How to Treat Clogged Pores (Hint: They're Drains, Not Doors)

Short answer: A clogged pore is a hair follicle blocked by a plug of oil and dead skin cells. To clear it, dissolve the plug (salicylic acid), speed up cell turnover so new plugs don't form (retinoids), and reduce the oil going into the pore in the first place (oil-balancing skincare, and for many people, high-dose Vitamin B5 from the inside). Steam, strips and scrubbing treat the surface only.

Everything you've been told about pores opening and closing is wrong. Pores have no muscles. They don't open in steam, they don't close in cold water, and they can't "breathe." They're tiny drains, and like any drain, they block when too much gunk goes down them and not enough gets cleared.

Which is good news, because a drain is a fixable problem. Here's the plumbing.

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What are clogged pores?

A clogged pore is a hair follicle opening in the skin that has become blocked by a mix of sebum (your skin's natural oil), dead skin cells and, sometimes, product residue or bacteria. Dermatologists call the plug a comedone. Left alone, it can stay a blackhead or whitehead, or it can inflame into a pimple.

They show up most where oil glands are densest: the nose, chin and forehead (the T-zone), plus the cheeks, back, shoulders and chest. The bumps people get in armpits and under the breasts are more often ingrown hairs, folliculitis or sweat-related irritation than true clogged pores, so they need a slightly different approach (more on that below).

What do clogged pores look like?

Four tells:

• Blackheads. Open pores where the plug is exposed to air and oxidises dark. Not dirt, oxidised oil.
• Whiteheads. Closed pores with a thin layer of skin over the plug. Small, skin-coloured or white bumps.
• Rough, bumpy texture. Lots of tiny closed comedones across the forehead or cheeks. Often called "congestion."
• Visibly enlarged pores. Usually on the nose and inner cheeks, and usually a sign the pore is stretched by a plug or by high oil flow.

What causes clogged pores?

Every clog needs two ingredients: something to block the drain and not enough flow to clear it. Five things tip the balance:

1. Excess oil. Overactive sebaceous glands, driven mostly by hormones and genetics. This is the single biggest factor, and the one most skincare ignores.
2. Dead skin cells that don't shed properly. In acne-prone skin, cells inside the follicle stick together instead of sloughing off. They mix with oil and form the plug.
3. Product build-up. Heavy makeup, some sunscreens, hair products at the hairline, anything not fully removed at night.
4. Comedogenic ingredients. Certain oils, waxes and silicones in skincare and makeup sit in the pore rather than on it. "Non-comedogenic" on the label is a decent (not perfect) filter.
5. Hormones and stress. Both raise androgen activity, which raises oil production. This is why clogs cluster around your cycle and your deadlines.

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How to unclog pores at home

Three jobs: dissolve the plug, keep the follicle wall turning over, and reduce what's flowing into the pore.

1. Cleanse with an ingredient that gets inside the pore

Salicylic acid (a BHA) is oil-soluble, so it can travel down into the pore and loosen the plug rather than just polishing the surface. A gentle daily cleanse is the foundation. Our Acne Control Cleansing Mousse is built for exactly this: it lifts oil and residue without stripping, with aloe and green tea to keep the barrier calm.

2. Exfoliate, but chemically, not with a scrub

Physical scrubs roughen the surface and do nothing for the plug underneath. A leave-on salicylic acid or glycolic acid used two or three times a week keeps dead cells from piling up. More is not better; over-exfoliation wrecks the barrier and skin responds by producing more oil.

3. Use a clay mask for the weekly deep clean

Kaolin and bentonite clays absorb surface oil and help draw out what's sitting near the top of the pore. Our Skin Purifying Mask does this without the tightness and flaking you get from cheaper clay masks. Once or twice a week is plenty. (Full guide: how to shrink your pores on a budget using the SkinB5 mask.)

4. Add a retinoid, slowly

Retinol and prescription retinoids speed up cell turnover inside the follicle, which is the closest thing skincare has to a clog-prevention setting. Start twice a week at night, buffer with moisturiser, and expect a few weeks of adjustment. Skip retinoids if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

5. Moisturise, even if you're oily

Dehydrated skin overproduces oil to compensate. A light, non-comedogenic moisturiser like our Acne Control Moisturiser, with jojoba (which closely mimics your own sebum) and Vitamin B5, keeps skin balanced so it isn't fighting you.

6. Reduce the oil at the source

Everything above manages the plug after it starts. The lever most routines never pull is the oil supply itself. High-dose Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is thought to support how the body metabolises fats, including sebum, and we've built the Extra Strength Acne Control Vitamins around it. Less oil flowing into the drain means fewer clogs to treat. It's why we say clear skin starts from within.

What about steam and pore strips?

Steam doesn't open pores, but warm water does soften sebum, which can make a clay mask or cleanse slightly more effective afterwards. Use it as a five-minute warm-up, not a treatment. Pore strips pull out the top of a blackhead and leave the rest; they're satisfying, occasionally useful on the nose, and irritating if overused. Once a fortnight at most.

Clogged pores by area

Nose and chin. Highest oil density on the face, so this is blackhead central. Salicylic cleanser daily, clay mask weekly, and resist squeezing.

Forehead. Often product-driven: hair oils, dry shampoo, sweat under a fringe or cap. Keep hair products off the hairline and cleanse after workouts.

Back, shoulders, chest. Sweat, friction from straps and clothing, and less consistent cleansing. Shower promptly after exercise and use your face cleanser on your body; the skin there clogs the same way.

Armpits and under the breasts. Usually sweat, friction, shaving or antiperspirant residue rather than classic comedones. Gentle exfoliation once a week, breathable fabrics, and if bumps are red and sore, see a GP; it may be folliculitis rather than a clog.

Professional treatments for clogged pores

If home care isn't shifting things after 8–12 weeks:

• Extractions. A dermal therapist or dermatologist clearing plugs properly, with the right tools and no scarring. Not the same as squeezing in the mirror.
• Chemical peels. Salicylic or glycolic peels resurface and clear at a strength you can't buy over the counter.
• Prescription retinoids. Stronger and faster than retinol, via a GP or dermatologist.

How to prevent clogged pores

• Cleanse morning and night, every night, with a pore-penetrating cleanser
• Remove makeup and sunscreen fully before bed
• Chemical exfoliant 2–3 times a week, clay mask weekly
• Choose non-comedogenic makeup, sunscreen and hair products
• Keep hair products off your face and wash pillowcases weekly
• Support oil balance from the inside with a high-dose Vitamin B5 supplement, so you're treating the cause as well as the symptom

When to see a dermatologist

If clogged pores persist despite 12 weeks of consistent care, keep turning into painful or cystic pimples, or are leaving marks, get a professional opinion. A dermatologist can prescribe stronger retinoids, perform extractions and peels, and rule out hormonal drivers.

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Australian Botanicals Cleansing Mousse

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FAQs

What's the difference between clogged pores and acne? A clogged pore is a follicle blocked with oil and dead skin (a blackhead or whitehead). Acne is what happens when that blocked pore becomes inflamed, often with bacteria involved, producing red pimples, pustules or cysts. All acne starts with a clogged pore; not all clogged pores become acne.

Are blackheads and whiteheads clogged pores? Yes. Both are comedones. A blackhead is an open clogged pore where the plug has oxidised dark. A whitehead is a closed clogged pore covered by a thin layer of skin.

Do pores open and close? No. Pores have no muscle and can't open or close. Heat can soften the oil inside them and cold can temporarily tighten surrounding skin, but the pore itself stays the same size.

Can clogged pores go away on their own? Mild ones sometimes clear as skin naturally sheds, but in oily or acne-prone skin they usually persist or inflame without treatment. A consistent routine clears them and stops them recurring.

How long does it take to unclog pores? Surface improvement in two to four weeks with consistent cleansing and exfoliation. Retinoids and oil-regulating supplements typically take six to twelve weeks to show their full effect because they work on how the skin behaves, not just what's in the pore today.

Can clogged pores cause permanent damage? Untreated clogs can inflame into acne, and repeated inflammation or squeezing can leave enlarged pores, marks or scarring. Treating clogs early is the best scar prevention there is.

Clear the drain. Then fix the flow. The SkinB5 Starter Kit pairs the Cleansing Mousse, Moisturiser and Vitamin B5 supplements so you're clearing pores on the surface and reducing oil underneath at the same time.

Related reading: SkinB5 Assists in Treating Large Pores · How SkinB5's Tablets and Caplets Work From the Inside Out · Neck Pimples: Treatment and Prevention