How to Open Your Pores: Can It Even Be Done?

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One of the most common misconceptions about skincare portrays your pores as though they have some sort of portal you can coax open.

The general line on the topic goes something like this: Warm water or steam persuades your pores to open, and once they are open, you get in there with some heavy-duty cleaning and then you close them back up with cold water. 

Fact or fiction, gentlemen? Unfortunately, that’s a whole lot of fiction. Let’s put that bunk to rest and gobble down some straight up facts regarding your pores. And you know we aren’t going to disabuse you of misinformation without sending you on the path toward clean pores. 

So let’s slather on a charcoal mask — it’s a fact that they give your pores a deep clean — and get down with some skincare truth. 

Purify Your Pores with a Charcoal Mask

Because, dudes, what we’re after boils down to this: We’re here to make sure you have the knowledge and the tools to keep your skin looking as healthy and vibrant as it possibly can.

What’s Really Going on

All right, so where did this opening and closing talk come from? Well, the terminology, though inaccurate, actually kind of makes sense once you sink into it a bit. Now, you probably know this but your pores are in fact openings on your skin. They don’t get wider or constrict, but a clogged pore does in fact appear to be larger. The blockage simply makes them more noticeable. 

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So while you can’t technically “close” your pores, you can make them appear smaller by keeping that damn mug of yours clean, something that just so happens to be our bread and butter. 

Keeping It Clean 

When it comes to keeping your face clean, you absolutely need to be using the right charcoal face wash twice a day, every single day. We can’t say it enough —  a proper face wash needs to be the bedrock of every guy’s skincare routine. Unlike bar soap, it won’t dry your face. And the detoxifying charcoal is paired with acne-busting salicylic acid. Use it like you should and you’ll be seeing fewer clogged pores in no time. 

Get a Proper Clean with Our Charcoal Face Wash

While a proper face wash is critical, it isn’t enough to get the job done without some seriously talented teammates. Those teammates need to be some power-hitting, exfoliating all-stars. Now our face wash does provide some gentle exfoliation, but you need to call on an exfoliating powerhouse once or twice per week.  

The mask we mentioned above is indeed an exfoliating powerhouse. Charcoal masks are one of the surest ways to venture into the far reaches of your pores for a truly deep clean. But you can also get the job done with our bamboo facial exfoliant. But mask or scrub, dudes, you simply have to exfoliate. If you don’t, dead skin cells are going to accrue in your pores and those suckers are going to look really big, and pretty damn open.  

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So let’s knock it off with the talk of “opening” and “closing” your pores. The right way to think about it is this: When your pores are clean, they aren’t “closed.” They just aren’t nearly as noticeable. 

All you gotta do is keep it clean. It’s as simple as that.