My favorite part of the coldest months here in Chicago is that the markets always have a steady stream of mikan (clementines).  Those juicy & sweet little oranges instantly transfer me back to my childhood spending winters in Japan, sitting at a kotatsu, watching cartoons and eating mikan after mikan until I was so full I’d fall asleep under the kotatsu like a cat… And while mikan is one of my favorite fruits, I hate that over the last few winters, I’ve noticed the texture of my skin become more and more like a mikan, with crazy enlarged pores.

In horror, over the last 3 years, I’ve noticed that my enlarged pores spread from closest to my nose, to down across my cheeks.  And I noticed them getting noticeably worse during the winter months.  Nothing I did made them better.  In fact, I know now that I probably did more harm than good.  Unfortunately, everything I read in the past about reducing enlarged pores didn’t help, and probably made it worse with products that were too harsh for my skin.  But since discovering Korean skincare, I’ve learned to nurture my skin with milder products, with amazing results.  In doing so, I’ve finally(!) understood what was making my pores become enlarged over the years, and finally(!) begin to properly take care of them.

After less than 3 months of practicing my new skincare philosophy, I’m excited to see a reduction in my enlarged pores.  Some of them have reduced by as much as 1/2 it’s original size!  And I’m hoping that they’ll reduce more over time.  Even if they don’t, I’m just glad that I’ve finally learned to properly take care of my pores and hopefully never have them grow dramatically on me again!

The condition of your pores is a really good indication of the overall health of your skin.  So don’t just cover them up with primer and makeup.  Pay attention to them and see how they respond to your skincare products.  Once you do, I promise you’ll start to understand how to take care of them too!

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