Key Takeaways

• Skincare is unlikely to change the actual size of a pore, but it may help pores look less visible by keeping them clear and keeping the skin around them looking firmer.

• Genetics, sex, age, sun exposure, and how much oil your skin makes all tend to affect how large pores look, and several of those are outside any routine’s reach.

• Salicylic Acid, a Retinoid, such as Retinol, and a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen are the steps dermatologists most often point to for the look of pores, with Niacinamide as a supporting option.

• Non-comedogenic products and a gentle twice-daily cleanse may help keep pores from looking more stretched and noticeable.

• Pore strips, hard scrubbing, hot water, and picking tend to irritate skin, and irritated skin can make pores look larger.

Minimizing Pores Means Minimizing How Visible They Look

If you’re trying to minimize pores, the short answer is that you can’t make them meaningfully smaller, but you can often make them look smaller. Pores are the openings of hair follicles, and their size is shaped in part by factors you didn’t choose, such as genetics. What tends to make them more noticeable is oil and buildup sitting in them, irritation around them, and skin that looks less firm over time. A Salicylic Acid step, a Retinoid, daily sunscreen, and a gentle routine may help with each of those.

Below, we cover what sets pore size, why pores don’t shrink, open, or close the way skincare myths suggest, which ingredients and habits may help, a simple routine to try, what to skip, and what to look for on the label.

What Affects How Large Pores Look

A lot of it comes down to how you’re built. A 2023 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology lists age, sex, genetics, exposure to UV light, ethnicity, and sebum secretion among the factors that can affect pore size. Genetics, sex, and ethnicity are fixed, which is why two people with the same routine can have very differently sized-looking pores.

Oil is the factor most people notice day to day. Skin that makes more sebum tends to have pores that look larger, which is why pores often look more obvious on skin that looks shiny by midday.

Age and sun exposure play a slower part. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains that as skin tends to lose firmness with age, pores can look larger, and that sun exposure can add to that change over time. The 2023 review makes a similar split: For younger people it suggests focusing on oil, while for older people it widens the focus to include the look of firmness as well.

Clogging matters too. According to the AAD, when pores clog they expand, which can make them look more noticeable. So a pore that looks large now may look smaller later, once whatever was sitting in it has cleared.

Why Pores Don’t Shrink, Open, or Close

You’ll often hear that steam or hot water opens them and cold water closes them, but a pore is simply the opening of a follicle, and how large it looks day to day often comes down to what’s in it and how the skin around it looks. Cold water can feel refreshing, but that feeling isn’t a smaller pore.

Hot water can work against you. The AAD recommends warm water rather than hot for cleansing, because hot water can irritate your skin, causing pores to look larger. The same goes for products sold as “pore shrinking”: A formula can help pores look less visible, but it is not likely to change their underlying size.

So the goal worth setting is keeping pores clear, keeping irritation down, and supporting firmer-looking skin around them, which a routine can influence.

What May Help Pores Look Smaller

There’s real agreement among dermatologists on a few ingredients. In a 2025 Delphi consensus study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 62 cosmetic dermatologists reached consensus on Retinoids for large pores and oily skin, and on Salicylic Acid for oily skin. The list below starts there.

• Salicylic Acid (BHA) for oily-looking skin: Salicylic Acid is the Beta Hydroxy Acid most skincare labels mean by BHA. A 2026 review in Skin Health and Disease describes BHAs as lipid soluble, which is why they’re typically suggested for oily-looking skin. The AAD notes that a Salicylic Acid cleanser may help keep pores clear, and that some are gentle enough to use every day.

• Retinoids for firmer-looking skin around pores: The AAD suggests a product with Retinol or Retinyl Palmitate, applied before bed, may help when pores look larger because of oily-looking or less firm-looking skin. If it irritates, the AAD suggests washing your face and waiting 30 minutes before applying it, and it advises against these ingredients during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

• Niacinamide as a supporting step: A 2025 review in Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology describes Niacinamide as helping regulate sebum secretion, and it’s generally well tolerated. It didn’t reach consensus for large pores in the 2025 dermatologist study, so think of it as a helpful extra alongside those steps.

• Non-comedogenic products: The AAD recommends choosing skincare and makeup labeled non-comedogenic, oil free, or won’t clog pores, since pores that clog can stretch and look more noticeable.

• Daily sunscreen: The AAD recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day, because UV exposure contributes to the loss of firmness that can make pores look larger.

• Gentle cleansing, twice a day: The AAD suggests cleansing twice daily with a gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser and warm water, which may help keep pores clear and skin looking less oily.

Ingredients for the Look of Pores at a Glance

A Simple Routine for Less Visible Pores

You don’t need every ingredient above at once. A short routine you’ll actually keep up with tends to do more for the look of pores than a crowded one, and adding one new step at a time makes it easier to tell what your skin likes.

• Morning cleanse: Wash with warm water and a gentle cleanser. If your skin tends to look oily by midday, this is a good place for a Salicylic Acid cleanser, as long as your skin feels comfortable with it.

• Morning moisturizer and sunscreen: Use a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer, then a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. A sunscreen with Niacinamide can cover two steps at once.

• Evening cleanse: Remove sunscreen and makeup, then cleanse gently. The AAD advises against sleeping in makeup.

• Evening Retinoid, a few nights a week: Apply a Retinol product before bed, and build up slowly. On the other nights, a leave-on Salicylic Acid exfoliant is an option if your skin tolerates it, though many people find it easier to keep the two on separate nights.

• Consistency over weeks: Pores that look clearer tend to come from weeks of consistent use rather than a single application, so give a new routine time before you judge it.

What to Skip if You Want Less Noticeable Pores

• Pore strips: They may lift some of what sits at the opening of a pore, but they aren’t likely to change its size. Pulling at skin is also the kind of irritation the AAD links to pores that look larger.

• Over-scrubbing: According to the AAD, scrubbing won’t make your face any cleaner, and it can irritate skin, which tends to make pores more noticeable. Gritty scrubs and rough cloths fall into this group.

• Hot water and steaming: Warm water is the AAD’s recommendation, because hot water can irritate skin and make pores look larger.

• Picking and squeezing: The AAD says picking at, squeezing, or digging into pores can irritate skin and make them look more noticeable.

• Stacking exfoliants: Using a BHA, a second acid, and a Retinoid all on the same night can leave skin looking red and dry. The FDA advises testing any BHA product on a small area first and using sun protection while you use it.

What to Look For on the Label for Less Visible Pores

• Salicylic Acid, often at 2%: Many leave-on BHA exfoliants list 2% Salicylic Acid on the label, so the format tends to matter more than the number. A rinse-off cleanser keeps it on skin briefly and is often the gentler way to start, while a leave-on liquid or serum stays on longer and suits skin that already tolerates it.

• Retinol or Retinyl Palmitate in the ingredient list: These are the two Retinoid forms the AAD names for the look of pores. A night product that lists one of them near the top of the ingredient list, rather than at the very end, is a reasonable place to start.

• Non-comedogenic, oil free, or won’t clog pores: These are the label terms the AAD suggests looking for on anything you put on your face. They describe what a brand intends for the finished formula, so how your own skin responds may still vary, and many people with oily-looking skin find lightweight gel, lotion, or gel-cream textures more comfortable.

• Broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher: The AAD suggests a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. A face sunscreen that also lists Niacinamide can fold a supporting step into your morning, and if your skin tends to feel irritated easily, checking the ingredient list for Fragrance/Parfum may help you narrow the options.

• Specific products compared: For side-by-side comparisons of real formulas, see our guides to the best Salicylic Acid exfoliants and the best non-comedogenic skincare products.

When to See a Dermatologist

If your pores still bother you after a few months of consistent use, or your skin seems irritated by the ingredients above, a board-certified dermatologist can look at your skin and talk you through in-office options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I minimize pores?

You can’t make pores meaningfully smaller, but you may be able to make them look smaller. Cleanse gently twice a day with warm water, use non-comedogenic products, add Salicylic Acid for oily-looking skin, try a Retinoid a few nights a week, and wear a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher daily. Skip pore strips, harsh scrubs, and picking, which tend to irritate skin and make pores look larger.

Can skincare shrink your pores?

Not with skincare. Pore size is shaped by genetics, sex, age, sun exposure, and oil, and several of those are fixed. What a routine can do is keep pores clear and support firmer-looking skin around them, which may help them look less visible for as long as you keep it up.

Does cold water close pores?

Not in the way the myth suggests. A pore is the opening of a follicle, so cold water may feel refreshing without changing the pore itself. The AAD suggests warm water for cleansing, because hot water can irritate skin and make pores look larger.

Does Niacinamide help with pores?

It may help as a supporting step. A 2025 review in Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology describes Niacinamide as helping regulate sebum secretion, and oily-looking skin tends to make pores more visible. Dermatologists in the 2025 JAAD consensus study agreed on Retinoids for large pores, so Niacinamide works best alongside those steps rather than on its own.

Is Salicylic Acid or Retinol better for pores?

They tend to do different jobs. BHAs like Salicylic Acid are described as lipid soluble, so they tend to suit pores that look larger because of oil and buildup. A Retinoid, such as Retinol, suits pores that look larger because skin tends to look oily or less firm. Many people use both on separate nights, and a board-certified dermatologist can help if you’re unsure which to start with.

Why do my pores look bigger as I get older?

According to the AAD, skin tends to lose firmness with age, and pores can look larger as it does. Years of sun exposure can add to that change, which is one reason daily sunscreen matters for the look of pores over time.

Related Reading

• How to smooth textured-looking skin, for exfoliation and routine choices that overlap with pore care.

• The order to apply your skincare products in, so a BHA, a Retinoid, and sunscreen each land in the right step.

• The best non-stripping face cleansers, for a gentle cleansing step that leaves skin feeling comfortable.