QuestionQUESTION: I have large pores on my face (cheeks, nose and chin) and I don't know if they would be considered blackheads....when I squeese I can extract some white stuff.....do you have any advice as to how I can shrink my pores and clear the "blackheads"? I have read many articles on how to reduce hte size of pores..using egg whites, milk of magnesium, baking soda, etc....I have tried the MOM and baking soda and still no luck.....I do have sensitive skin so I know harsh products would cause more problems. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
ANSWER: Hello Becky,
I do not know any ready-to-use product which would really work on large pores and blackheads, but I can give you recipes you can make yourself and use at home.
Large pores come from 2 sources: genetic and aging. People with thick and oily skin tend to have larger pores and as the skin ages, it loses its elasticity, thus the pores get larger. Blackheads come from a overfunction of some skin glands (seborrheic glands) which produce sebum that gets clogged in the pores. Internally, you may be going through some hormonal imbalance and/or change of diet, which seem(s) detrimental to your skin. This needs to be addressed with a health care professional.
Meanwhile, you can do the following to address the superficial problem:
- steam your face with hot water and lavender essential oil. Find the protocol for the facial steaming here:
http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/home_spa_fall_skin.html
- if the blackheads are loose, gently squeeze, taking care not to damage your skin
- apply a mask made of Green Clay powder and water or Lavender Floral Water. Leave on for 20 min, not letting the mask dry.
- clean with water and apply your moisturizer (which should be as natural as possible as some chemicals might also be responsible for clogging your pores)
- apply Argan oil or Wild Musk Rose oil to regenerate your skin and give it its elasticity and firmness back.
You can read more about it here:
http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/scarhealing.html
I would also recommend you to exfoliate twice a week at least, with a gentle exfoliant, nothing abrasive.
Avoid foundation, concealers and powder on the affected areas until the problem is cleared.
You may also use the following secret potion (From Valerie Ann Worwood):
mix altogether:
- 4 tablespoons of Argan or Jojoba oil
- 5 drops violet leaf essential oil (EO)
- 5 drops lemongrass eo
- 2 drops lavender eo
- 2 drops clary-sage eo
- 5 drops thyme linalol eo
Massage morning and evenings. I would also recommend a day cream containing Wild Musk Rose oil or Argan oil to strengthen the skin.
Please do not hesitate to follow-up if you need more information.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Have a beautiful day,
Take good care
Caroline-Morgane
www.naturepurity.com
blog.naturepurity.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you so much for the very helpful information ! I am anxious to give it all a try, however, I am new to all this and have a few follow up questions !
1. How often do you recommend doing this regiment (the steaming, green clay mask, moisturizer and oils) - would this be a nightly routine or weekly, etc.
2. I have never bought oils etc, where would I purchase the lavendar, argan and wild musk rose oil and the green clay powder ? Health Food Stores, pharmacies, etc ????
3. When I go to the store and look at all the moisturizers, etc I get overwhelmed and never know what is the best to purchase and usually end up wasting tons of money because it ends up not being the right one. I was hoping you could suggest a specific moisturizer (name brand etc) and the same for the best exfoliant.
I don't know if knowing my age helps in any of this but I am soon to be 37 (YIKES!) My skin is usually not very oily (maybe in the t-zone at times)....acne not a problem...sensitive skin..with LOTS of freckles :)
I appreciate your continued help !
Thanks
Becky
AnswerHello Becky,
It's a pleasure to help you.
Here are the answers to your questions, in order. But please remember that you can just go online and browse for fun, looking for each product.
1. The steaming would be once a week. The green clay mask once or twice a week as well as exfoliation. Find a good moisturizer for the morning and apply the oils after exfoliation or mask as well as before going to bed. If you have sensitive skin, do not use green clay mask on your cheeks, only on your forehead, T zone and chin.
2. It can be confusing, but argan and wild musk rose oils are vegetal oils (like olive oil) and lavender would be essential oil (eo). You can find both in the line Aura Cacia that is sold in health food stores. I think it's pretty decent quality. I like to buy my own essential oils either from:
http://www.4dshift.com/products/oils.htm or
http://usa-florame.com/ which also sells vegetal oils, but they are expensive.
Nature Purity, my company, sells the vegetal oils as well as the green clay and floral waters:
http://www.naturepurity.com/
Whichever source you choose, please make sure that the oils are organic and 1st cold press and the floral waters are organic and undiluted. For the essential oils, make sure that they are therapeutic use.
3. Here are the brands I like to work with in addition to the products from my own company: Dr Hauschka, Lavera, Weleda. I haven't tested lots of the new brands, so I wouldn't be able to tell you whether they're good or bad. Dr Hauschka has a nice day cleanser that is exfoliating so just go to your local whole foods and try their products there, pay attention to how they feel on your skin. Do the same with the moisturizers: just experiment. I think you can even buy sample sizes of some of their products. You can also go on the Nature Purity website and find out how to get our samples, we have them available for 3 of our moisturizers, you just have to send us a stamped envelop.
We have a gentle phyto exfoliant made with rose seed powder, which I think is the best :)
http://www.naturepurity.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?ref=cpa311&from=facial
We also have a purifying mask with white clay, which you could use on your cheeks:
http://www.naturepurity.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?ref=cpa312&from=facial
Bottom line: beauty should be fun, so go ahead and experiment. If you pay more than $100, even for an organic moisturizer, you're wasting your money. Also remember that depending on the season, your skin has different needs: richer in the winter, more protective in the summer.
Please don't fret about your age as there is a much stronger psychological influence in aging than anyone realizes today. Be cool with your age and do what your skin needs you to do (don't forget a good diet and detox) and you'll be perfect!
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Have a beautiful day,
Take good care and have fun!
Caroline-Morgane
www.naturepurity.com
blog.naturepurity.com
