s harder for them to get blocked up, which will help to make breakouts less frequent.

There are cosmetic reasons for wanting smaller pores, too — some people find visible pores embarrassing, and they’re difficult to hide even under layers of makeup. This is why beauty fans across America are searching for products that will help. But is CBD oil one of them?

Does CBD Oil Change Pore Size?

Up until now, there haven’t been any clinical studies that conclusively show CBD oil can shrink pores. While this should make you skeptical of clams about its magical pore-reducing qualities, it doesn’t necessarily mean that CBD can’t still be beneficial. In fact, some skin care experts think that a number of its properties make it well suited for such a task. These include:

  • It can reduce the amount of sebum (a natural skin oil) produced in the sebaceous glands, which could lead to a gradual and natural reduction in the size of pores.
  • Since it’s a non-comedogenic product, CBD could reduce the size of enlarged pores by preventing them from getting clogged and stretched out.
  • Its anti-inflammatory properties may help to reduce pore size as inflamed, irritated skin often causes them to swell and open.
  • As an antioxidant, CBD can improve the skin’s firmness and help the pores to hold their tightness for longer (one of the reasons it’s become such a popular ingredient in anti-aging products).

It would make sense if all these characteristics combined to make CBD the world’s most potent way to minimize pores. However, as mentioned before, there’s still no hard evidence that this is actually the case. The good news is that there are several simple steps you can take to help make your pores look and feel smaller — and with the rapid explosion of CBD-infused products, it’s easy to integrate them into treatments for any skin type.

Simple Skincare Tricks To Shrink Pores

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has issued some great advice for anyone who wants to shrink their pores. These tips are easy to integrate into even the most basic skin care routine, and they could make a noticeable difference to your skin.

Be Gentle With Your Skin

Somehow we’ve all been given the impression that we need to scrub the skin in order to cleanse and exfoliate it well, but this practice is unquestionably bad for your pores. Scrubbing strips the skin of the natural oils it relies on, and causes the sebaceous glands to go into overdrive. This reduces the elasticity of the skin, too, and makes it harder for pores to close.

By taking a gentler approach, cleansing twice a day and exfoliating your skin in the evenings, dermatologists say that you could notice an improvement in pore size.

Pro tip — don’t make the mistake of waiting until moments before bedtime to cleanse your skin. Instead, try removing your makeup (with a hemp makeup remover!) and doing a double cleanse as soon as you get home from work in the evening. This way your pores aren’t clogged for as long, and bacteria doesn’t have as good of a chance to fester and cause pimples.

Minimize Sun Damage

You might not associate visible pores with sun damage, but according to the AAD, there is a big connection between the two.

“The more sun damaged your skin, the less firmness it has. When skin starts to lose its firmness, pores look more noticeable,” according to the organization’s guidelines. By wearing a high factor SPF every day, even on overcast days when you might think it’s not needed, you can protect your skin from harmful UV rays and maximize the firmness of your pores.

Tackle Acne

The biggest cause of enlarged pores is acne. That’s the bad news (acne is the most common skin problem in the world), but the good news is that by finding an acne treatment that works you could see a massive reduction in the problem. This is where products like salicylic acid and CBD can be especially valuable, as they can unclog pores and prevent future breakouts, stopping that vicious cycle in its tracks.

Sarah Tyrrell
Sarah Tyrrell
Sarah Tyrrell is a health, wellness, and lifestyle writer based in Ireland whose work has appeared in The Irish Times and The Independent, among others. In 2017, she founded the lifestyle brand “Self Love and Sarah” to promote healthy self image and body positivity for women.

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