Plus, the go-to smoothie for a top dermatologist ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
| | March 25, 2026 |  | | | | | | | | Morning! Despite what FaceTuned Instagram photos and airbrushed ads will have you believe, healthy human skin has pores. And those pores come in all shapes and sizes. This is what I remind myself again and again in the mirror on the days I feel especially bad about my skin.
But as someone who spent two decades dealing with acne, excess oil production, and the residual damage—all of which can change the way pores look—I still look for ways to improve their appearance.
Read along, then let me know: What skin concerns bother you most right now? Reply to this email with your answer, so I can tackle it in an upcoming send. | | xx take care of yourself,
Alexandra Engler
mindbodygreen beauty director | | | | | Is there anything you can do to shrink pores? Your baseline pore size is largely genetic. Some people naturally have larger pores. Others, smaller. That being said, certain things can make your pores more or less visible—and that's something you have control over.
Reasons your pores might appear larger: - Excess oil production: Oil production is a good thing! But sometimes the skin's sebaceous glands go into overdrive, causing pores to fill and stretch.
- Blackheads: When oil and debris get trapped in the pores, they oxidize and turn dark, making pores especially noticeable.
- Acne scars: Picking and popping breakouts (hey, teenage me!) can permanently damage the walls of your pores, resulting in enlarged or uneven-looking texture.
- Environmental damage: UV radiation, pollution, and other external stressors can break down collagen and elastin, making pores look looser.
- Age: When collagen and elastin decline, the pore walls aren't as strong and will sag.
- Hormones: Thanks to a combo of increased oil production and declining collagen, you may notice your pores look different during puberty or menopause.
As far as skin care goes, you have options. Here are the top skin care ingredients to use. Just not all at the same time. | |  | | What else can you do for pores? Well, it pretty much just comes down to general good skin care practices. - Protect your skin from UV rays, pollution, and environmental damage.
- Manage stress, since chronic stress can influence oil production.
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Inflammation leads to excess sebum production.
- Consider in-office resurfacing treatments, like chemical peels and lasers.
And the most important lesson of all: Put down the magnifying mirror. No one notices them as much as you do. And life shouldn't be wasted worrying about something so small in the first place.
+All about your pores | | | | | | Glowing recommendations: Peptide serums | |  | | Peptide serums are the new frontier of skin care, which is good and bad. The upside is that there's a lot of innovation in the space. The downside is there's also a lot of junk.
To help you avoid all the bad ones, here's a list of the best ones I've tried (yet!) and what they're good for. - Best overall: A totally revolutionary product, OneSkin OS-01 Face Moisturizer contains a proprietary peptide that targets a root cause of aging—"zombie cells" that trigger inflammation and damage. I cannot recommend this product (or basically anything from the brand) enough.
- Plumping: Medik8 Liquid Peptides is a lightweight serum that contains 10 unique peptides at a very impressive 30% of the total formula. Within a week, my skin looked more youthful and supple.
- Firming: With a cocktail of biotech peptides, Dr. Barbara Sturm's new The Peptide Serum is shown to protect against collagen and elastin decline. Use it consistently, and your skin will look more lifted and firm for the long run.
Peptides are often thought of as a monolith. But in reality, the specific type you choose dictates what your results will be—and how effective it is. Start here and you won't go wrong.
+ Skin care ingredients I love lately | | | | | | Beauty break: Neck & chest skin care tips | |  Image by ohlamour studio / Stocksy | | | | | | | Skin snacks: Mango When consumed in moderation, research shows that mangoes can reduce wrinkle size.¹ - For 16 weeks, one group of participants ate 0.5 cups of mangoes four times a week, while the other group ate 1.5 cups of mangoes four times a week.
- The group that ate half a cup experienced a decrease in wrinkle severity. This is likely due to the high vitamin C content of mangoes.
- Interestingly, the other group experienced the opposite. And that's probably due to the high sugar content, which can break down collagen.
So if you want smoother skin, toss a half cup of mangoes into your smoothie four times a week. Simple as that.
+ Smoothies that make your skin glow | | | |
Hope you enjoyed this little break—have a beautiful rest of your day.
| | | | Want more from mindbodygreen? Find us here: | | | | | | | | |  | | Alexandra Engler | | Senior Beauty Director | | | | | | Forwarded this email? CLICK HERE to subscribe for free! | | |  | | | *These statements haven't been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Just a heads-up: Everything in this newsletter is for general info only—not medical advice. We always recommend checking in with a healthcare professional before making any health decisions. Our product picks and reviews reflect our editors' opinions unless we say otherwise. We sometimes link to other sites, but we're not responsible for their content. | | © 2024 mindbodygreen, All rights reserved.
2980 McFarlane Road, Miami, FL 33133
UNSUBSCRIBE
| | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment