The number one enemy in the fight against clear beautiful skin is misinformation. You always hear someone talking about just how nice and soft someone’s skin is and you should start doing what she is doing. But the cold hard truth is there really is no one, clear and easy way to make sure that we are wearing the absolute best version of our skin. And the reason is simple and that is genetics. We are all born into different sets of DNAs and that means that what works for some people will not automatically work for you.

Here, in this no poreblem primer, we will try to fight the misinformation by enlightening ourselves about the many myths that have been in circulation for a while now. Try to spot if there are some things here that may seem way too familiar and you will realize what you have been doing wrong all along.

No Poreblem Primer: Myth No 1 – Pores Can Open and Close

Something that you might have heard from your facialist or just about anyone you talk to regarding skin care might have told you about how you could close your pores. A facial which usually starts with a warm steam bath is meant to “open” up your pores. But this is simply not true. Pores do not open and close the same way that your eyes open and closes. They do, however, dilate but the opening is still there no matter the situation. It can widen and shrink depending on the situation. 

The reason why the confusion remains to this day is because of the lack of knowledge about what exactly pores are. Not surprisingly, people simply think of pores as something that shows up to ruin your day, like a pimple or an ex boyfriend. But the truth is pores are essential parts of the human body, not unlike the heart, liver, or the skin itself. Without pores, we will not have openings for our hair to grow. Granted that having no body hair is not essentially terrible for us ladies, these are also the same kind of pores that we have in our scalp.

Another function that the pores does is it contains the gland that secretes sweat. I know that no one likes to feel moist and that sweat is the enemy of makeup. But we have to understand that perspiring is an important function of the human body in the same breath as respiration or blood circulation. The pores are also gateway, as well as the producers of the oil that floods our skin that we might not like so much. These oils are called sebum, and while they are vile and notoriously anti-beauty, they are also important as a layer of protection from the harmful dusts and other irritants that can truly ruin our skin.

So, if steam does not make the pores open then why does the spa insist on subjecting our face with the burning sensation of a thousand suns before they start stabbing us with the metal thingies? The to this is actually quite simple. The heat forces the dirt, dried oils, and all the nasty stuff to rear its ugly head. This way, our facialists can easily poke them out one by one and remove them from our faces, once and for all.

No Poreblem Primer: Myth No 2 – Outside Dirt Leads to Clogged Pores

One of the undue worries when it comes to facial skin care is the pollution and dirt that we subject our faces in our day to day lives. While it is true that protecting your face from the elements can go a long way to making sure that you have healthy skin, the effect is not as direct as what we have been lead to believe.

The misknowledge regarding this myth is understandable for a very obvious reason. Since the pores are in the surface of the skin, and hence it is in direct contact with anything from the environment, it makes sense that the bad stuff that builds up inside it also comes from the environment. The truth however is that barely anything from the outside clogs our pores. In fact, only the finest particles has even the chance of ending up lodged inside one of our pores. So, where does the discoloration come from?

The pores in our faces are basically the source, and also the cauldron of the oil and dead skin cells that are produced from the glands underneath our skin. Because of this, the reason why our blackheads are black is simply because of the dried stuff that we secreted in our pores that built up inside it. This is also the reason why it is tough to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads. You are trying to remove something that came from the roots up. This means that it can get settled at lower levels that you can reach.

No Poreblem Primer: Myth No 3 – All Pores are either Blackheads or Whiteheads

We have already established that pores are not necessarily the enemy here. With this in mind, let us look at one of the most common misconceptions that is flung around today. And that is the belief that every pore is actually a blackhead or a whitehead. This is simply not true and thinking this can lead you to start squishing every pore you have in your face. Some pores will naturally have some discoloration but this is not due to any build up from underneath it. Some pores, due to genetics can simply have a different shade than the skin.

This is quite inconvenient for the unlucky ones that do not have quite the perfect complexion. But that is basically what makeup is for and besides that, a little imperfection here and there can actually boost someone’s appearance.

The trick here is to get used to telling apart your healthy pores from ones that needs some cleaning.