Enlarged Pores on Face: How to Manage with the Right Skincare Products

The average complexion contains approximately 20,000 pores – each playing an essential role in cooling the body and preventing dryness.

Pores are a natural part of everyone’s skin. Yet when they appear enlarged, they can affect how smooth your complexion looks. While they can’t be removed, the good news is that they can be minimised through targeted skincare and consistent care.

Read on as we explain what causes enlarged pores, how to manage their visibility, and how to build an effective pore-minimising routine from the Rare Earth collection and the rest of the Kiehl’s skincare suite.

What are pores?

Pores are tiny openings on the skin’s surface. Connected to hair follicles, pores allow oil and sweat to reach the surface. These natural pathways help regulate our body temperature and maintain the skin’s moisture balance. Pores are essential for releasing oil and sweat, keeping the complexion balanced, hydrated, and comfortable.

When enlarged, pores can appear more noticeable – most often across the T-zone, where oil production tends to be higher.

What causes enlarged pores?

Enlarged pores develop when sebaceous glands produce excess oil, causing these openings to clog or stretch and appear more visible on the skin’s surface. Contributing factors include:
• Skin type: oilier skin tends to experience more visible pores, while genetics can influence how much oil your skin naturally produces.
• Excess oil and congestion: when oil combines with dead skin cells, dirt, or debris, it can form blockages within the pores. Over time, this buildup can stretch pore walls, making them appear more prominent.
• Skin ageing and sun exposure: as collagen and elastin levels decline with age, firmness and support around pores decrease. Sun exposure can accelerate this process, causing pores to appear larger.
• External factors: habits such as over-cleansing, harsh exfoliation, or using comedogenic (pore-clogging) products can disrupt or damage the skin moisture barrier and irritate pores, contributing to their enlarged appearance.

How to reduce the appearance of pores: 3 expert tips

It’s important to note that you can’t completely get rid of your pores – as they remain a structural layer of the skin. However, when it comes to reducing the appearance of enlarged pores, there are several key strategies you can add to your skincare routine.

1. Cleanse consistently

Since enlarged pores often result from congestion, daily cleansing with clarifying ingredients is essential. Amazonian white clay is a powerful mattifying ingredient that helps absorb excess oil and unclog debris – and Kiehl’s uses only fairly-traded clay in our formulations.

2. Exfoliate regularly

Exfoliating your face helps lift away the dead surface cells that can trap oil and dull the complexion. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like citric acid work on the skin’s surface to break down debris and improve clarity.

Our Facial Fuel Energizing Scrub – featuring citric acid, caffeine, and menthol – helps dislodge buildup from enlarged pores, leaving skin smoother and visibly renewed.

3. Hydrate and protect daily

Keeping your skin hydrated helps control oil levels, while SPF defends against Australia’s intense sun – protecting your pores from weakening over time.

Lightweight, non-comedogenic formulas keep your complexion calm and balanced throughout the day. When evening comes, reset with our Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Infused with squalane, lavender, and evening primrose oil, it helps restore lost hydration, so your skin wakes visibly replenished and renewed.

Managing enlarged pores at home: Kiehl’s 3-step pore-minimising routine

When well-targeted ingredients and a consistent skincare routine combine, they can help visibly reduce the appearance of pores over time.

Follow our daily skincare routine – formulated with naturally derived ingredients – to help clarify and minimise enlarged pores.

Step 1: Cleanse with the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser

Start with our Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser – apply a 20-cent coin–sized amount to clean fingertips and gently massage over damp skin.

Formulated with Amazonian white clay to draw out buildup within enlarged pores and aloe vera to soothe, it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin while helping clear congestion and absorb excess oil.

Rinse with warm water and repeat in both your morning and evening routines.

Step 2: Follow with the Rare Earth Deep Cleansing Masque

For those with blemish-prone or oily skin, incorporating a facial mask can deliver a deeper clarifying effect.

Our Rare Earth Pore-Minimizing Clay Mask contains the same fairly traded Amazonian white clay found in our cleanser, in a more concentrated formula. It helps draw out impurities and visibly reduce excess surface oil — proven to decrease oil levels by up to 46.7% after two hours compared to untreated skin.

Use once or twice weekly by applying a thin layer to clean skin, focusing on areas with enlarged pores. Leave on for around 10 minutes, then remove with a warm, damp towel.

Step 3: Protect and hydrate with SPF and Ultra Facial Cream

Complete your pore-minimising skincare routine with a hydrating moisturiser – this will help keep enlarged pores less noticeable over time.

While pore-clearing ingredients can help smooth the appearance of pores, they can sometimes leave the skin feeling dry. To maintain balance, follow with our Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane – an intensely hydrating formula that replenishes moisture and supports skin strength.

Finish with a broad-spectrum SPF to protect against UV damage, which can weaken skin’s structure and lead to enlarged pores.

Now you have the tools and the know-how to minimise the appearance of enlarged pores, discover how to manage dark circles under the eyes next.