Bad bathroom lighting has caused more stretched pores than anything else. Allow me to explain: Have you ever caught a glimpse of your pores in the mirror and just HAD to squeeze them? Maybe you see a blackhead, or maybe it’s just your pores and the oil that naturally accumulated in them. Oily skin, after all, is characterized by larger pores. Combination skin, too. Some of us just can’t help ourselves, and it’s really easy to become a little addicted to squeezing blackheads (or sometimes what you think are blackheads). Unfortunately, this can often damage the integrity of the pore, causing it to stretch and become even more obvious. There are definitely times when blackhead extraction is necessary—and it’s never ambiguous whether or not you need it done. The rest of the time, leave your skin alone or trust it to a trained aesthetician.

If you want to help prevent blackheads and unclog congested pores, check out our Silver Powder, which uses a special clay to absorb oil in the skin and help unblock the pores. If you’re interested, you just apply it like a mask in the areas where you experience the most congestion (like your nose or chin), and then rinse off after 20 minutes. You might want to use a toner to remove it as well.