Oily Skin and Enlarged Pores: How I Stopped Wearing Foundation

I’ve always had oily skin, with fairly visible pores, small under-the-skin bumps and, when I was younger, far more spots than I have now.

And of course, when you have spots, you want them gone. Then it’s the marks, the pores and the shine. Before long, you’re examining your face two centimetres from the mirror and wondering why your skin doesn’t look like the skin in adverts.

For years, I searched for the cream that would finally fix everything.

I saw several dermatologists and tried countless treatments. Some creams genuinely worked, but they dried my skin out so much that it became sensitive, uncomfortable and sometimes even harder to manage.

If I forgot my cream for a weekend, I could have cried because I knew the spots would be back on my forehead.

I knew exactly where the first ones would appear before they had even arrived.

When Your Skin Depends on One Cream

For a long time, it felt as though my skin was only behaving because of the treatments I used.

As long as I followed every step, things were fine. But if I missed one application, went away for a few days or changed my routine slightly, I worried I would be straight back at square one.

That feeling is exhausting. You cannot properly enjoy a weekend away because part of your brain is already thinking about the spots that might appear on Monday morning.

Because my skin was oily, I also believed I had to dry it out. I chased that squeaky-clean, almost tight feeling because I thought it proved the product was working.

In reality, my skin could be oily and sensitised at the same time. I simply did not understand that back then.

The More I Tried to Hide My Pores, the More Visible They Looked

Naturally, I wore foundation.

I wanted to cover my spots, blur my pores and create a perfectly even complexion. Yet foundation often highlighted the very things I was trying to disguise.

My pores looked more obvious, product settled on drier patches and every bit of texture seemed to stand out.

You spend twenty minutes blending everything, then catch yourself in bright daylight and discover that your foundation has gathered around every single pore.

Then there was the shade, the usual story: beneath the lights in Sephora, it looked perfect. I was convinced I had finally found the right colour. Then I stepped outside...

Too yellow, too pink, too dark and completely different from my neck. Naturally, I only noticed after buying the bottle.

You know the story.

The Caudalie Vinopure Range

Caudalie’s Vinopure range helped my skin enormously.

More importantly, it was the first routine I managed to stick with for so long. I used it for about three years because it genuinely worked for my skin.

My spots settled down, my skin became much more consistent and I finally stopped buying a new product every time I had a bad week.

I truly believe that once you find a routine that works, you have to stop constantly trying to replace it.

That is difficult when there is always something new to tempt you: another serum, ingredient or cream promising to transform your skin in days. It is easy to assume your current routine is outdated or that something better must be waiting elsewhere.

But when you change everything every fortnight, it becomes impossible to know what is working, what caused a reaction or why your skin is suddenly irritated.

Staying with Vinopure for so long taught me to leave my skin alone.

Then I Discovered Aesop in London

More recently, I moved towards Aesop products.

They are more expensive, yes, but I find them effective and lovely to use. My skin tolerates them well, I enjoy the textures and my routine remains simple.

And, if I am honest, the packaging is much nicer.

It may not be the most scientific argument, but I like the products I use every day to look beautiful in my bathroom. Skincare can be effective without resembling an abandoned medical tube beside the sink.

I did not switch to Aesop because Caudalie had stopped working. After three years with the same range, I simply felt ready to evolve my routine.

I first tried Aesop during a trip to London. I was looking for a hand cream and wandered into the Hampstead shop. The sales assistant knew exactly what to say, and I have loved the brand ever since. I have shared my complete beauty routine for oily skin.

The difference now is that I do not replace everything at once. I introduce products gradually and give my skin time to show me whether they suit it. Skincare can become very expensive, after all.

The Two Products That Replaced My Foundation

Discovering Erborian’s CC Dull Correct completely changed the way I approach my base.

It evens out my complexion, makes me look fresher and gently corrects my skin tone, without creating the heavy layer that tends to emphasise texture.

I also use Typology’s T30 Smoothing and Perfecting Serum, formulated with 5% niacinamide and PHAs.

It is not tinted and does not add colour. Instead, it helps pores look blurred and makes the skin’s texture appear more even.

It is exactly what I wanted: to improve the appearance of my skin without trying to cover it completely.

Today I no longer have spots and my pores look far less visible. Stopping foundation probably helps too, as the product used to emphasise every bit of texture.

I also no longer spend ages searching for the right shade, comparing my face with my neck or stepping outside only to realise my foundation does not suit me at all.

It is simple, quick and it works for me.

Why I Stopped Constantly Searching for Something Better

For years, I thought a good skincare routine had to be complicated.

I thought I needed one product for spots, another for pores, one for shine, one for hydration and then something else to repair the damage caused by everything before it.

Now I try to look at it differently.

When a product works, I keep it. I no longer overhaul my entire routine because of two blemishes, and I do not test five new things at once.

Vinopure stayed with me for three years. Aesop suits what I enjoy using now, while Erborian and Typology have replaced foundation in my everyday routine.

I am no longer chasing perfect skin in every possible light.

Today I no longer have those small under-the-skin bumps, my pores look much less visible and my routine is far simpler. And honestly, not panicking because I forgot a cream for one weekend feels wonderful.