Today we're going to talk about pore blockage - aka congestion or clogged pores. From the causes, to how to get rid of them, to what they actually are - the information online can be confusing and inaccurate at best. We're going to try and set the record straight.
Let's dive into the world of pore blockage – also known as congestion or clogged pores. Navigating through the causes, solutions, and what these pesky pores really are can be like finding a needle in a haystack online - there's a ton of misinformation out there. But don't worry, we're here to clear things up!
Understanding how your pores function and why they sometimes get clogged is essential. Pores are those tiny openings on your skin's surface that play a vital role in its health. They act as pathways for oil (sebum), sweat, and other substances to reach the skin's surface, keeping it hydrated and regulating temperature.
The process kicks off in your skin's sebaceous glands, where sebum – an oily substance – is produced. This sebum travels up through hair follicles and exits through pores onto your skin's surface. Sweat, produced by sweat glands, also joins the party, helping cool your body down and rid it of toxins.
While pores are essential for maintaining healthy skin, they can become clogged with a buildup of oil, dead skin cells, and debris, leading to common skin concerns like blackheads, whiteheads, and acne.
When we talk about clogged pores, the technical term is a comedome, and there are two types - open (which are blackheads) and closed (which are whiteheads). Since our pores visibly sit on the surface of the skin it makes sense that people think that the pore gets clogged when external factors such as dirt and debris get inside them and clog them up.
Contrary to popular belief, dirt and debris aren't the main culprits. Pore congestion happens beneath the skin's surface, mostly due to a buildup of dead skin cells and sebum.
While maintaining a clean and healthy skincare routine is important, factors beyond hygiene contribute massively to the formation of comedones - hormonal fluctuations, genetic predispositions, and lifestyle habits. In fact excess hygiene (over-cleansing, use of anti-bacterial products etc) can make the problem worse - especially if the skin's sebum production becomes unbalanced.
Ever look closely at your nose in the mirror and wonder what those tiny darker spots are? Generally we think they're blackheads or clogged pores and it's time to reach for the pore strips or get scrubbing - but this may be causing more harm than good.
Blackheads ocour when dead skin cells and sebum block the opening of the pore, causing it to dilate and bring the oil to the surface. Once the oil makes contact with the air it oxidises, causing the darker/ blackish colour. This build up will also often cause inflammation and the pore will be over-dilated.
The thing is - not every darkish pore on your face is a blackhead or open comedome. In fact, most slightly darker spots are just your natural, healthy pores - because all pores contain oil or what we call Sebaceous filaments.
Sebaceous filaments are often misunderstood as blackheads, but they're actually a natural part of the skin's anatomy. These tiny, tube-like structures are found in hair follicles and are lined with sebaceous glands that produce oil (sebum) to keep the skin moisturized. Unlike blackheads, which are a buildup of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, sebaceous filaments are primarily composed of sebum. While they may appear as small, pin-like dots on the nose, chin, and forehead, sebaceous filaments are typically lighter in color and softer in texture than blackheads.
There's a misconception that these need to be permanently eliminated to keep the pores clear. Your skin needs these to function correctly. By removing these, either through squeezing, aggressive exfoliation methods, pore-strips, or just excessive cleansing - what you're actually doing is disrupting the skin. It can cause dehydration, stimulate excess sebum production, and reduce the pore's elasticity, causing it to become more dilated over time.
Stop me if you've heard this one before. I used product x the other day. It clogged my pores and gave me breakouts.
We've all had that product that we blame for clogging our pores and causing breakouts and we often see customers swap from product to product to product continually because of this.
But did you know that it takes weeks for comedones to form? So, that breakout you're experiencing might have been brewing beneath the surface for a while.
Research estimates that a comedome tends to form over a period of 4-6 weeks. This means, when introducing a new product in your routine - it's highly unlikely that the product will suddenly seal off your pores and give you a breakout a few days later.
Yes, long term use of certain comedogenic ingredients - (oils and compounds in cosmetics) can exacerbate comedones and should be avoided. Especially if you have oily/ combination skin. But often it's not the skincare that is 'clogging the pore' - it's likely that broader, more holistic issues are the actually cause of pore congestion.
Secondly, allow yourself time to properly test new products/ skincare routines. Any fixes for congested pores are likely to take much longer than you might expect. The body takes time to resolve issues - it's why we always recommend using a new product for 4-6 weeks to best understand how your skin responds to it.
Most importantly - understand that we will all get a blackhead or whitehead from time to time. It's a natural side effect of how our skin operates. However - there are steps to minimise the frequency and severity of comedomes.