Myth 1: You can permanently shrink your pores.
Unfortunately, this one is false. “No product can permanently shrink pores,” says Washington, D.C., dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, MD. “But, there are some very effective products out there that do a good job at temporarily making them look more refined.” Los Gatos, CA, dermatologist Steven L. Swengel, MD, adds that, in his opinion, the best topical agent for making pores look better is the nightly use of topical retinoids or retinols. “These products do two things: They increase epidermal turnover, thus improving the overall thickness of the skin, and increase the purging of oily plugs from the pores—the less packed the pores are, the smaller they look.” Davie, FL dermatologist Marianna Blyumin-Karasik, MD agrees and stands by one specific serum: “Skin Better Alpha Ret Clearing Serum is a perfect synergy of pore shrinkage because it has retinoids, AHA lactic acid and BHA salicylic acid.”
And if you’re really, really obsessed with how your pores look, consider this sage thought: “I’m always amazed at how many patients complain about their own pores, yet I’ve never seen anyone comment about anyone else’s pores,” New York dermatologist Doris Day, MD, says. “It’s something we see in ourselves, and usually only in a highly magnified mirror.”