Salicylic skin tonics were once the preserve of spendy brands, but serious skincare is now in every chemist
Pores. You tell me they drive you to distraction. Clogged, enlarged, black, white, gaping or made dotty and well-like as they fill with foundation. The window between youthful and menopausal oiliness, during which pores may keep themselves to themselves, seems unjustly narrow for many women.
The best and first course of action is not squeezing with fingernails, or deploying mythical cures such as perfume and toothpaste, or even solid temporary measures such as thick silicone primer. Your first port of call should always be salicylic, a beta, not alpha, hydroxy acid. The distinction here is key, because while alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, mandelic, lactic, citric) give great glow and exfoliation (and can still be extremely effective on problem skins to fade acne scars), they cannot penetrate oil to clear out pores. Without salicylic acid, only so much can be achieved, so slot it in at least somewhere in your routine. My preference would be after cleansing and before serum, since this allows you to easily treat problem areas while avoiding others.
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