Natural Facial Pore Reduction Cleanser

Enlarged pores can give your skin an aged, unrefined or even oily appearance. The only methods to permanently shrink the appearance of your pores and refinish facial skin is through the use of laser resurfacing treatments or the use of prescription topical retinoids such a Retin-A. For a few near-term solutions at a lower price point, read on and consider trying some of the natural and do-it-yourself solutions.

Keeping your pores clean, reducing build up of debris and getting rid of old skin cells are the keys to fresh looking and smooth skin and less noticeable pores. You can speed up this process using natural products at home, you just need to invest the time and be a little adventurous.

There are a wide array of natural bar or liquid cleansers on the market, and good affordable options can be found at your local drug store. For a homemade option for cleansing you can use plain yogurt, milk or mashed papaya -- the gentle acids in these products make effective gentle cleansers.

Exfoliation is a great tool to keep pores clean, and scrubs are an easy solution that can be made at home of natural ingredients. Make a very gentle scrub by mixing dry rolled oats or cream of wheat grains with a little water or lemon juice if your skin is oily or a little mashed avocado if your skin is sensitive or dry. You can also create a mild scrub with sugar or by grinding rice grains in coffee grinder to a fine meal texture and gently scrubbing with that. Natural scrubs on the market can be purchased with ground apricot kernals and silica. Another option is manual exfoliation with a cloth or sponge product that can be purchased at your local drugstore and used with your usual cleanser.

Toners can tighten pores, smooth and soothe the skin. A number of natural products can be added to a base of distilled water for an at-home treatment solution. Crushed or ground cucumber, witch hazel, rosewater, lemon juice or other citrus juice, even crushed strawberries can be made into a refreshing toner. Soak 100 percent cotton pads in the toner solution and apply to skin, depending on the ingredients, you can skip the rinse and allow to dry on the skin.

Egg whites are one of the most effective at-home treatments to temporarily tighten pores and smooth the skin. Egg whites can be lightly whipped to a loose foam and applied to the skin. They can also be mixed with oatmeal or lemon juice to give a boost to the tightening effect. Leave on for at least 15 minutes and rinse with tepid water.