Facial Cleansers

• Proper cleaning of the face can make the pores look smaller, while improper cleaning results in larger-looking pores. Care Fair suggests using water-soluble facial cleansers to reduce pore size and to avoid bar soaps, which can dry out the skin. There are several facial cleansers on the market that are designed for various skin types. For example, oily skin types should use a product designed for oily skin, while acne-prone skin should use a cleanser designed to reduce acne.
  
  

Exfoliation Products

• Exfoliation is one of the key points of making pores smaller. According to Bryan Barron, a writer for the website Beauty Bunch, excess oil, debris and dead skin cells build up on the skin and end up making the pores appear larger. Using an exfoliation product will remove the dead skin cells and debris on the skin, which ultimately makes the pores smaller in appearance. Care Fair suggests using a product that has small granules and that includes salicylic acid, which is otherwise known as beta hydroxy acid, because the small granules are gentle on the skin and the salicylic acid is oil soluble and removes the oil from skin.
  
  

Pore Refining or Reducing Gels and Creams

• Pore-reducing products often include refining or reducing gels or creams, which are applied after cleansing and exfoliating or before bed, depending on the specific product. Many of the products are used as a moisturizer after cleansing to help minimize the appearance of pores and minimize oil build up between washing the face. Many of the products do not actually reduce pore size, but rather improve skin texture and reduce the shine of the skin, which results in less focus on the pores.
  
  

Moisturizers

• Skin moisture is vital to minimizing the appearance of large pores. Dry skin or skin with too much oil results in larger-looking pores. To minimize the effects of dry skin, using an appropriate skin moisturizer is important. The appropriate moisturizer differs depending on skin type. For example, dry skin types might use an oil-based product that states that it is for dry skin, while oily or acne-prone skin should avoid oily moisturizers and look for products specifically for oily or acne-prone skin.