Normally my skin is slightly on the dry side, always blemish free with invisible pores. But I have some sun damage under eyes, shallow forehead wrinkles and small nasolabial lines (46). So overall good skin but I would like better texture and fewer wrinkles. When I use oils in my moisturizer or on their own I start seeing my pores and over time they get bigger. But then the wrinkles get less noticeable. So I wonder if it is worth the tradeoff and usually stop at that point, letting my skin dry out again so my pores will shrink down. Is there any solution to this? Does oil always mean larger visible pores? Is this an unavoidable consequence of moisture izing?

Be careful of your "moisturizer".

Skin Damaging Cosmetic Moisturizers are designed to push water into the skin and wet the outer skin proteins. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) and water-holding molecules such as Sodium PCA or hyaluronic acid often used to loosen the outer skin proteins so water can interact with them. But this weakens the skin barrier and lets in viruses, bacteria, and allergens.

The result of using cosmetic moisturizers is a skin filled with bumps and spots - look at famous but still young actors, actresses and celebrities on HD television. Their skin is often a mess up close. These were once the most beautiful people on the planet and they have the most expensive dermatology care.

Or just type "bad celebrity skin" into Google and you can spend the day looking at closeups of the skin of famous people.

Studies from Denmark found that oil/water skin moisturizers break down the skin barrier. The concern was that this could increase infection in hospital patients. Since then, it has been found that hydrating (wetting) the outer skin proteins slows or even stops the normal flow of keratinocytes to the skin surface.

This means to skin is more slowly replaced and damage remains longer. Some skin products speed aging. Cosmetic moisturizers are designed to wet the outer skin proteins and push water into the skin to puff it up. Various detergents (but they may not be called detergents) are used to loosen the outer proteins so water can interact with them. The best example is the "cold creams" that women applied every night in the 1930s and 1940s. You may have seen these in old movies. Their skin was kept moist but the women ended with horrible wrinkles.

Real biological Skin Moisturization depends on only three items.

1. The outer skin oils that help water-proof the skin. This is the Acid Mantle of natural skin oils and acids.

2. The tightness of the skin barrier. This is the outer skin proteins that must remain hard to block water loss through the skin.

3. Within the skin, a high internal level of water holding proteins and sugars such as the proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.

Our Skin Biology water/oil copper peptide creams have no detergents and are always close to breaking up into a water phase and oil phase. They cannot open the skin. Four published human studies found they improve damaged skin.

Good oils for skin are skin are Emu Oil for Skin which is similar to natural human skin oil, Squalane from olives, or Celes Oil, a mixture of squalane, cholesterol esters, and lanosterol esters, all of which are naturally in the skin but decline with age.

Daily supplements of 1 gram vitamin C, 1 gram MSM and 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of Flaxseed Oil will help the production of the skin's water-holding proteins.

Thanks for the reply. I am currently starting up again using super cp serum and two time tightener at night. Also trying to learn to sleep on my back but its really difficult.

My day moisturizer has been avalon organics oil free ingredients:

Aloe barbadensis leaf juice(¹), aqua (water), caprylic/capric triglycerides, glycerin, polyglyceryl-6 distearate, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl stearate citrate, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter(¹), butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)(¹), arnica montana flower extract(¹), calendula officinalis flower extract(¹), camellia sinensis leaf extract(¹), chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract (¹), citrus limon (lemon) peel extract*, cucumus sativus (cucumber) seed extract(¹), lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf/stem extract(¹), olea europaea (olive) leaf extract(¹), ascorbic acid, tocopheryl acetate, xanthan gum, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil†, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil†, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil†, alcohol(¹), potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, citral, limonene, linalool
(¹) Certified Organic Ingredient
* Also known as Lemon Bioflavonoids
† Essential oil less than 1% for scent only
Product is preserved with Sodium Benzoate

The problem with the moisturizer is the sodium benzoate. Other than that, it looks OK.

The preservative sodium benzoate effectively kills bacteria but it is about 100-fold more toxic on the skin repair cell, the fibroblast.


From Wikipedia

In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300), sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate form benzene, a known carcinogen. However, in most beverages that contain both, the benzene levels are below those considered dangerous for consumption.[10] Heat, light and shelf life can affect the rate at which benzene is formed.
Hyperactivity

Research published in 2007 for the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) suggests that certain artificial colours, when paired with sodium benzoate (E211) may be linked to hyperactive behaviour. The results were inconsistent regarding sodium benzoate, so the FSA recommended further study.[11][12][13]

Professor Jim Stevenson from Southampton University, and author of the report, said: "This has been a major study investigating an important area of research. The results suggest that consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and sodium benzoate preservative are associated with increases in hyperactive behaviour in children. However, parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent hyperactive disorders. We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid."[13

Great and detailed information Dr. Pickart. I found it very useful for myself
keep sharing such informative Posts with us.