If you suddenly have an unattractive breakout of blackheads on your nose or your complexion seems rough and uneven, you could be suffering from clogged pores. There are several factors that can cause this unsightly skin issue including dead skin cell build up, excess oil, incorrect cleansing, and hormones.

Dead skin: When dead skin cells accumulate on the epidermis (top layer of the skin) they can block pores. Keeping skin gently exfoliated is important to prevent this.

Excess oil: The dermis (second layer of skin) contains sebaceous glands which produce the skin’s natural oils, known as sebum. While these oils help to keep the skin soft and smooth, the sebaceous glands can sometimes produce too much sebum, causing dead skin cells to stick together and congest pores. Using products containing salicylic acid can help, as salicylic acid is oil soluble and can penetrate deep into the pores to clear the blockages.

Incorrect cleansing: A build-up of makeup and other skincare products can also clog your pores. Even exfoliating, which is often touted as the best way to clear up pores,  can aggravate the problem if it is done too often or too aggressively. Excessive scrubbing can irritate and dry out the skin and cause it to produce even more oil to compensate.

Hormones: Hormonal changes due to puberty or pregnancy can increase your skin’s oil production and lead to blocked pores and breakouts.

Below are some products we recommend to treat clogged pores. 

MBR Enzyme Cleansing Booster

This booster minimizes fine lines, wrinkles and pores, revives dull skin, and removes excess sebum and lipids. After prolonged use, there is a noticeable refinement of the skin’s surface structure, while balancing the skin’s moisture. Removes excess sebum and lipids, revealing smoothed and radiant skin.

Environ Clay Masque

This creamy clay masque assists in absorbing excess surface oils and gently polishes the skin’s surface, leaving it feeling smoother and looking more radiant and refined. This Masque includes Pharmaceutical grade Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral) Oil, which has emollient properties and helps to clear the appearance of blocked pores and congestion.

Environ Pre-Cleansing Oil

Used in conjunction with Environ’s Clay Mask, this is a great double cleanse that will soften any impurities that lie on the surface of the skin. 

Environ Sebu Wash Gel Cleanser

Formulated with salicylic acid and tea tree oil, this gel cleanser helps to gently remove excess surface oils and environmental debris without drying out the skin so it retains a natural acid balance.

Royal Fern Essence

The fruit acid and gluconolactone (a PHA) work to gently exfoliate deep into the pores, normalizing sebum production, fading hyperpigmentation, moisturizing, and balancing the complexion.

Serum Complexe Iribiol

The salicylic acid clears out excess debris and skin cells while the zinc heals the epidermis.

Biologique Recherche Serum Dermopore

Serum Dermopore is a rebalancing serum that helps tighten dilated pores, prevent comedone formation and refine irregularities of the skin grain.

Environ AVST Gel

Vitamin A helps to unclog pores by stimulating cellular turnover, or the rate at which skin cells are produced, sloughed off and replaced.

Biologique Recherche Emulsion Gel Biosensible S.R.

This Emulsion Gel reduces redness and relieves skin tightness, soothes and rebalances the epidermis, regulates the secretion of oil, tightens dilated pores, smoothes the skin’s texture, and evens out the complexion.