Enlarged Pores and Aging

I think Japanese women are obsessed with enlarged pores. When you read women’s beauty magazines, you are amazed by the number of pore-erasing products that are featured every month. Together with whitening, pore care is definitely a national obsession here.
I must admit I have been tackling with enlarged pores for years myself. I even went to a dermatologist in desperate need of a solution, but all he gave me was a soap with AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). I have been using that soap for several months but my pores still look larger than life!
So what has caused my pores to enlarge? Is it because I'm aging? One cause seems to be hereditary, so the doctor told me. Fortunately, my skin never goes dry but because of the excess oil, the pores seem to be more noticeable. Sun damage and aging seem to be another big cause. Aging and sun exposure make the epidermis thicken and cells tend to collect around pores, making “rings” that cause pores to stand out. That is why a lot of pore-care products exfoliate (like that AHA soap) so that the naturally shed dead skin cells won't gather around the rim and make pores become visible. These pores start to look even bigger when plugged with dirt, and becoming black heads.
So, recently, I experimented with a new pore-care product out in the market called CUTINA. It is a medicated gel product that you massage your face with and later rinse off or wipe off with cotton. It is supposed to remove dead skin cells and minimize your pores. And here is my review after using it for a week:
• Unplugging debris and dead skin cells: Very Good, no skin irritation like many exfoliating products.
• Eliminating bacteria: Cannot tell??
• Reducing excessive oiliness: Extremely Effective
• Removing blackheads: Seems to be less noticeable
• Closing Pores: Very Good
• Hydrating: Very Good, with no sticky after-feel.
So far, quite impressed with the visible results I have seen with Cutina. Will continue for a few more weeks but I plan to also try a similar product from Kathy’s Choice "Acid Lotion" to compare. Will report later…In the meantime, Cutina is worth trying.