10 Ways to Naturally Make Your Pores Smaller

I have massive... massive pores. I feel like no matter what product I use, nothing is shrinking my pores because I can clearly still see them. Even the more high-end products that are specifically designed to hide your pores don't work on me. Having large pores is super annoying because not only are they visible when I don't have any makeup on, but they're extremely visible when I want to hide everything with foundation, concealer, and setting powder. This is why I'm very fixated on decreasing the size of my pores.

Since so many pore-shrinking products out there aren't working on me and I'm utterly exhausted from searching and buying skincare products, I decided to do a little research for home remedies that won't empty out my wallet. I came across a couple of brilliant beauty home remedies that are very effective when it comes to hiding my pores. Who knew that an apple cider vinegar toner works way better than my regular, daily toner? It literally made my pores invisible! Plus, many of the home remedy skincare tricks don't just aim for shrinking pores, but improving your skin as a whole.

If you're tired and broke from constantly buying products to minimize your pores, try out any of these helpful tips and tricks to naturally make your pores smaller! Trust me, these remedies aren't only more effective, but a lot cheaper, too.

Facial steamers are literally the best invention in the beauty world. What a facial steamer does is open up your pores and allows you to dig in there for any dirt and oils with your cleanser. Yes, a facial steamer can minimize the size of your pores even if they're designed to open them up. When you're finished cleansing your face after using the steamer, the pores on your face should shrink because all of the filth is cleaned out from your pores!

A great facial steamer is the Pro Facial Steamer by Dr. Dennis Gross' Skincare. It's pretty simple to use: just press of a button and you get nine minutes of steam. Using micro-steam technology to hydrate and purify, this steamer boosts both short and long term results when it comes to clearing and shrinking your pores.

Ice

Ice is not only great for shrinking the size of your pimples, but it's also one of the best methods to naturally make your pores smaller. Almost everyone has ice in their freezer, which means that you're not spending a cent on hiding your pores.

The way ice works is that it tightens the skin. When your skin is tightening up from the ice, your pores are shrinking as well. Rubbing ice on your skin for about 10 to 20 seconds can cause your skin to retrieve and tighten along with your pores. An alternative way of doing this instead of rubbing ice across your face is rinsing your face with cold water in the morning and night.

Baking Soda Exfoliation

Exfoliating with baking soda is one of the brilliant tricks to naturally make your pores smaller. Baking soda can balance out the pH levels of your skin and even get rid of the dirt and oils that have surfaced on your face. However, don’t try this method if you have sensitive skin because it may cause irritation. It's just one of those things that should never go near sensitive skin. You can try on a small area on your face first to see if you’re reacting to it negatively.

In order to create the baking soda exfoliator, you want to mix two tablespoons of baking soda with two tablespoons of warm water to create a paste. You’re going to take the paste and gently massage it in a circular motion all over your face. Once the 30 seconds is over, thoroughly rinse your face with cool water. Try this treatment every day for one week, then reduce it to three to five times a week.

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy benefits our skin and reduces the size of our pores too. If we're constantly eating junk food that's loaded with oils and fats, this will ruin the appearance of our skin. Change up your diet and start eating foods that are rich in proteins and other foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition, cut out the sugary and caffeinated beverages from your diet and stick to water. It’s recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to fully stay hydrated and replenish moisture back into your skin. Since milk and dairy contain hormones, excessive consumption of these can make your skin look worse and your pores larger. As a tip, oranges can make skin firmer and rebuild collagen, which plays a role in increasing the elasticity of your skin and shrinking your pores!

DIY Apple Cider Vinegar Toner

There are many benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. However, did you know that this form of vinegar works wonders for your skin? Apple cider vinegar is not only good for cystic acne, but is seen to be one of the most-used tricks to naturally make your pores smaller. If you feel like your daily toner isn't doing anything great for your skin, try switching to plain apple cider vinegar!

Apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that’s been used for generations. It balances out the pH in your skin and it’s a potent anti-microbial and anti-bacterial trick that can benefit your skin’s condition, like fixing large pores. Before you try this out, make sure you dilute the solution so it doesn’t cause irritation to your skin; apple cider vinegar is a strong substance! Once you have the solution, use a cotton ball to dip and apply it all over the face. Leave it on your face for a couple of minutes before completely rinsing it all off.

DIY Cucumber Juice Toner

Cucumbers are one of the main ingredients in so many skincare products out there in the market. Did you ever think of using raw cucumber juice straight onto your face? Using cucumber juice as a toner is certainly among the genius ways to naturally make your pores smaller!

The juice of a cucumber possesses astringent properties that are known to shrink the large pores that are resting on your face. If you blend a cucumber and pour it through a strainer to extract just the juice, this is the perfect toner to use every day. Once you have the juice in a cup or a bowl, use a cotton ball to apply it all over the face. Leave the juice on your face for about 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing it off with cool water. Your pores should be looking amazing after doing this remedy; plus your skin will smell fresh, too!

DIY Egg Whites and Lemon Juice Mask

An egg white and lemon juice mask is one of the best tricks to naturally make your pores smaller? It’s true! So many people do either one as a mask, but combining the two ingredients makes the ultimate facial mask to shrink your pores. The whites of the egg are known to tighten the skin and even extract excess oils from your pores. The lemon is used to lighten marks on the face and enhance your skin’s health in multiple ways.

It’s really easy to make this facial mask. First, whisk two egg whites together before adding the juice of half a lemon. You don’t want to use a full lemon because this can irritate the skin. Once you’ve completely mixed the ingredients together, apply the mix onto your face with a cotton ball and leave it on your face until it dries. Then rinse it all off with cool water and check out your fresh, little pores! If you do this remedy a couple of times a week, you’ll see a difference in your skin.

DIY Sugar Lemon Scrub

Here's another homemade facial scrub to minimize the size of your pores—a sugar lemon scrub! When you're removing the dirt and oils with a scrub, this will help shrink your pores because you're literally emptying them out. Like I've mentioned before, the lemon in the mixture can lighten your skin, and the sugar is the one that's doing all the scrubbing.

You’re going to combine two tablespoons of sugar and add in the juice of half of a fresh lemon. Thoroughly mix the ingredients together and apply the scrub onto your face. Gently massage the mixture over your skin for about 20 to 20 seconds before washing it off with cool water. Once or twice a week is the perfect amount of times you want to do this. Overly scrubbing can actually cause breakouts because you’re stripping off your skin’s natural oils.

DIY Plain Yogurt Mask

Yes! A plain yogurt mask is easily one of the greatest remedies to naturally make your pores smaller. All-natural yogurt is loaded with probiotics and lactic bacteria. This helps extract the bad bacteria that’s lingering on your face and causing you to break out. When you’re getting rid of those bad bacteria, this automatically shrinks your pores and leaving them clean! Yogurt as a whole is a great cleanser to help clear and remove impurities that are clogging your pores, so this remedy is something that you should definitely try out.

Make sure you’re using plain, all-natural yogurt when you’re whipping up this mask. Stir the yogurt well and then apply a thin layer right onto your face. Leave the facial mask on for 10 minutes and thoroughly rinse everything off.

Lastly, a clay mask is among the unique ways to naturally make your pores smaller without using expensive products, especially since clay masks are good for combination skin. Many people look past using raw clay as a form of skincare. However, a lot of us do use skincare masks that include clay in it, right? Raw clay is a naturally occurring earthy substance that has the power to absorb almost all forms of impurities like dirt and oils right out of your pores. There are multiple types of clay like green clay, Fuller’s earth, white clay, and even bentonite clay.

What you need to do is mix two tablespoons of the clay of your choice (we recommend bentonite here, as it is best for large pores!) with enough water, or even rose water, to make the clay into a smooth, creamy mud mask. Mud masks have proven health and beauty benefits, so don't be afraid of putting mud on your face. Once you’ve made the clay into a paste, apply it right onto your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes until it's fully dry. Then gently scrub the mud off of your face while using cool water. This remedy is much better and cheaper than using high-end facial clay masks.