Comments on: Do You Make This Major Make Up Mistake?

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:10:48 +0000

Dorian is correct. Pores do technically open and close . Pores are openings of sweat glands, they lead down to glands. The glands are attached to blood vessels (blood vessels are really thinly walled allowing things to pass through them like ie impurities), these blood vessels contract when cold is placed on the pores (either by temperature, steam, and a few other items). Think of it like a wood door that expands in heat and contracts when it is cold or how your face flushes when you get hot (which is blood vessels expanding and sending more blood to the surface of the skin). Since blood vessels are attached to the glands which are attached to the pores, pores do open and close. So the cold will close them but it will only shrink them for a short period of time. Pores on the face go down and outward which is why its best to use cleansing products in an upward motion and applying makeup in a downward motion. Plus, people steam their face to allow products to penetrate the skin more deeply. Also when they expand they push dirt closer to the surface which is why people who pop pimples (not a good thing to do), usually steam first.

Remember after cleansing and toning you can exfoliate with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) with about 10-20% glycolic acid, then apply a moisturizer with sunscreen (or if you just have one of each use the sunscreen last, then suspends a powder in a liquid (clinique has a great one called pore minimizer), apply it like a putty it will turn to powder when dry and fill in your pores, then if you wear makeup use a water based foundation

I am freeborn 81, but I posted the above comment without putting my name in the box so I am not anonymous, my mistake sorry. Jay here are a few of the sources which I used (I have never located anything on recorded media about this, just a few periodicals, several books and 3 dermatologists. I apologize in advance for the incorrect grammatical format being used for my sources. Remember after cleansing and toning you can exfoliate with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) with about 10-20% glycolic acid, then apply a moisturizer with sunscreen (or if you just have one of each use the sunscreen last, then suspends a powder in a liquid (clinique has a great one called pore minimizer), apply it like a putty it will turn to powder when dry and fill in your pores, then if you wear makeup use a water based foundation.

I apologize in advance for the incorrect grammatical format being used for my sources.
Pits and pores II: formation, properties, and significance for advanced materials : proceedings of the international symposium by P. Schmuki, Physiology of the Skin II by peter pugliese, and others ( I dont feel like adding them all). Three dermatologists have confirmed these things.

By: Mitzy G

Mitzy G — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:25:55 +0000

I, too, was taught to apply cleaning and toning products in an upward motion and makeup (potentially pore clogging prodcuts) in a downward motion. Reasons given: As state in Dorian’s answer, pores face down and out, you want cleaner, treatments, etc to go into pores, but makeup should not be encouraged into the pores and that applying makeup downward smooths down hairs. So I guess my teacher had alllll the reasons.

By: dorian

dorian — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:30:07 +0000

There are two real reasons that I know of, neither of which have to do with wrinkles or sagging:

1)The openings of the pores on your face do face down and outward, the same direction that the fine hairs on your face grow. Applying your cleanser or mask upward, and toward your nose on your cheeks does, indeed, work the product into your pores better.

2)In massage, you’re supposed to move from the insertion of the muscle(free moving end) toward the origin(fixed end) Mimicking the way an esthetician would massage your face during a facial feels far better than random rubbing.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:23:50 +0000

I’ve always heard this as well and I still do it! I’m pretty happy with my skin (knock on wood) so I’ll continue to use an upward motion even if there is no proof that it’s helping…

I also heard years ago that you should only use the 2 middle fingers on each hand when washing or applying creams since these have the weakest muscles and therefore cause less wrinkles. Again, this probably isn’t true but I’m still doing it….

By: Mary Frances

Mary Frances — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:47:50 +0000

The instructions to apply or wash UPWARDS are from the old school that recommended any time you touch your face, from childhood on, that you use a lifting motion. The idea was that it would help keep the face from sagging over the years. This was taught me when I was a little girl attending “charm school,” in the fifties.