Best Beauty Tips for Face and Skin care - Lifestyle and Beauty Fashion

Best Beauty Tips for Face and Skin care

And we know how much you guys love pores and everything about pore care because we ask ourselves the same question How can something so small, sometimes look so big And we're gonna be sharing with you guys all the important facts and tips on everything to do with pores. No matter if you have dry skin, if you have oily skin, if you combo skin, (or) if you have all of the above. Today we're gonna be talking about the important role pores actually play on our skin, our personal methods on how to treat them at home, what ingredients to look for in our skin care products to reduce pore size, but also debunking myths and misunderstandings about pores, and how sugar and hormones can actually make your pores look so much bigger. Because pores are mostly due to genetics and hormones, there are still things that we can do to help them look as teeny tiny and invisible to the eye as possible. So let's just find out: what are pores?? What exactly are pores? Pores are the little openings on our face that we like to complain about.

They are very important for the healthy functioning of our skin because (they produce) sebum to protect your skin from dirt and bacteria in the environment. There are actually teeny hair follicles with baby hair inside the pore which you can't really see for the most part. Sebum is released to the surface of the skin through the pore. Pores are different from sweat pores, which only produce sweat from the glands. And only when the pore is trapped by dead skin, will comedones like whiteheads, blackheads or breakouts form inside the pore. (Fel: like a volcano, erupting to the surface.) So a lot of you are probably wondering: why are my pores so big, and why are other people's smaller? So, generally speaking, it comes down to skin types, because people with more oily skin, like myself, will generate more sebum in the pore. So when the pore is filled with sebum, it will look larger. It's kind of like filling up a pool. So if you fill up something that wasn't there before, it will expand and it will just stay that way. And if you don't do things like clean your face properly, then this is only going to look more like, extravagant. 

Whereas people with dry skin, they already don't produce as much sebum to begin with; which is why that hair follicle or that pore size is already smaller. But then the other end of that just means that they have to work harder in restoring all the oil to their face. Otherwise, dry as a desert. That's the general explanation (as to) why some are bigger and some appear smaller. And if you have combination skin, you will find that for the most part, just the pores around your t-zone will be enlarged compared to the rest of your face. (Fel: Yeah.) Like me. So right here, it's like, "aaah I need to be extracted ASAP!" Basically a lot of ingredients you find that are, like, very big marketing words on your skincare products because these are ingredients that are good for your skin, and are already produced by your skin. Yeah, naturally; like vitamin E oozes out of our sebum. And another thing is the thinner your skin is, the more apparent your pores can be, because it's kind of like that sagging effect. Right? If it's thin it just sags a little, which is why sometimes with age or aging skin it can look bigger than normal. Whereas if you have very thick plump skin, you can just imagine like everything is kind of condensed and like dense, right? So then your pores won't look as big, which is why things like retinols also help with pore size because it helps to like boost the thickness of skin. While our pores can't actually be shrunken or enlarged, their appearance can definitely be minimized with various tips and tricks, and good skin care habits. And this takes us into some pre skin care steps for taking good care of our pores. 

And the first one is, face steaming at home. you can't actually open or close a pore, because in order to do that you need a muscle, and there is no muscle surrounding your teeny tiny little pore. So what they mean is, it's basically got to do with temperature. When it's hot, your skin as an organ expands, and it will like magnify that hole which is the pore. And then when it's cold it will contract. And so what face steaming does is it's basically using hot steam, and opening your pore so that it will loosen the debris that's actually filling the pore inside, which is like dirt, oil, whiteheads, blackheads and (that makes) it easier to do things like extraction. And it helps the products that we apply after to absorb a lot better, (and) a lot more effectively when our pore is nice and clean. So here's how you want to do face steaming at home. Fill your sink with hot water. You can boil some, but hot water from the tap works perfectly fine as well. Then you want to cover your head with a towel for 3 to 5 minutes. However long is comfortable for you. And if you find that it's a little too hard to breathe, just like open the towel up a little and let that air through. Otherwise, you know, you don't want to pass out. You can take breaks too, if you want. This is a treating yourself thing. (Ro: Not a you know...) Yeah, don't force yourself very much beyond control. And you'll find that very quickly your face will feel hot, you'll start sweating, and this is actually really great because sweat expels a lot of toxins from the face as well. So not only are you opening the pores, (but) you're also getting rid of that gunk. Doing this is one method, but it's the same as having a bath or a shower. 

So you don't have to do this if you just came out of the bath or the shower because it's the same thing. Bonus! You will be able to clear your sinuses, as well, as you're doing this. And if you just can't be bothered with filling your sink with water and, you know, draping a towel over your head and putting your face over it, you could also get a face towel and wet it with hot water. Wring it, and then just put it over wherever you want to extract. If it's the nose, you just fold the towel, put it over here for like a minute or something. I mean it only lasts about like 30 seconds. That's true, and then you have to probably do it a few times as you do it, maybe like three times. So these are some ways to open up your pores so that you can properly extract. And I think the key is (to) loosen everything inside, so that you can extract. So, extraction! The part that we're not supposed to do but we -- I like doing it. I think if you do it the right way, which we're gonna tell you. You guys have probably seen this tool around It's basically a metal rod with a loop on one end and a more rounded spoon extractor, which has a teeny tiny hole in the middle. This tool is used to extract the comedo, which is just a fancy medical term for pimple. And these include blackheads, whiteheads and just you know, all the things that... (Fel: just general pimples.) So when you're once clean pores are trapped by dead skin, things like oil (and) bacteria start to build up inside which forms these pimples or forms these blackheads or whiteheads, which is when you use a tool to help extract. 

And the difference between a whitehead, a blackhead and like a pimple, for example, is a whitehead is contained. It's not exposed to air, so it's still under skin. It's just, like, slowly building up. And then a blackhead isn't black because it's dirty. It's because it's actually been exposed to air, and air oxidizes whatever it like touches, type of thing. Think of an avocado: if you cut an avocado, it goes brown. That's basically what a blackhead is. (Ro: I'm thinking of my avocados right now.) And then a pimple is just more of that pussy build up inside. If you use it properly, get this out, very gently. So we're gonna tell you guys how to probably use this extracting tool. Using this tool is a lot better than using our fingers because there's bacteria trapped under our nails, so when we, you know, do this and do this, it's easy for the bacteria to spread (and) for more friends to pop up (Fel: Yeah.) and we don't want that. First, make sure your tool is nice and sanitized: you can use alcohol before beginning. You can just let it sit in the alcohol for about twenty to thirty seconds. Gently press over the opening of the blackhead or pore; wiggle it around or gently roll across affected area. If nothing comes out, you can slightly adjust the angle that you're pressing down too. If it still doesn't come out easily after you have adjusted the angle, just leave it alone. Because if you press too hard, which is something that I tend to do, (Fel: You're just like it's gonna come, it's gonna come), or it just indents your skin and then it just starts peeling the next day. Yeah, because you broke your skin layers by pressing too hard. But that's also another thing: why you shouldn't keep going with it. Because sometimes the blackhead, whitehead, or pimple is actually very far down in the layers of just skin. Yeah, and it's just not ready. 

So by you going down there, you're actually just aggravating it and spreading it inside. Which is like... (Ro: Yeah you don't want to do that.) Yeah, now if you hit jackpot and something does come out, you're not done yet. Make sure you sterilize and cleanse that area to make sure that mini war-wound is protected. You can use a toner or antiseptic cream, or natural antibacterial ingredients like tea tree or eucalyptus oil to the spot. Prepping and also, like, sealing it is just as important. Because if you don't, the bacteria will get inside again and then you'll have another pimple in the place where you just got one in. So after you've done that, we're now properly cleansed. Our pores have been taken care of, and it's moving on to skincare, which is the next most important thing when it comes to minimizing your pores. serums are these jam-packed concentrated little bottles of magic that are filled with active ingredients to help you target specific skin care concerns. And there's a lot of products for pore care. (Fel: because I think most of us don't like the look of pores, right?) So if pores are our main concern, you want to find something that is very hydrating as well as helps with blurring of the pores. So we got this serum from Clarins: this one here, and it's specifically for controlling your pores. This was actually really interesting because normally, the serums I use are very runny. 

But when I  use this one, it's this kind of opal-y... (Ro: It's so iridescent. It's like pearl.) Pearlescent iridescent, hahaha. :D Yeah, so it goes on... (*enthusiastic dancing*) So about two to three of this on, and it's like really hydrating and, like, it's like very smooth. So then I dab it onto my fingers and then apply it onto the places where my pores are ginormous, which is the cheek and the forehead. Yeah, basically the t-zone. And you work it in, in like, small circular motions. And then the crazy thing happens where it like, almost becomes this mattified velvet texture, and then it like creates that blur. It reminds me of a primer. It is. (Ro: But it's a serum.) Yes. So it's like the texture of a makeup primer, like a foundation primer, but it's also hydrating at the beginning. There's this like transformation that kind of goes on. So when it starts to settle into the skin, it gives you almost like, you know in the photo editing app it softens and blurs everything on your skin, It gives that but in a real life version. So it's important to use pore control serums after you've just extracted all the nasties from your pores. Apart from that, it actually has mattifying powders in it, but also light enhancing pigments, so that it does kind of like manipulate lighting when it's shining onto your face. It's the iridescent thing that we're talking about. Yeah. It's also got the key ingredients of Tamarind pulp acid; and this is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which we know is a chemical exfoliant that helps to unclog the pores. Also reduce age-related spots and blemishes and keep the skin clear. And tamarind also has a lot of antioxidants In it that help with free radicals, kind of like vitamin C. And Tamarind is actually such an interesting looking thing. It's like a brown pea, you know? (Ro: Oh!) Have you had it? It's like, popular in Thai food haha. :D Tamarind naturally exfoliates pore clogging debris to help smooth and refine skin's texture, for a boost of radiance. There's also Vine Flower, which helps to tighten and reduce the look of enlarged pores. And there's also organic strawberry tree, which helps regulate oil production to reduce the appearance of dilated pores.

 

So then you can use this by itself and then follow with a moisturizer. This serum is basically to help with controlling your oily pores, your big oily pores. But if you have other skincare concerns like hyperpigmentation or skin brightening, or anything like that, you can actually go on and take a quiz that Clarins has that actually matches your skin with whatever products are designed specifically for you. So that you know, you're not using the wrong thing for your skin. So we'll leave that in the description box. For dry skin and large pores, you can try skipping cleansing in the morning and instead (use) something like beauty water or micellar water to just kind of take off... (Fel: anything that's on your face.) Yeah, that got there overnight. And then after just follow with your skincare routine. And for dry skin, serums are a must because it helps you nourish and hydrate your skin before you lock everything in with a moisturizer. Because if you don't have the under layers, your moisturizer could potentially not be enough for dry skin. But for oily skin, it's almost exactly the same. You want to keep it hydrated because the hydration and the moisture will then tell your pores to not make as much oil, which means it will then be smaller. 

And it's not filled with a lot of like excess sebum. So the moral of the story is just hydration with serums. Other ingredients you can look out for that help with pores include: glycolic acid for mild chemical exfoliation, hyaluronic acid to hydrate without greasiness. Salicylic acid is also a great ingredient to include, and is a winner for both drier and oily skin types, because it helps to get deep into pores and break down the sebum. So the key takeaway here is, exfoliation and hydration. All the exfoliating acids, AHA's, BHA's, help you take away the dead skin, so it doesn't clog your pores. And then the hydration helps replenish and keep your skin hydrated and plump, so that it is not saggy, and (Fel: Yeah), expanding. And the good thing about the ingredients in serums is that the AHA's are normally like fruit derived AHA's, much like this one with the tamarind. And then you can also find like grape and all that other stuff. So it's actually very natural. So now moving on to sugar hormones and large pores, because like we said, large pores (have) a lot to do with genetics, but hormones as well. So how do these interplay together? So we want to mention a little bit about our oh so sweet friend, the sugar. Though, it's not that sugar itself causes acne. It's actually what happens when we eat it, and how our body reacts to it that actually causes the breakouts.

 

So if you're over- indulging in sweets, it doesn't really matter what you follow up with skincare. Because if your body isn't happy with what you're consuming, which is a lot of refined sugar, then, you know, it's not going to be happy outside either. Sugar has a high glycemic index. And glycemic index is basically the ranking for foods based on their sugar level. And sugar level affects our hormones. So how exactly does it affect our hormones? When you eat certain foods that are high in sugar, particularly refined sugar, your body quickly converts this into glucose, which then goes into your bloodstream. This makes insulin levels in your body increase, and insulin is a hormonal response to sugar in the bloodstream. Then when your insulin spikes, this is directly linked to the receptors that are connected to the pores, and it will signal the pores to produce more oils. So the oils in the pores increase, which makes them appear larger. And then when the pores are larger, you're also increasing the risk that they get filled with dead skin, debris and dirt, which then makes you break out more! A cycle, But it's not even just the pores that get affected. When your insulin goes up, your body goes into fat storing mode. Which is why high sugar diets cause very rapid weight gain, and why you can't lose weight without reducing the amount of sugar you're consuming. No loss, no gain! If you want to have clear skin, you've got to cut out the sugar! So here are some of the tips that we personally have tried to reduce sugar in our (lives). So the first thing I try to do is I generally don't drink much soda to begin with, because it's loaded with so much sugar. And there's always healthier options like water, which might be a little boring, but you can throw some frozen fruit in there, or just fruits in general, to make it have some sort of a flavor. Or there's also teas. For me, soda is non-negotiable. Like I try very hard to not drink it. Actually I haven't had it in a long time and it's one of those things if you don't have it for a long time, you don't really crave it. One thing that's kind of in the gray zone for me is a hundred percent fruit juice.

My body works in a way where it can process the sugar from fruits really well. But I know for other people drinking juice, even if it's 100% fruit juice, it will affect them the same as like drinking soda. So it really depends. Juice is almost as bad as soda sometimes because it's got just as much sugar in it. You just don't necessarily think of it as that much because you're like, "Fruit!!" We don't want to get too scientific on you guys. The sugar from refined sugars that you find in sodas are different from the naturally derived sugars you find in fruits. So that's like one way to cut some portion of sugar out because it's like, you're kind of drinking it sometimes to wash food down, right? So it's kind of like wasted calories and wasted sugar, so that's one step that you can do. Another thing you can try is also reduce the sugar that you put in as a supplement to other drinks like teas, coffees or even oatmeal (and) yogurt. Sometimes we like to sprinkle sugar on top. For me, every morning, I used to put in two packets or two tablespoons of sugar into my coffee, but that is actually very easy to reduce. At first, I reduced it to one packet, or one teaspoon in the coffee, and then you kind of get used to that. And then through there you can reduce it to nothing at all and just drink it straight. But also same with teas; you can have it without milk and just have it with boiling water, and you don't need it. Otherwise look for natural sweeteners like, honey, which is something that we both do. (Ro: maple syrup!) Or maple syrup. And then if you're doing this once a day, it adds up over like the seven days, a month, and then within the year, you reduced actually a lot of sugar from your diet.

 

So if you're ever craving something sweet, you can replace what you would normally eat, like a cookie or a slice of cake, or anything loaded with refined sugar with something like fresh fruit. They're loaded with tons of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are actually really good for your skin. So if you can, swap out: this is like making these minor lifestyle adjustments. Yeah. Like when you're dehydrated, instead of drinking you know, soda or a fruit juice, you can just drink water. And when you crave something sweet, instead of eating what you would normally eat, you can maybe grab for a piece of fruit. And it might not taste the best in the beginning, but it grows on you. Sugar is a drug. It actually works in your brain the same way that drugs do; and then you feel hooked on it, which is why you always think you need it. And then your body crashes when you don't have it. So it's kind of like cycling out of that phase, putting in these healthier alternatives. Lo and behold, you'll find that you don't actually need it anymore. And this is speaking from personal experience. And that's also not to say that you need to cut it out of your life and just like "don't look at me" type of thing. Like, a cookie once in a while is fine. You know? Just be more wary that you don't need to have it all the time, every day, after every meal or something like that. And you'd actually be pretty surprised if you do try a no sugar challenge. I've done it a few times in the past. First week, I crave sugar like mad. But after you pass, you know, a little threshold of one to two weeks, you realize you don't even need it. (Fel: It's true.) I don't crave it anymore. And I was shocked because I have the biggest sweet tooth in the world. (Fel: She does!) She'll eat like four doughnuts. I could, (Fel: She could.) I don't but I could, hahaha. :D Just remember, everything in moderation. And just know that it is actually having effects on your body. And if you're complaining about your skin, this is a very easy way to kind of slowly reduce and be mindful. We hope you now know a little bit more about....