What can a male do to close up his pores?

I'm 24 and I'm male and I've never really done much to take care of my face, other than the standard washing with hot soap and water every day. What I mean is, I've never purchased expensive products or done facials or spa treatments, because I guess I always associated those as female things. But now I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea. I have a lot of pores on my face, and they are pretty large and visible. Especially on my nose and one the areas around my nose. Often, these pores fill up with blackheads.



I recently purchased some apricot scrubs and a cucumber mask which I've started using and I've seen some improvement. My skin seems smoother now. And maybe the pores are a little smaller. But they're still there and they're still visible.



I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do. Any products you recommend especially for men?



Thanks

What can a male do to close up his pores?
HONEY I USE THESE TIPS WITH ANY AND EVERY PERSON I DO MAKEUP FOR IN THE THEATRE DEPT. AT SCHOOL, INCLUDING CLEANSING MY OWN SKIN!



When it comes to the face, heat is the biggest key. Heat creates an atmosphere for your pores to expand. A hot rag (as hot as you can stand it) across the face is the best bet. As far as a topical treatment, you need to invest in a good scrub and a very fine toner. I tell people this all the time that I do makeup for. Here are some key things to remember when looking for cleansers:



1. A good scrub needs to have some sort of exfoliant (i.e. microbeads, pumice grains, etc.) in it. Once you have applied the hot rag to your face and opened up your pores, the scrub is used to get deep down into the pores and clean them out.



2. In a good scrub, stay away from anything that has a lot of soap or fragrance to it. Fragrance = additives that probably will makes things worse. Your main ingredient when looking for a scrub is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid acts as an antibacterial to cleanse deep to break up the blackheads and fight the bacteria causing them.



3. A good toner should be found because once the skin is clean, the toner is used to tighten the cleansed pores to minimalize the entrance of future bacteria. And sadly to say it (but get over it), A TONER DOES STINK! Its made primarily of alcohol, so it will stink! Get over it! It's worth it!



4. Lastly, and a lot of people don't think about this, find a light lotion with an added sunscreen (at least SPF 15). You want a light lotion (nothing fancy or fragrancy) with a sunscreen to prevent dryness from the toner and the sunscreen will help protect from sun damage (obviously!).



Always remember to catch blackheads before they start (before they become pimples)! And for the love of God: DO NOT PICK AT A PIMPLE IF YOU GET ONE! Picking only creates more infection from the bacteria on your hands....and most importantly: it's just GROSS! Some brands to try for a scurb or toner would be: Oil of Olay, Biore`, Clinique, Clean %26amp; Clear, Clearasil.......just to name a few! Also remember to drink lots of water to help keep down ure intake of oils. Oh and p.s. to guys who are reading this: just because girls use it in a commercial DOES NOT mean that a guy cannot use it too! A girl would like it a lot more to see a guy with a clean face and a cabinet full of girly skin care stuff, than Mister Zit next door! I'm gay....trust me on this!
Reply:try a magic peeling Glove to exfoliate the skin - they say it helps with blackheads
Reply:Just keep up with the exfolliant and the mask. Your pores will eventually shrink, it may take some time! Use them as much as possible as long as they don't dry your face out. If your face gets dried out, you will be more prone to acne.
Reply:Loreal makes some amazing facial products for men.... check 'em out.
Reply:Exfoliation with the scrub is great, you could also try the biore strips which help to unplug your pores and close them too.



My husband now uses Clinique products, they have a products specifically for men. Try the scuffing lotion and the scrub. He used to get terribly blocked pores and pimples on his nose especially, but now they are gone.