Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered:

“Were my pores always this noticeable?”

Or perhaps you’ve noticed that your skin doesn’t seem quite as smooth as it once did, especially after applying makeup.

You’re not imagining it.

As our skin changes with age, pores and uneven texture can become more noticeable. The good news is that we don’t need to make our pores disappear to have beautiful-looking skin.

In fact, we couldn’t make them disappear even if we wanted to.

Pores are a normal and necessary part of our skin.

The goal is healthier-looking, hydrated skin and a smoother, more even-looking complexion.

Why Can Pores Look Larger as We Age?

Several things can contribute to the appearance of larger pores and uneven texture.

Changes in Firmness and Elasticity

Collagen and elastin help provide structure and support to our skin.

As these naturally change with age, the skin surrounding our pores may not look quite as firm, making pores appear more noticeable.

Slower Skin-Cell Turnover

As we get older, skin-cell turnover can slow.

Dead surface cells can accumulate, contributing to roughness, dullness and uneven-looking texture.

Gentle exfoliation can help remove some of that buildup and create a smoother-looking surface.

Oil and Buildup

Oil, dead skin cells and other buildup around pores can also make them appear more prominent.

Consistent cleansing and gentle exfoliation can help, but that doesn’t mean we should try to strip all the oil from our skin.

Mature skin still needs moisture and hydration.

Can Dehydration Make Pores Look Worse?

This one sometimes surprises people.

When our skin is dehydrated, fine lines and uneven texture can become more noticeable.

That’s why trying to “dry out” visible pores isn’t necessarily the answer, particularly for mature skin.

Keeping our skin properly hydrated can help it appear plumper, smoother and healthier-looking.

Do Pores Really Open and Close?

This is one of those beauty myths many of us have heard over the years.

Pores don’t actually open and close.

They don’t have muscles that allow them to open with heat and close with cold.

Warm water may help loosen oil and buildup on the skin, but it isn’t opening your pores. And cold water isn’t closing them.

Rather than trying to “close” our pores, I prefer to concentrate on taking care of the skin around them.

What Helps Pores and Uneven-Looking Texture?

I like to keep this simple.

Cleanse consistently. Removing makeup, oil and everyday buildup gives your skin a clean starting point.

Exfoliate gently. Removing excess dead surface cells can help skin look smoother, but more isn’t always better. Mature skin doesn’t need aggressive scrubbing.

Hydrate. Well-hydrated skin can appear plumper and smoother, which may help soften the appearance of fine lines and texture.

Prepare your canvas. What you put underneath your makeup can make a big difference in how your complexion products look.

Choose your coverage carefully. More makeup isn’t necessarily the answer. Sometimes lightweight coverage is much more flattering on mature skin.

My Approach: Smooth First. Even Second.

Two products I personally use are Silk Pore & Wrinkle Minimizer and Colour Correcting Tinted Moisturizer, or CCTM.

I think of them very simply:

Smooth first. Even second.

Silk Pore & Wrinkle Minimizer helps create a smoother-looking canvas and minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines before I apply my complexion makeup.

Then there’s CCTM.

Colour Correcting Tinted Moisturizer gives me lightweight, natural-looking coverage while helping even out the appearance of my complexion.

My favourite part?

My skin still looks like skin.

At 77, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

I’m not interested in covering my face with layers of heavy makeup in an attempt to hide every pore, line and imperfection.

I want to look like me.

Just a little smoother, more even and polished.

Do You Need Both Silk and CCTM?

Not necessarily.

You may find that CCTM gives you exactly what you’re looking for on its own.

If visible pores, fine lines or uneven texture are concerns, you may prefer preparing your skin with Silk first and then applying CCTM.

Or you may need something completely different.

That’s why I don’t believe in telling every woman she needs the same products.

Your skin, concerns, lifestyle and budget all matter.

Not Sure Where to Start?

If you’ve been reading this thinking:

“This sounds like my skin, but I don’t know what I should be using,”

I’d love to help.

You can complete my Skin Survey and I’ll help you determine a simple routine based on your concerns.

Or, if you’d rather just talk to me, that’s easy too.

If CCTM is what you’re interested in, simply text me the word CCTM and I’ll help you with your shade and decide whether CCTM alone or Silk + CCTM makes sense for you.

And if you already know what you want, you can shop through my Welcome page as well.

You don’t have to do everything today.

You just need to start.

With gratitude,

Diana

Be Ageless with Diana

Helping women understand their skin, simplify beauty, embrace wellness, and age with confidence.