Pore clogging ingredients in mass market products

Have you noticed that pore minimizing advertisements are at an all-time high? This seems ironic to me. The skincare industry sells us skincare and makeup products that clog our pores (although their labeling says the opposite) so they can then sell us products that minimize pores. In actuality, the majority of pore minimizing products I have researched do not minimize pores (and those that claim non-pore clogging are pore clogging) and as skincare consumers, we are all falling for it.

Do you own any of those face products that feel so silky and smooth to the touch and make your skin feel velvety, silky soft? Those products most likely have a high concentration of silicones.

These silica derived molecules are said to only sit on the surface of the skin so there is no possibility that they can penetrate the pore to cause acne. The skincare industry, comprised of companies who have their products manufactured and then spend millions of dollars to advertise those products, have so severely twisted the truth to sell their product that the consumer doesn’t know what to believe. If you spent millions of dollars on a product line formulation, would you do everything possible to sell that product? The skincare industry must make a return on that investment. Advertising executives make sure they do just that and the consumer buys the “Hope In a Jar” yet again. And again. And again. If you are anything like my average new client, your pores are more visible, not shrinking.

My biggest issue: the skincare industry has linked the term ‘clogged pore’ to causing acne or acne breakouts, by means of clever advertising. While comedogenic (proven pore clogging ability) ingredients do have the potential to cause breakouts and inflamed blemishes, comedogenic ingredients also have the ability to cause aging conditions without the presence of acne. I have clients who have clogged pores without any visual appearance of blackheads, whiteheads, or acne blemishes. These clients have admitted to settling on a product that is not offering them overall improvement with firming or brightening their skin. They admittedly hold onto the product in their regimen only because that product does not cause them acne or breakouts. They may not get breakouts but what they are left with is dull, dehydrated (dry looking) skin. Why?

This dull skin appearance is due to the fact that the skin’s natural exfoliation process has slowed from dehydration and impaction within the pore. In a healthy state, the skin has a seamless exfoliation mechanism within itself that forms new cells. These cells must eventually flatten, die and then flake off (typically on a microscopic level) following the formation of even newer cells. This process is known as cell regeneration. Upon the first signal of an imbalance within the skin (usually lead by clogged pores and closely followed by dehydration), the skin’s oil and dead skin cells become dried out and trapped (or stuck within the pore) and the skin’s functioning can become negatively altered. This means that cell regeneration dramatically slows. The skin is no longer making new skin at a proper rate and old skin cells are not flaking off the surface. If the skin is not regenerating at its normal rate, you can expect to notice accelerated visible aging.

I have my new clients bring in their current skincare product so I may perform ingredient analyses. Many of these clients claim that their serums, foundations and moisturizers “do not clog pores” because that is what they read on the label, or that is what the department store salesperson told them. After analysis of the full ingredient disclosure of their products, I sadly tell them that their product is indeed clogging their pores. This clogged pore condition begins with what I call the ‘domino effect of aging skin conditions’.  These include, dehydration, dryness, rosacea and redness, dull skin, sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne and even accelerated acne scarring. As I have proven within my skincare practice by guiding thousands of clients to their best skin, all of these conditions can be drastically reduced. The first step is to get rid of their individual skin imbalances. This removal of the skin imbalance process is the same for every single client, no matter what their skin condition: offer proper hydration while removing the impaction within the pores. There is a customized approach to each client treatment but the initial stages remain the same.

Concerned for their health, clients want to know what is good for their skin and body and what is not, as well as what is truly helping turn back the clock, and what is not. You can read information leading every which way on whether or not silicones are pore clogging. You will easily find clinical studies from chemist-created websites to news articles (sourcing cosmetic and dermatology journals) all announcing these ingredients are non-pore clogging. I must remind myself that these chemists providing this information to the public are the same chemists manufacturing skincare products for the commercialized, mass marketed skincare industry, (the ones who spend millions upon millions advertising to get my hard earned dollars).

I perform skincare treatments on every type of skin on varying age groups and skin conditions, yet each of my clients’ skin imbalance causes are linked to the same skin condition: clogged pores. Some first time clients are not even aware of it.  They are concerned with darkened patches, or hyperpigmentation, rosacea and redness, acne, expression lines, and sagging skin. They do not know that their pores are clogged and their skin has become dehydrated from the clogging (most of them do not notice while some do). After multiple hours of ingredient research there is one common denominator among every single product: filler ingredients comprise 90% or more of each product formulation. And the top contributing ingredients? Silicones. Here are the most commonly found silicones in foundations, primers, pore minimizers and moisturizing skin products:

Cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, methicone, phenyl trimethicone

These provide a temporary filling and then smoothing out of the surface of the pores so you see (what the label flashes at you in big bold lettering) instant smoothing results. Some product labels list this ingredient four or five times in addition to listing it as the second or third ingredient.  I sometimes cringe when I read ingredient lists to my clients as I explain what they have really been getting with their skincare products:  aging.  The higher on the list, the higher the concentration of that ingredient in the product. Be warned, this instant result is only temporary and it is only on the surface. Yes, you will see immediate improvement as the silky base provides a ‘protective covering’ over your skin. That is where it ends. These ingredients become dried out and trapped within the pore further expanding it beneath the surface as it clogs with your own dead skin cells and oils. Your skin becomes dehydrated as it begins lacking oxygen and water further halting your natural exfoliation cycle. This dehydration and clogging cycle creates the look of larger pores on the surface – not smaller. If you see instant results advertised on a label I politely urge you to keep on walking without picking up that product. You can do better than an on the surface covering, can’t you?

A large percentage of my female clients excitedly report that they do not feel the need to wear makeup anymore after working with me to correct their skin imbalances. They especially don’t desire it after learning about the ingredients in their cover up products. (I have created a client throw away bin in my treatment room. I will soon share the photo of clients’ products that were thrown into the bin after they had an ingredient session with me- because these clients no longer desired these falsely advertised products.) Wouldn’t you rather correct the imbalances beneath the surface so it shows as a nice even and bright canvas on the surface? That way you don’t feel that you need to use the primers, cover ups, concealers, and foundations to cover up your skin. You can actually correct the imbalance beneath the surface and let your healthy skin show without covering it up, with silicones.